Snowflakes Falling

Snowflakes are falling by the millions today. I watch them, smiling and remembering a conversation

 I had with a religious sister on a similar winter day. We met in the hallway where I used to work

and – on a day such as that - the hallway was an exceptional place to meet. For, it was a hallway of windows, from ceiling to floor. We stopped, the paths of our lives intersecting right there.

After a joyful greeting, together we observed the extravagant number of snowflakes falling all around us, light and free. Then, this servant of God began turning in a slow circle.

She said, “All these snowflakes, that’s how many things God blesses us with every day. We could never count the number of blessings God gives to us!” Her face was glowing, her heart was overflowing with love for the Lord.

Blessings from God enrich our lives so deeply, but are we always aware of them?

Photo by Darius Cotoi

Contemplative living simply means being aware, being attentive - with love and gratitude - to God’s continual presence and grace. This intentionality will help us become more aware of the extravagant offering of love God blesses us with, even in just one day.

Blessings from God are everywhere! “As our prayers rise up, blessings come down,” as our former pastor used to say.  We find blessings from God in scripture, when our heart is stirred by the Holy Spirit.  We find them in the inspiration, clarity, encouragement, gentle correction, challenges, and so much more, that come to us while engaging in private and communal prayer.  We find them coming from neighbors and strangers that cross our paths, offering a laugh, an insight, comfort. We find them when we create and complete a project, for work or recreation, with God by our side. We find them when we wander through the beauty of God’s creation, God’s masterpiece! As St. Ignatius of Loyola reminds us, God’s faithful love can be found in all things.

“One of the greatest imperatives in life is simply this: ‘Be attentive.’ When that attention is coupled with love, we enter the field of contemplation: Loving attention…By paying attention to whatever crosses our path, we have the opportunity to encounter the mystery of God, the source of all life and holiness, the source of all truth, goodness, and beauty.” -Bishop Robert Morneau

Photo by Annie Niemaszyk

The religious sister I encountered in the hallway on that snowy day had access to all the truth, goodness, and beauty God was offering her, moment-by-moment, and she opened my eyes to that wisdom, too. I will never forget the joy that radiated from her whole being as we looked through the window at the snowflakes. For that very moment is counted among my blessings.

For Further Prayer: As you move through your day, become attentive to the blessings being offered to you, through the people and things that cross your path each day.

A simple scriptural verse to carry in your heart throughout this day: “Bless the Lord, oh my soul, and forget not all of his benefits” (Ps 103:2).