SOURCE OF ALL BLESSINGS,

you bless us with gardens–
flower gardens, dizzy from
fragrant abundance, or beds in
neat rows, but above all the garden
we dream of, with wall, well, and
white-gravel walkways, its bench
shaded by fruit trees, its arbor of
grapevines or roses, its fountain,
stone steps, statues, and box hedge.
May it flourish, that garden of my
imagination, anywhere, welcoming
in any weather.


Sense how it feels to honor the bright abundance and generosity of gardens. When we take in gardens as the joyful outcome of our imaginations mingling with the exuberance of all that grows, we can appreciate the beauty inherent in wholehearted co-creation.

“May this patchwork quilt of blessings help to sharpen your taste for the gift of life in its innumerable facets,” Br. David writes. “May you grow ever more blessed, ever more able to bless.”

Should you be inspired, please leave a reflection below…

← Previous Practice
Next Practice →

 

Enjoy the full eight-day Summer Blessings II practice series.


Nature
Practices
Br. David Steindl-Rast, OSB

Br. David Steindl-Rast, OSB

About the author

Brother David Steindl-Rast — author, scholar, and Benedictine monk — is beloved the world over for his enduring message about gratefulness as the true source of lasting happiness. Known to many as the “grandfather of gratitude,” Br. David has been a source of inspiration and spiritual friendship to countless leaders and luminaries around the world including Desmond Tutu, the Dalai Lama, Thich Nhat Hanh, Thomas Merton, and more. He has been one of the most important figures in the modern interfaith dialogue movement, and has taught with thought-leaders such as Eckhart Tolle, Jack Kornfield, and Roshi Joan Halifax. His wisdom has been featured in recent interviews with Oprah Winfrey, Krista Tippett, and Tami Simon and his TED talk has been viewed almost 10,000,000 times. Learn more about Br. David here.