One major sign of Spring for me has always the blooming of the Bleeding Heart plant. We had at least two in our front yard flower bed, and I always found them beautiful.

This year, I watched as Sr. Thérèse removed the winter debris from around the plant in our yard. The result was a few brown sticks about six inches high, barely visible above the lawn. Then, suddenly, there were short green shoots promising more to come. I watched, amazed, as day to day the plant doubled in size becoming ever more leafed, and in no time, it was full of the pink and white flowers so familiar to me. It wasn't very tall and I thought that this year maybe it was already at its height for the summer. But no, in the days since, the plant has expanded upward and outward with more and more blooms! It is reaching full maturity, and is a center of beauty in our garden.

This plant speaks to me beyond words about life. After winter's repose, it was ready to burst forth once more into the sunshine and find nourishment in the warming soil. In the winters of my life, I gain strength without knowing how for fruitfulness and generativity as God gives me the sunshine of his love and the nourishment of the sacraments of the Church. Thus, the beauty of God can radiate into my environment, wherever that may be...