May 30 is Arbor Day here in Honduras and many schools have their students plant trees. But today I went to the community of San Isidro La Cueva to bless their water source and to pray with them.
Some people had come to plant trees. Other came to help do
some cleaning out the forest around the water source. But our reason for
gathering was to bless the water source.
The community had asked our pastor to come but he was going
to the nearby community of Agua Buena to pray at the inauguration of their
water project. Yes, Agua Buena, Good Water, has not had a good water source until
yesterday!
I met Luciano, the president of the Water Board (Junta de
Agua) at the church and we walked to the watershed where the spring is.
The watershed is
four manzanas, almost 7 acres and the spring serves the eighty or so
households in the village. This year they had sufficient water during the dry
season in contrast to last year.
Before we had a small celebration, they took me up to the
spring. As we entered the forest, it was significantly cooler, full of
vegetation.
Halfway up the hill there was a pool that collected the water from the rock that
is the source of water. We gathered at the pool and I talked for a while with
the people there.
A few people took the opportunity to drink from the source, using
a “cup” made by folding a large leaf!
I concluded our time there with a short blessing of the
water source. I also commended them for their care of the source and the need
to continue caring so that the grandchildren of the children around us could enjoy
it.
We then went down to a lower pool that gathers the water
from above.
Finally, we gathered below, just outside the forested
watershed and prayed.
I had found a few prayers that I used, including this one
from Franciscans International.
Creator God, whose Spirit moved
over the face of the waters, who gathers the seas into their places and directs
the courses of the rivers, who sends rain upon the earth that it should bring
forth life: we praise you for the gift of water. Create in us such a sense of
wonder and delight in this and all your gifts, that we might receive them with
gratitude, care for them with love, and generously share them with all your
creatures, to the honor and glory of your holy name.
Then we prayed parts
of psalm 65: 10-14:
You visit the earth and water it… God’s
stream is filled with water; you supply their grain. You prepare the earth: you
water its plowed furrows, and break up the clods. With the rains you soften the
earth, blessing its plants…. The meadows of the desert turn green; the hills
are robed with joy.
I also shared a legend I had recently read about Saint
Isidore, the patron of this community. The saint was with the owner of the land
he worked one hot summer day. Don Ivan de Vargas noted that he was thirsty.
Saint Isidore knelt down, put his staff in the ground, and said, “When God
wants it, here there will be water.” Fresh water bubbled up and they drank.
I then spoke briefly about how impressed I was with the care
they are giving for their water source. I also urged them to continue their care
for God’s gift of water and to develop a sense of awe before this gift.
Several men also shared their concern for the water and
their desire to have a larger celebration next year. We walked down the hill
for a small snack.
I left filled with a deep joy, an appreciation of the labor of this community, and deep gratitude to God and to the people that I had a chance to celebrate with them the gift of water.
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