Once upon a time, in a remote unfriendly village by a mountain, there lived an old woman whose habits seemed strange to her neighbors. Often, they would see her wandering on the mountainside, which looked bleak and barren. Despite their parents’ admonitions, the children of the village sometimes followed the old woman asking her what she was doing. She would tell them, “I am changing the face of the mountain.”
Many years later, when one grown child returned to show her family the harsh environment of her youth, she was surprised to see the mountainside ablaze with colorful flowers and shady foliage.
She asked the villagers what happened to the bleak and barren mountainside of her childhood. One replied, “Remember that old woman wandering around the mountainside? It was she who planted all the seeds, and now they are bearing fruit.” And then she understood the meaning of the words: “changing the face of the mountain.”
Gracious Lord, we ask for Your continued blessing on all the Members of this Legislature as they work to change the face of the mountain. May they persevere with hope and courage as they transform possibilities into realities. We ask this in Your name.—AMEN.
(Adapted from “Daily Reflections on Visioning for the Future” by Leadership Conference of Women Religious)