2012 Calendar: July

The mock-orange is gloriously in bloom, filling that part of our garden with its distinctive sweet scent. A member of my community who knows about these things tells me its official name is Philadelphus. According to Wikipedia it was named after an ancient Greek king of Egypt, Ptolomy II Philadelphus, although it doesn't explain why. It also doesn't explain how he acquired the sobriquet "brotherly love"... but I digress... The point is that I rather like the idea of a flowering shrub officially named for a type of love, and have therefore designated it flower-photo of the month.

This month I am reading Paul's letter to the Ephesians, in a bit of a hurry as I go on retreat tomorrow. I'll be offline and out of circulation, in my little hermitage in Llannerchwen (click here to see their website, and the views and walks I will enjoy if it's not raining!). I'm looking forward to it, to the silence and space, and time for prolonged prayer and reflection, and being more in touch with my deepest desires. Retreats certainly have a way of bringing out my inner introvert!

So a shrub named after love... and a time for rooting myself in God... which means this month's quote is just a few lines from the most famous - and beautiful - part of Ephesians...

... that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith, as you are being rooted and grounded in love. I pray that you may have the power to comprehend, with all the saints, what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, so you may be filled with all the fullness of love. (3: 17-19)

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