How Deep Are Your Roots?

On the wall at the end of the Diamond Walkway connecting the main dining room with the Foyer at the Mound hangs a huge vertical poster showing prairie bluestem grass – a staple of the original prairie of this part of the country.  The poster is life-size – showing the 5 feet height of the blooming plant and the 8 feet depth of its roots!  Because of these deep roots, the plant is “protected from danger and disasters, like wildfires and drought.”  Wow is what I think every time I see it.  I never thought roots would go so deep….and that leads me to thinking about the roots that protect me from other dangers – like despair or cynicism, self-absorption or ennui, jealousy or indifference.  The deeper I sink my roots in the sacred mystery of God, “rooted in love,” as St. Paul says, the more I strive to deepen my roots in pursuit of truth through study and contemplation, I will find that I have what I need to lead me through the times of struggle.  How deep are your roots? 

Priscilla Wood, OP

Dubuque, IA