Tag: Roses

A ROSE BY THE LIVING WATERS

"By a voice he saith: Hear me, ye divine offspring, and bud forth as the rose planted by the brooks of waters. [18] Give ye a sweet odour as frankincense. [19] Send forth flowers, as the lily, and yield a smell, and bring forth leaves in grace, and praise with canticles, and bless the Lord in his works." (Ecclesiaticus, a.k.a. Sirach, 39:17-18)
  

I am a rose by the living waters
My roots reach deep into the river’s bed
My thorny arms reach out to the heavens

Angelic choirs descend from the heavens
their arms full of graces poured like waters
upon the earth. I quicken in my bed

Glorious is the sunrise warming my bed
Blessed are the rains sent by the heavens
This humble flower, my own Lord waters

Pure waters  cleanse my bed to yield roses for the heavens.

SHOWERS ON A HOT DAY (for WPC: Cherry on Top)

velvet rose
It’s not rain but the garden hose spraying water. I did not think I could get a decent photo considering that the flower was looking down and the waterdrops were shaking the plant. I was surprised to have this when I checked the camera roll. 🙂

Raindrops filtered through
My hands are left with nothing
But what the heart holds

 

WPC: Cherry on Top

BY THE LIVING WATERS

“Blessed be the man that trusteth in the Lord, and the Lord shall be his confidence. And he shall be as a tree planted in the waters, that spreadeth out his roots towards moisture; and it shall not fear when the heat cometh. And the leaf thereof shall be green, and in the time of drought it shall not be solicitous, neither shall it cease at anytime to bring forth fruit.”

~Jer. 17:7-8

showers

There was a time in my life when water was the motif of my dreams.  Dirty, smelly waters meant things were not alright within me.  Clean water meant things would be okey.  Mornings would often find me wondering the nature of water in my dreams.  The latter, of course, brought me consolation while the former kept me thinking about what could be wrong with my life at the moment.

There was one water motif that I really really liked:  a sprinkling of rain.   I think I was praying for a particular favor – passing the bar exam, perhaps?  Anyway, it was one of those life-changing things for me.  That night, I had a dream that I walked up a set of steps and a light drizzle was on me.  Needless to say, I felt calm when I woke up.  Somehow, I knew that whether I got what I prayed for or not, I would be just fine.

wet rosesI did not know why water would play such a role in my subconscious.  I was not a water-lover after all.  I was not the one to hanker for the beach or a swimming pool, and such.  I did like water views though – rivers, falls, the like.  Now, thinking about it, the significance of water in my faith may have a lot to do with my water dreams.  In the Catholic Church, water is used in Baptism.  It is the physical manifestation of the cleansing of the soul that was brought about by the Sacrament of Baptism.  Holy Water is a sacramental that is often used in ordinary blessing and in more extreme cases, exorcism.   In the Bible, the Lord Jesus identifies Himself as the Living Water.  A person who is friends with God can be said to be planted by the living waters.  When I was younger and single, I had more time to think about the state of my soul and such.  So, I guess the image of water, as a spiritual matter, was, whether consciously or not, foremost in my mind.

goldencelebration

These days, water rarely plays a role in my dreams.  Perhaps, a different state of life has led me away from more spiritual to more mundane concerns.  Even so,  it is ever my fervent desire to be like a tree planted by living waters.  However, since I have a special fondness for roses,  I may have to express my prayer in these terms:

"By a voice he saith: Hear me, ye divine offspring, and bud forth as the rose planted by the brooks of waters. [18] Give ye a sweet odour as frankincense. [19] Send forth flowers, as the lily, and yield a smell, and bring forth leaves in grace, and praise with canticles, and bless the Lord in his works." (Ecclesiaticus, a.k.a. Sirach, 39:17-18)

Daily Prompt:  Water

OCTOBER’S ROSES: IN REMEMBRANCE

Roses

 
Your scent lingers in the cool winter air
Visions of you tame its harsh landscape
You will ever live, Oh Roses of October
you who bloomed amidst autumn’s chill
until the very last when its frosty breath
shriveled your petals and made them fall
to the ground made fertile
by gifts you received and you’ve given.

~~~~~

Two sorority sisters, both at the prime of their lives, succumbed to cancer recently. To them, and to all who have lived, loved, and given their all, – a little remembrance.