HAPPY CANADA DAY!
This post is largely a photo and prose prayer based on photographs taken while preparing Northern Light (Novalis, 2020). Ponder each photograph to find how God is speaking to you as you consider these samples of the Canadian landscape.
Last summer, I was sitting beside a lake on Algonquin Park. Normally a sunny day would produce a vivid dance of blues and greens accented by white clouds and black shadows. That day, smoke from forest fires dulled the scene. Many a time my spiritual life is like that; God seems obscured by distractions and trivialities and it’s hard to see glimpses of grace. But such lakeside prayer ponderings renew and nourish us and our Canadian landscape becomes prayer when we see beyond the murk. So on this Canada Day, let’s ponder where God’s grace shines upon this country.
Standing above the Atlantic shore watching winds chase the wave spray up cliffs:
God grant us the humility to see your power and force in the face of the storms of our lives.
Contemplating the boat leaving safe harbour out into vast Atlantic.
God grant us courage to trust in your guidance in the midst of an uncertain future.
Following the upward surge of beauty of the steeple towards the heavens.
God let us become living spires pointing to you.
Walking among the gilded glory of your maple forests.
Creator God let us see you dancing in your creation.
Watching the city lights glitter in imitation of your glory.
God of Light, glow in our hearts with true light and beauty.
God’s majesty paints the skies with joy and beauty.
God send down your rays of grace to touch the broken and hardened of heart.
Standing under Prairie skies looking into the vastness of your realm.
God grant us a sense of awe and reverence to melt selfishness and pride.
Contemplating a rainbow sign of hope and trust plunges into a Rocky Mountain lake.
Covenanting God remind us that we belong with you.
Looking down onto the forest floor shrouded in mountain mist.
God of abundant life, blessed be your verdancy and complexity that nurtures us deeper life.
God of wisdom and life,
Turn our hearts and minds to consider our seascapes, landscapes and cityscapes
so that we may care for and learn from
your creation in Canada.
Les Miller is a husband, dad, grandfather and catechist. He has served the Catholic education community for 40 years as teacher, chaplaincy team leader, Department Head. AQ Instructor, textbook writer, and Religious Education and Family Life Consultant. Les authored the 25 Questions Series, Words for the Journey and award-winners Catholic Teacher’s Companion and Northern Light. Currently, he is an instructor and advisor with the Archdiocese of Toronto’s online Catechist formation program and lead contributor to the St. Monica Institute’s series on praying with art, Abide in Beauty.
