“Make the most of beautiful moments. Beautiful moments predispose the soul to prayer; they make it refined, noble, and poetic...Wake up in the morning to see the sun rising out from the sea as a king/queen robed in purple. All things enrich us, all lead us to the great Love, all lead us to Christ.”
Reflection:
Let us take the opportunity to walk outside in silence and observe God’s handiwork. Where-ever we turn we encounter God’s wisdom.(1) Let us make efforts to enjoy more beautiful moments on our own, as well as together with our families and friends. Let’s create deeper connections with our Creator and our neighbor.
It may come naturally to enjoy a beautiful sunset, a scenic view, or the refreshing morning air. We cannot forget that the same admiration we have for the world God created, must be multiplied 100-fold for our fellow neighbors whom God also created (even those whom we do not get along with, or that we think fit particular categories and labels).
Human beings are the pinnacle of creation, for God created each of us in His Image and are deserving of respect, honor, and dignity. We must begin each thought process and interaction from this truth, this starting point, in order to begin to change the world.
Every place and person we encounter are opportunities to grow closer and give thanks to Christ and one another.
Everything leads back to Christ when we take a moment to put both our ego and devices aside, opening ourselves to grow in deep connection with God, His creation, and one another, for even just five minutes each day. St Porphyrios reminds us that to live in “Prayer is to approach everything made by God with love and to live in harmony with everything, even with wild nature.”(2)
Resources: 1) Psalm 103 2) St Porphyrios, Wounded by Love, 220.
