Monday Morning in the Bee Yard

Want a daily adventure with sweet rewards? Become a beekeeper. My husband and I have had an apiary at Camp Kreitzer for about fifteen years. We've gone up and down from one season to the next with our current seven hives the most ever. At least four are queen right. The others are hopefully raising queens following our splits a month ago.We plan to give away one hive this season, perhaps two, to a family that wants to become beekeepers.

Beekeeping is not for the faint of heart and, sad to say, newbies often quit after a year a two. But we are hooked and will only quit if we lose all our hives at once. Hopefully with careful management and the help of the patrons of beekeepers we will be keeping bees until we are physically unable to continue. Perhaps beekeeping itself will delay that day.

There are plenty of challenges that keep us on our toes. We occasionally experience the devastating consequences of bear attacks (three to be exact ). We are constantly at war with the small hive beetles and now and then an ant invasion. And, of course, bitter cold winter weather that threatens the cluster and rainless drought diminishing the nectar flow take a toll. But despite stings and ants, small hive beetle wars, the occasional hungry bear, and weather events, we soldier on always looking forward to the honey harvest in mid summer. What fun it is to borrow a honey extractor, close all the windows on our sun porch to create a hothouse (Warm honey flows easily.), and spend a day experiencing the reward of all our labors. How can I not think of God's sweet grace flowing into my heart as I watch the honey flow into the jars, ready to be shared with others? And isn't that what we're called to do with God's grace?

Every morning as the sun rises I imitate the bees. The foragers are off at sunrise busy doing God's will gathering nectar, pollen, and water for the community. They work for the common good of the hive. I can forage too by gathering nectar from Scripture, the lives of the saints, and the daily Liturgy and share my faith for the common good of souls. How I want to fill every cell of my body with God's word the way the bees use the cells to store pollen and nectar. Beekeeping makes me so aware of the wonder of God's creation and His incredible love. 

Every hive has a queen and that's another reminder of God who gave us Mary the Queen of Heaven to be our Mother. A hive can't survive without its queen. The wise recognize how essential Mary is to our spiritual survival. Protestants don't realize how much they deprive themselves when they ignore Mary and treat her with disrespect. 

Jesus gave us an example of perfect and sublime humility by coming among us through the cooperation of a young girl. Why is it so hard for Protestants to understand that going to Jesus through Mary is an act of humility that imitates Him? Can anyone believe that Jesus failed to honor His father and Mother as the Commandment orders? Oh foolish, foolish people who reject the Queen of heaven. It's like refusing to eat fruit because it grows on the branches of the tree and not the trunk. 

Come visit Camp Kreitzer and taste our bees' honey. And let us share together God's sweet words.  "And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another." [Hebrews 10:24-25] "How sweet are thy words to my palate more than honey to my mouth." [Psalm 119:103]