A New Reflection on the Rose - A Centering Meditation from Richard Rohr
I am blessed to have The Reverend Ross Tortora at Grace Church Cathedral in Charleston as a spiritual mentor. He has helped to map out my spiritual journey and has offered much needed roadside soul assistance along the way. Fr. Ross was the first person to introduce me to Richard Rohr, Franciscan priest, author, speaker, and founder of The Center for Action and Contemplation. Some time ago, I subscribed to Rohr’s daily meditation emails offered through the Center. I start each day reading and reflecting on these spiritual meditations. Many of these reflections relate to my labyrinth journey in both metaphoric and tangible ways.
The meditation offered on Monday, November 20, 2023 titled Building on a First Love sparked a new understanding of the power of the rose pattern found in the center of Fourbear Labyrinth. The six pedals of our medieval labyrinth represent the progression of creation: mineral, plant, animal, human, angelic, and unknown. In the meditation, Father Rohr recounted the teachings of St. Bonaventure who taught that one could start loving God by first loving the simplest of things made by the “Supreme Craftsman.” Father Rohr explains that one could first focus on the elements, rocks, trees, animals, and then humans. He contends that once we have a love and appreciation for all these things, then Angels can become a real possibility. He concludes that, “In the end, either we love everything or there is reason to doubt that we love anything.” This reflection has changed how I will encounter and respond to the rose center of medieval labyrinths knowing that reflecting on each pedal will increase my love for the element it represents and the Supreme Craftsman who created them.
Here is the link to the meditation discussed above for your consideration. I commend the Daily Meditation as it will be a welcome start to the day. Click here to discover other meditations offered by the Center of Action and Contemplation.