For some years now, our church has been trying to adopt greener practices campus-wide. One thing we did was to get rid of part of the lawn and replace if with native, drought resistant landscaping.
Last month the person in charge of maintaining this space asked me, "Who planted those cactuses on the berm?"
"I don't know. I assumed it was you." I answered. But no. It was not. Further inquiry did not lead us to the answer. Not that we don't LIKE the cactuses, but it would be nice to know where they came from.
At last night's Buildings and Grounds Committee meeting, the question came up again: "Where did those cactuses come from??"
No one could say. Somberly, I suggested that perhaps we were dealing with a genuine miracle. One committee member asked if there is a patron saint of cactuses. But we had all been raised Protestant. No one had a clue.
At home I asked my Roman Catholic husband. He said there might be a patron saint of cactuses, but small town, midwestern Catholics like himself would not be familiar with such a Saint.
Today I googled it and found this:
The patron saint of thorny places
December 12 is the feast day of the Virgin of Guadalupe, who made her first appearance in Mexico on this date. Aransas, also named for a manifestation of Mary, seems strangely connected to that event.
The story begins in 1470, when a Basque shepherd, working the rugged land of north central Spain, saw a vision of the Virgin in a thorn bush. "Aransazu?" he cried out, meaning, in Basque, "You, sitting in the stickers?"
Friends--this is serious. Do have any idea what it could mean if a genuine Marian manifestation is appearing right here on the grounds of Academic Suburb Presbyterian Church?? And on the brink of the 500th anniversary of the birth of John Calvin!
Should I call the Pope? Bruce Reyes-Chow? Please advise!
7 comments:
For goodness sakes! You need to set up a committee to research, discuss and then vote on this! Then if there is still no action decided, refer it to session.
However they got there, it is obvious they were predestined to be there.....
Love this! A cactus miracle. :) How fabuous. Makes me miss the cacti in Tucson where I used to live.
I thought that Spike, Snoopy's brother, was the patron saint of cacti.
I think this requires the heavy guns . . . call in Linda Valentine, Gradye Parsons or his designee until he can travel and Bruce Reyes Chow.
You may be on to something . . . this may not be a Marian miracle, but a Calvin predestined miracle announcing the upcoming celebration of his 500th B'day!
Maybe Academic Suburb Presbyterian Church is suppose to be the location of the big party!
Lydia
You do know, I take it, that you published this post on the Eve of the Assumption??
It's meant, I tell you, MEANT!
Expect your first bus load of pilgrims any day now...
you crack me up :)
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