Friday of the Thirteenth Week in Ordinary Time
The Freedom to Be
As we celebrate the birth of our nation, we rightly give thanks for the freedoms we enjoy. We often think of freedom in civic and political terms. But I’d like to reflect on another kind of freedom nestled within the soul of this country: the wild, natural beauty of the land itself.
John Muir, the Scottish-born American naturalist, was a kind of apostle of the American wilderness. He saw the freedom of the vast wilderness as the foundation of the American spirit. To Muir, the cathedral-like cliffs of Yosemite, the still small voice of the wind in the sequoia trees, and the life-giving waters rushing through mountain passes—these were not just pretty landscapes, but spiritual realms that spoke a “wordless sermon from God.”
Muir believed that nature itself was a revelation, declaring not only the glory of God, but also God’s generosity in letting us share in that glory. So, it really is a sacred duty to take care of the earth, which God entrusted to our care.
For the Journey:
Amid fireworks and festivities today and this weekend, let’s step out into a wilderness spot and breathe in the free air. Listen to the song of the free-flying birds. Feel the freedom of the land that is older than the Constitution. This is the freedom that every human being longs for—politically, yes, but deeper, spiritually, in the loving presence and providential care of God.
Reflection by Br. Luke Kral, OSB
Posted in Articles for Ordinary Time, Daily Reflections