This story and message was taken from the Cluny Newsletter in Kancharapara (located in West Bengal, India). For many, the story is familiar; for all, the message and prayer serves us well in this Year of Faith:
“There
are people whose presence is encouraging….
The
sense of encouragement you feel from them is not simply their words or
gestures;
It
is rather their whole presence enfolding you
And helping
you find the concealed door” - John
O’Donohue
In THE SECERET GARDEN, a hope-filled story, a ten year old orphan
Mary is sent to live with her reclusive uncle in the desolate Yorkshire
moors. As she goes about her daily
exploration, she finds a high-walled garden. Mary longs to get inside that garden but she cannot find the
entrance into it. The walls are
covered with thick, dangling vines due to years of neglect, and they hide the
wooden gate. Day after day Mary
goes back to the garden, bringing with her a constant yearning to find a way
inside.
One sunny day, a chirping robin flits
from the top of the garden wall to the ground beside her. Mary looks down to
where the bird has landed and sees the top of a buried key. (May the Holy Spirit help us find the
key to our heart, that beautiful but neglected garden). Not long after she digs
the rusty key out, Mary discovers the concealed gate. Her heart beats wildly as she turns the corroded key in the
lock. One strong turn, a bit of
grunting effort to push the long unused gate open, and Mary is finally able to
walk into the abandoned garden.
Eventually, with the assistance of some newly found friends, Mary
restores the place to its natural beauty. (Let us help each other in
discovering our inner beauty and the presence of the One we love.)
In many ways our hidden self is like
the secret garden Mary found. We
have this realm of beauty and potential growth within us, but we do not always
believe in it or know how to reach it.
When we do find our way to our true self, there is work to be done in
order to resurrect or restore our innate goodness.
Like Mary’s robin and the friends who
assisted her, we, too, have helpers in our life who, knowingly or unknowingly,
aid us in our search for the concealed door to our inner garden. Who are these companions of
growth? These are people who
believe in me before I believe in myself.
These companions challenge me to see the parts of my self that were
encumbered by my ego. They give me
courage to seek and find the veiled realm of my authentic self.
To sum up, others can help us open the
door of our heart. We need them to
teach us how to pray, to encourage us to find and use our personal talents, to
challenge us to expand our minds and hearts.
Prayer
Trusted Gardener, tame what has grown
too wild. Free what has become too
tame. Claim what has been neglected. Awaken what has been dormant. Thank you for the companions whose
presence lead me to my deeper self. I open the door of my heart to you. Amen
Anne-Marie Javouhey was born in France on November 11, 1779. In 1807, she founded the Sisters of St. Joseph of Cluny who dedicated themselves to the care of the sick and to teaching. She wrote, "...There is so much resourcefulness in children. It is on them that I count if God wishes to use us for such a great apostolate..." Called to minister to the colonies, Anne_Marie devoted herself to the emancipation of the slaves. She died July 15, 1851
