To Till and Keep the Garden
From the very beginning of our history, human beings have been gardeners: “The LORD God then took the man and settled him in the garden of Eden, to cultivate and care for it.” (Gen. 2:15) As numerous Biblical scholars have noted, the Hebrew words used in the book of Genesis to describe mankind’s mission in the garden (“to cultivate and care for” or “to till and keep” in other translations) are actually liturgical terms. The Old Testament priests and Levites were called to carry out these tasks (in their case, translated as “guard and keep”) with regard to the Tabernacle and Temple. So one could say that, in a sense, every gardener is acting as a priest - treasuring God’s gift of creation and offering it back to Him as a sacrifice of praise.
What a lovely thought as we enter full-swing into growing season! May all of our “tilling and keeping” be directed to the glory of God. Enjoy a few pictures of our vegetable gardens, where we strive through prayer to transform even humble manual work into a “liturgy of love” for our Lord - and for our Sisters, who will hopefully taste the fruits of our labors in the months to come!
“The Passionist Nuns lovingly submit to the common law of work and thus provide necessary means for their livelihood. Following the example of Jesus, they work for the glory of the Father and the good of all mankind.”