“The human soul is hungry for beauty.” John O’Donohue

“For the Beauty of the Earth, For the glory of the skies, For the love which from our birth, over and around us lies; Lord of all to Thee we raise, endless songs of ceaseless praise.”  From the Hymn “For the Beauty of the Earth.”

In a week I’ll be leading a group pilgrimage to Scotland, our destination being the Isle of Iona.  Not surprisingly my thoughts have been focused on experiencing, for the sixth time, the uniquely magical and mystical Divine Beauty of that sacred place.  The following is an excerpt from the book I recently published.[1]

The beauty of God greets each day in both subtle and obvious ways.  Beauty is experienced as one walks along the beach, eyes treated to the changing colors of the sea, at times turquoise, at others a midnight blue, and still others a deep, dark black. One can feel the beauty penetrating the soul as the waves rhythmically make their marc toward land, in some places crashing violently on the rocks and in others slapping softly upon the sodden sand.  Beauty is seen in the adorable forms of the Highland cattle, contentedly grazing, as well as in the unique cry of the Corn Crake.[2]  Beauty is felt in the smooth stones at St. Columba’s Bay and is easily detected as one walks through the quaint village, and along the quiet seaside quay.  Beauty abounds at Iona.  It is as if one is stepping onto the easel and into the scene with The Artist is painting, becoming a living participant of the masterpieces.  But what makes the beauty o Iona unique from other places is not only perceiving God in the beauty of the place but feeling the actual embrace.  It is as if one is being wrapped up completely in the essence of God’s Spirit.”

“The land spoke like a temple,

The river’s journey was winding.

To their knees the alleys genuflected

The song of the cross on the branches.

I heard the Gospel on the wind

And Holiness was upon the earth.

This was where my first love lived,

I’d not been this way for so long.” [3]

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[1] “Losing Faith, Leaving Ministry, Loving God; A Personal Pilgrimage to the Isle of Iona.”  Available on Amazon.

[2] A small brown bird found only in this part of the word, making Iona a popular destination for another group of people:  Bird Watchers.

[3] “The Pilgrim’s Song” by Sean O’Riordan.