The Wisdom of Bees
The Wisdom of Bees
It’s bee season. To my heart and mind, bees are among the most miraculous of God’s creations. Each bee contributes a specific role and gift (charism) for the benefit of the hive. The bee’s collaborative efforts reflect a natural model for how to experience and contribute to community life. Watch bees at work in their hive to witness the meaning and blessings of collaboration. Truly, is there anything in nature more amazing than a working beehive? Beekeepers deserve a special place in heaven by virtue of their sacred vocation, tending the bees.
Several years ago I was home-bound with a long illness. During my recovery, I suddenly developed a craving for the taste of honey. I spread honey on toast in the mornings, and stirred spoonfuls of honey into my tea throughout the day. The golden elixir was the best of medicines. Honey, at that time, was one of the few foods my body could tolerate. Honey, it seemed, mysteriously uplifted my spirit.
During my lengthy season of healing I also had an insatiable appetite for information about bees. I created a Bee Journal, to contain all I was learning and experiencing about the bees. The bee became my primary symbol for all that is life-giving. The bee has become a personal icon, representing health, hope, and creativity.
As a Sister of Belle Cœur and a Hope Bringer, I believe the bees carry spiritual inspiration for all the reasons I’ve mentioned. Bee poems are scattered throughout pages in my journals. I can even imagine creating a special Blessing of the Bees prayer service, to celebrate the bees and their hives as offerings of God’s multi-faceted, living, mystical messages awaiting human deciphering.
My writing always finds a way to include the bees. I included a recipe for Honey Cakes in my book, The Way of Belle Cœur and my passion for the bees was important to the discernment of the title for the medieval story of the Sisters of Belle Cœur, Ink and Honey.
The bee’s glorious scented beeswax, the “nurse” bees’ Royal Jelly, and of course the honey from the hive are the exquisite results of their hard work, not to mention their phenomenal skills of pollination. I pray for the bees to thrive so their honey and special gifts may continue to flow and bless our world for all time.