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OUR SEARCH FOR GOD
Cartoons on spirituality |
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| Discover what
Apostolic Spirituality is about....
Spirituality does not need
to be boring.
Spirituality gives "substance" to our lives.
Apostolic Spirituality means to see God in all things we do,
in all we live,
in all the persons we meet,
in nature,
in our daily life....,
and in the "surprises" of life. We present
to you "engaging stories" that can help you to find
ways of FINDING
GOD in all things... | |
Sr. Gloria Sedes, MSOLA, has illustrated BAMBOO
a beautiful
Indian story
that tells us about the mystery of life and death .
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BAMBOO
Once
upon a time in the heart of the Western Kingdom, lay a beautiful garden.
And
there in the cool of the day was the master of the garden who went for a walk.
Of
all the dwellers of the garden, the most beautiful and beloved was a gracious
and noble Bamboo. | | | |
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Often when Wind came to
revel in the garden,
Bamboo would throw
aside
his dignity. He
e would dance and sway
merrily, tossing and
leaping
and bowingin
joyous abandon... | | |
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Year after year, Bamboo grew ever
more beautiful
and gracious.
He was conscious of his
master's love and watchful delight,
yet he was modest
and in all
things gentle.
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He would lead the great dance
of the garden which most delighted
his master's heart.... | | |
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day the master himself
drew near to look at his
Bamboo with eyes of
expectant
curiousity. And Bamboo, in a
passion of love, bowed his
great head to the ground in
joyful greeting. | | |
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The master spoke:
"Bamboo,
I would use you"
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| Bamboo
flung his head to the sky in utter delight. The day of
days had been growinghour
by hour, the day in which he would
find his completion and destiny!His voicecame
low:
"Master,
I am ready, use me as you want."
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"Bamboo", the master's voice
was grave,
"I would be obliged to take you and cut you down."
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A trembling of great horror shook Bamboo. "Cut
…me…down? Me
whom you, master, have
made the most beautiful
in your whole garden?
Cut
me down, ah, not that,
not that.
Use me for your joy,
oh master, but don't cut
me down." | |
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"Beloved Bamboo,"
the master's voice grew graver
yet. "If I do not cut you down
then I cannot use you." The
garden grew still.
Wind held her breath.
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Bamboo slowly bent his proud and
glorious head. There
came a whisper. "Master,
if you cannot use me unless
you cut me down,
then do your will and cut."
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"Bamboo, beloved Bamboo,
I would cut your leaves and
branches from you also."
"Master,
master, spare me.
Cut me down and lay my beauty
in the dust, but why
would you
take from me my leaves and
branches also?"
"Bamboo
alas! If I do not cut them
away, I cannot use you." |  |
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The sun hid her face. A
listening butterfly glided
fearfully away.
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Bamboo
shivered in
terrible
expectancy,
whispering
low. "Master,
cut away."
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| | "Bamboo,
Bamboo, I would divide you
in two and cut out your heart, for if I do not
cut so, I cannot use you."
"Master,
master, then cut and divide."
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the master of the garden took
Bamboo and cut him down and
hacked off
his branches and
stripped off his leaves and divided
him in two and cut
out his heart,
and lifting him gently, carried him
to where there was
a spring of fresh,
sparkling water in the midst of
the master's dry fields.
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putting down one end of
broken Bamboo
into the spring and the other end
into the water channel in his field,
the master tenderly laid down
his beloved Bamboo.
The spring sang a welcome.
The clear sparkling water
raced
joyously down the channel of
Bamboo's torn body into the
waiting fields…
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| Then
the rice was
planted and the
days went by.
The
shoots grew.
The harvest came. | | |
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On
that day was Bamboo, once
so glorious in his stately beauty,
was yet
more glorious in his brokenness
and humility.
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in his beauty he was life abundant.
But in his brokenness he became a
channel of abundant life to his
master's world.
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| An
Indian legend
Illustrations:
Sr. Gloria Sedes
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