Alleluia! He is risen! Well, Lent is over and the Easter Season is upon us. Things have certainly been different. That is why I dare to add a new flower to the already popular Easter flowers like the Easter lily, the fragrant hyacinth, and the oh so colorful hydrangea. I would like to suggest a dandelion. No, sheltering in place has not gone to my head. I did however get the chance to re-read the story Sundancer: A Mystical Fantasy by Edward Hays, and that is where I am coming from. Allow me to share.
In reading the story during the Triduum, I saw so many similarities among dandelions, Sundancer’s life, and the passion of Jesus. Without being a story spoiler, let me share a few of my thoughts. Sundancer wanted to be free from the very organized and rigid garden he grew in. He couldn’t understand why flowers couldn’t grow where they wanted to. Of course, the other flowers rejected his ideas and wanted to keep the strict rules of the garden. Didn’t Jesus come so that we could live by the spirit of the law and grow to be the best that he created us to be?
Then, Sundancer is visited by a cricket who has three lessons to teach him, beginning first with his learning the following chant: “Lord from the unreal, lead me to the real. From darkness, lead me to Light. From death, lead me to immortality.” Jesus is always leading us to the light. He said, “I am the Light of the World” (John 8:12). Like Sundancer, Jesus went through the lessons of dealing with the reality of the time he was living in, learning and teaching who he was and learning to suffer and die, THEN came rebirth (Resurrection). Enough of the story, just wanted to whet your appetite so you will want to read the book.
Seriously, as we go through these challenging times, there is a lot to think about and discover about ourselves. Sometimes reading a story or reflecting on certain scriptures can help us to go deeper into the difficulties we may be facing or the growth that needs to happen or just the joy of being alive and celebrating who we are during this pandemic. Our world is changing just as it did for Sundancer and Jesus, but if we are willing to take the risk and live on the edge, we can obtain the freedom each and every one of us longs for. So if you would, please add dandelion to your list of Easter flowers. You’ll be glad you did.
Till next week,
Sister Theresita
Photo: Sr. Theresita took this photo of a dandelion “living on the edge” of the road, stretching into the light.
