Dear Friends,

“The Spring is sprung, the grass is riz…” as the Bronx poem I learned at school has it.  And despite the lengthy wintry cold all the signs point to the fact that the Spring has indeed sprung and the earth is once again burgeoning with life; it’s the annual miracle that familiarity takes so easily for granted.  But the earth and its annual cycle are very special and intimately linked with our own well being. In the second of the two accounts of the creation story, in chapter two of the Book of Genesis, we read that when God created humankind, God used earth.  Indeed the Hebrew word for earth is adamah so the early editors were using a play on words to underline the fact that human beings are part of the very earth itself, an integral part of creation, called to be God’s stewards.  Not to stand apart from the earth and all that is in it, but as participants in its ongoing good health and fruitfulness.  And although we no longer offer grain and animal sacrifices to God as the Ancient Israelites did we “the children of the earth (adamah) are called to be ourselves “living sacrifices” to the Living God. 

Our Living God is a God of humility and love; a love that was prepared to enter into creation, to become “earth” with us and for us, a human being who was to be both the altar and the sacrifice for our sins.  Not that long ago we walked once again the road to Calvary to weep at the foot of the cross and then with Mary Magdalene and the other disciples to rejoice at the Resurrection of Our Lord, as we witnessed the great love of the Living God in the Resurrection of Jesus Christ. And at the feast of Pentecost we rejoice and celebrate the great gift of the Holy Spirit poured out upon the Church. Such love calls from us a whole hearted response, not of fear and trembling at this overwhelming showing forth of a great power (although these are indeed mighty acts of power), but a response to the even greater love of God poured out upon us, offering to God our whole lives, our whole selves.  Offering all that we are, good and bad, to the God who loves us so much and who has indeed honoured the promise made to Moses so long ago on the Holy Mountain, “I will come to you and bless you.” (Exodus 20: 24)

So let us as we celebrate once more the fruitfulness and beauty of the reawakening earth give thanks to our Creator God; and in love let us respond and offer ourselves as “living sacrifices holy and acceptable to God.” [Romans 12:1]

God bless you all,

Amma Sue