Tag: Birds

All Creation is Shouting for Joy!

Revelations from Nature

I went for a nice long walk in Echo Lake Park in Mountainside, NJ. It was an atypical Sunday in February. It was not below freezing and with the sun it actually was quite comfortable. I had my binoculars with me, as any avid birder would on any walk. The day was bountiful with birds. I spotted over twenty species, which is a huge accomplishment in the winter.

Then I strolled over to the connecting Lenape Park. On the path that leads to the pond there used to be a garden nursery. Sadly, as the community progressed things changed and the property was sold. Now there is what appears to be a massive luxury apartment building complex under construction. To be fair, they are close enough to the park where they will surely be required to plant trees and shrubbery to keep with the setting and this will create homes for the wildlife that as of this time have been displaced.  Hence, it was not as lovely as usual but will be once again.

As I reached the pond, there were two county police officers in their cruiser, I assume taking a break. Reaching the edge of the pond itself another birder came up and greeted me. He had all the gear including an expensive camera with a telephoto lens. I had done the photography thing for a few years but tired of it interfering with my appreciation of nature. Anyway, he told me he had been watching a Pileated Woodpecker over at yonder tree. He also told me of teenagers dumping the picknick tables into the pond. He decided to go to speak with the police about the issue while I went to explore the trees and hopefully see the same woodpecker.

Looking up at two trees, not sure which was the one he had been directing me to. I noticed the birds had gotten eerily quiet; I could only hear bird song in the distance. To my amazement, I spotted a Red-Tailed Hawk up on the top of a tree eating its prey. I couldn’t make out whether it was eating a small bird or a mouse. Either way it was having its fill, and I had now had an exceptionally wonderful experience on this walk.

I was due home to bring my wife, breakfast and then get ready to get to church in time. I quickly left the pond and informed the birder-photographer who was more excited about my find than he had appeared to be of the woodpecker and went running to try to get a picture, he was very grateful.

Some people do not understand this hobby and I guess people may have different reasons for doing it. But my reason is quite simple and after leaving Lenape Park while headed back to my car that was parked at Echo Lake it just jumped out of my mouth as if all the years of birding culminated to this point. I began to sing at the top of my lungs, if my wife was with me, she would have turned all different colors, but when I am alone and at my age, I share my joy. I don’t get embarrassed easily. So, this is what I sang:

The heavens are telling the glory of God,
And all creation is shouting for joy!
Come, dance in the forest, come, play in the field,
And sing, sing to the glory of the Lord!

Having known these words for much of my life. I have sung it; I have read it from the original prayer, and I have studied its inspiration. Canticle of the Sun was written in Italian by St. Francis of Assisi in 1225. Incidentally, I took his name for my confirmation at the age of 14, and I wear a medal of St. Francis always. He has been an inspiration for me all my life. His humility and love have always drawn me close to him. I always thought I understood him but until recently it truly did not click in my simple mind.

Yes, I understood his love for the Lord and all His creation. I know as most people do and some don’t want to admit that there is a Creator. I personally am not surprised that He would want to look in on us and that He loves us. But I didn’t understand though simple, it didn’t hit me until that day and then it would be several weeks later that I have been given the true understanding to express it.

As Ash Wednesday came and the Lenten season was once again upon us, I decided to reread the ever-perennial Book of Job. A book from the Old Testament that in a certain way delves into trying to understand human suffering, sacrifice and our relationship with our Lord. This time I concurrently read the book “On Job” by Gene Fendt that was released this year. I found it incredibly helpful to meditate and pray with.

This is a immensely deep topic. Volumes of books have been written by theologians, philosophers and thinkers. People with greater skill and study than I will ever have. Yet, we have all been given the same gift and this is what is most important.

Job in his infinite wisdom never denies the Lord. He does not understand why he suffers and groans at the suffering, but Satan could not break him. Because he knew with deep understanding and acceptance that all he is and all we have is given to us by the Lord our God. How can we, which are only part of His creation, think or believe that we can understand all things. It is a farce for us to act as we do. “The LORD gave, and the LORD has taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD!”

Even the greatest scientists in the world have found that intelligent design can be the only thing that can explain creation. This is why all life is precious. We create, but we are limited. Only our Lord God has created all things, and He is always calling us home. As Gene Fendt states in his book “The world is groaning and cries out for its recreation. Only that will answer: all things must be made new again.” This making new again can only done with and through the creator.

So many fall for the lies of the evil one. Anyone who denies creation and nature in an attempt to bend it to their will only make a mockery of themselves and ultimately destroy themselves. We should always work in concert with nature not against it. Then we truly participate in the natural order. I pray for those that deny nature and its order to come back to the reality that their true longing is to be with the Creator God. Sadly, they fall for lies when all around them is beauty and the truth is in our face, if only, we should all open our eyes. As a Christian and from my own natural observance I know that my redeemer lives that I may rise again.

It is God calling us, everything in nature is shouting to us; “Hear me and follow me for I AM the LORD your God.” With humility and this understanding, I know I must accept all burdens that come my way and I must face them always realizing that everything belongs to the Lord for the rain falls on the Good and the Bad and I must always do all things with Love for others.

Thank you, St. Francis and St. Job, for giving me the words I need to express the revelation given to me that day in the park and most importantly thank you my Lord and God Jesus Christ for your love always. I am but nothing in this world and humbly I beg you to have mercy on my sins and those of the whole world.

With that said, I will continue to sing! Sing to the glory of the Lord!

Reason to Rejoice

Hidden pondI was walking on a trail in the Watchung Reservation with my three dogs. It was a hot day and this is the best time to go into the woods were the temperature is typically 10 to 20 degrees cooler. There were very few people in the woods, most likely because a Saturday in August draws people to beaches and pools. It was a pleasure and though we did see others in the woods it was very quiet and I felt very isolated.

I sat for a few moments to give the dogs a rest and to watch and listen to nature unveil itself around me. I sat on a log and I was able to spot some deer about a tenth of a mile away. I also spotted a woodpecker. Later while walking I would see some other birds but most are skittish and once they hear me they move so fast I can’t identify them.

Still as we walked through the woods I couldn’t help but wonder how many persons walked through here. I thought back to the times of George Washington and his men and how they probably passed through here on the way to the battle of Union. I thought about the local Indians and how this was their stomping grounds.Then I looked at all the tress that lovers and travelers carved their initials on.

So many people have passed through here. Some may have thought themselves important. But nature always brings you back to reality as the awesomeness raises my own awareness of my mortality and lack of importance. I am humbled as I walk among the trees many that may be as much as one hundred or more years old.

It dawned on me. Life is a gift and the short time we are here we need to appreciate and use to the best of our abilities. By working towards the greater good with a true love for life and the life of all around us we become a very important part of the life of the world. We become givers of life to the next generation and to those that live around us. Now that is an important function and responsibility.

We all have a responsibility to live to our fullest. That is the gift we call life. So I left the woods feeling invigorated and joyful.

I wish all my walks were as productive!

Have a great life!

Miguel Perez-Santalla

A Beautiful Place

I had bought a pair of binoculars at least 10 years back at a garage sale. These were in perfect condition. I had no idea what I would use it for and at the time I was going to many baseball games with my sons. Whenever we had nosebleed seats we would bring them along. It’s not very helpful to look through binoculars while at a game. You miss the action trying to track it down. For the most part they have sat on the shelf in my office for many years.

Recently I mentioned we had Robins nest in a pine tree outside our bathroom window. I was able to watch them through the whole process. Nesting, laying the eggs, sitting on the eggs, the hatch-lings, raising their young and finally the young leaving the nest. I began to get curious about the beautiful creatures we call birds.

I bought a book on birds in New Jersey. I got my binoculars out and now I am trying to take note of all the birds and their names. I am checking them off in the book and keeping a journal of my bird spotting. But to be sure I check the correct bird name I need my binoculars ….. my eyes are not so sharp anymore, even close up.

This morning I went for an early morning walk at 6 am. It happens that is when all the birds wake up and start their day. I was able to spot four different birds on my walk. As I was walking I had an interesting revelation.

The birds fly about gather food and enjoy the beauty around them. We humans on the other hand think we need to acquire or make beauty. Spending money on this or that thing. I am not saying that is all together a bad thing but some worry about it way too much. Many feel they need to keep up with the “Jones’s”.

If we step back and behave more like birds we will find more peace and harmony in our lives. They care about the basic necessities and worry about taking care of each other. It seems like loving each other is their top priority. They don’t fret about many things. When the chores are done they sit back and enjoy the beauty that already surrounds us.

Simply put, the focus should be in making our homes a place of love like the birds do. If we do that then beautiful things in life will become more abundant. And they aren’t things you can buy. Our homes become the beautiful place.

PS: The most common bird in my neighborhood is our tenant’s family, the American Red Breasted Robin.

NJ Robbin

A Room with a View

NJ RobbinI have been blessed. Outside my bathroom window is a pine tree where this spring a Red Breasted Robbin decided to build its nest. I have been watching daily as the birds, both father and mother tended to it. First came the eggs then of course the sitting and caring for them. Last week they hatched and now I watch as they feed and protect their young. The other day during a particularly hard rain fall I watched as one of the parents spread its wings over the nest protecting the hatchlings. It was a beautiful scene to observe as the water rolled off its wings. Some times when I walk close to the tree in the backyard the parents would fly off. They would not go far and I would watch them with my binoculars while they remained within view on the nearest oak. I have been careful never to go to close to the nest or disturb it in any way. When thinking about the beauty I am observing in creation I can’t help but realize my parents where there for me and others as well. Somehow throughout my life, with all the mistakes I have made, I feel someone has had their wing over me. These birds sure made it clear that living life is really about loving others. All the toil we have only helps us learn how we should share our strengths and when we can spread our own wings over someone else who may be weaker when the rains come down.