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Through the shared experience of tending a garden, we beautify our surroundings and cultivate a deeper connection with our children and with God’s creation.
Have you ever thought about how gardening can help children grow spiritually? Being a practice that’s been around since at least the very early Neolithic, it is only natural that gardening offers a wealth of metaphors for spiritual growth. Just as in the parable of the sower, where seeds fall on different types of soil, our lives provide fertile ground for cultivating virtues.
In the Catholic tradition, figures like St. Thomas Aquinas, following Aristotle, explored the concept of potency and act, often using the metaphor of the potential held within a seed to become a flourishing plant. Gardening with children becomes not just a fun activity, but a powerful way to nurture young hearts.
The slow and steady process of growth mirrors the development of good character. We explain the cycle of life: the dependence on sunlight and rain, of tender care, and maybe even the delicate dance between predator and prey – if any bugs decide to eat our plants. This fosters a sense of wonder for God’s creation and a responsibility to care for it — in line with Laudato Si’s message of environmental stewardship.
Continued below.
aleteia.org
Have you ever thought about how gardening can help children grow spiritually? Being a practice that’s been around since at least the very early Neolithic, it is only natural that gardening offers a wealth of metaphors for spiritual growth. Just as in the parable of the sower, where seeds fall on different types of soil, our lives provide fertile ground for cultivating virtues.
In the Catholic tradition, figures like St. Thomas Aquinas, following Aristotle, explored the concept of potency and act, often using the metaphor of the potential held within a seed to become a flourishing plant. Gardening with children becomes not just a fun activity, but a powerful way to nurture young hearts.
Cultivating a respect for creation
Just as a seed holds the potential for a magnificent bloom, children possess an inherent capacity for virtue. Patience, care, and a respect for creation are all seeds we can help our children cultivate. As we till the soil and plant our seeds with them, we show them the importance of perseverance.The slow and steady process of growth mirrors the development of good character. We explain the cycle of life: the dependence on sunlight and rain, of tender care, and maybe even the delicate dance between predator and prey – if any bugs decide to eat our plants. This fosters a sense of wonder for God’s creation and a responsibility to care for it — in line with Laudato Si’s message of environmental stewardship.
Continued below.
Seeds of faith: Gardening with children for spiritual growth
Through the shared experience of tending a garden, we beautify our surroundings and cultivate a deeper connection with our children and with God’s creation
aleteia.org
