Spiritual lessons from my beloved homegrown peonies

A Reflection for Friday of the Thirty-fourth Week in Ordinary Time

Find today’s readings here.

Today’s Gospel reminded me that any family member, friend or colleague who will listen to me or humor me by looking at my pictures during the last week of May or early June must brace themselves as I gush about my homegrown peonies. I obsess over every stage of a flower’s growth—from when it looks and feels like a hard marble all the way through marshmallow stage when the bud is soft and ready to bloom to when bud opens and unfurls into a pop of magenta. I agonize over the perfect time to cut the flowers and adorn our house with their beauty.

Similar to my beloved peonies, the fig tree is used to remind each of us that God’s beauty is all around and that we can find God in all things. With the demands of today’s world—whether they be professional or personal—it is easy to overlook the subtle but constant ways that God speaks to us through unexpected moments of grace. We must open our eyes and hearts to be attentive to the ways that the signs of God’s unending promise in the kingdom of heaven abound. 

This is an invitation for all of us to inhale his goodness by taking notice of the beauty of this earth and all of the things around us. Sure, it is easier to find beauty in the spring and summer through blooming trees and flowers, but even as we inch closer to the dark days of winter, there is beauty in God’s creation all around us. The glory of changing leaves, the freshness of newly fallen snow, even the wind that howls at night are all signs of God’s enduring and glorious presence.

The concluding verse of this passage offers consolation when Luke writes, “Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.” Even during times riddled with challenges or disappointments, God remains faithful and always by our side. Of course we are all going to experience difficult times and spiritual droughts, but his love for us and his promise of the eternal kingdom endures beyond every challenge or transition. Everything will fade—the beautiful phases of a fig tree, a flowering peony, even the ups and downs of life—but God’s love and the hope of his resurrection will always remain, serving as beacons signaling that more awaits after our earthly pilgrimage.

As you go about your day, may you be rooted in knowing that God’s loving hand is always at work within each of us. Stop, acknowledge the wonder and express gratitude for all he has given us. By doing so, may you become closer to God and will continue to recognize his many graces and his everpresent love.