Pond Vegetation

Pond Vegetation by Ann L. Krumrein

Ave Maria!  Last week my sweet sister Annie emailed me several images that she captured of their surroundings in Lincolnville, Maine.  This particular one, entitled "Pond Vegetation," keeps popping up in my mind. 

If I learned correctly in high school, vegetation is both plant life and the process of its growth.  Here we see the plant life, but the growth is hidden from our eyes.  We cannot perceive this wondrous process, though it is indeed happening.

All vegetation is not bad, but neither is it all good.  The words "the good, the bad, and the ugly" come to my mind.  The good vegetation must be cultured; the bad and the ugly must be controlled. 

What an apt image for our spiritual lives!  Most times we cannot sense the life of Christ taking root within us and unfolding bit by bit, but the absolute truth is that the Holy Spirit is constantly generating new life for the glory of the Father.  So I must faithfully do my part to nourish this precious life, confident that the Holy Spirit, the Lord and Giver of Life, will surely do His part.  For me, this means using the time-honored means that are a true treasure in the Catholic Church, such as prayer and sacrifice, penance and mortification, daily spiritual reading and examination of conscience, little acts of love and virtue, and the Sacraments.  Employing these precious methods also helps to control the bad and the ugly, for in strengthening the positive, we lessen the negative. 

Dear Lord, thank You for giving me everything I need to make my  little pond as beautiful as possible for You.  Amen.

Being confident of this very thing, that he, who hath begun a good work in you, will perfect it unto the day of Christ Jesus.  ~Philippians 1:6