What We Can Learn from the Bees.

Bees have been the subject of countless meditations from the saints over the generations. They are mentioned so often I believe they must have a special place in God's kingdom. And what a privilege to serve as a beekeeper for these tiny creatures of God. They teach me so much.

Yesterday my husband and I inspected our hives to make sure they all have enough room to expand. This time of year we try to prevent swarming.

 Three hives had so many bees and the boxes were so full of nectar and pollen we added a new box to each one. It made me think of the posts I've seen lately about how many people have come into the Church this year. Praise God for all the newbies (and newbees)! 

The other three hives are small splits, two with queens from the original hives and one without a queen. We pray that the queenless hives are busy rearing a new lady for a new season. But it's time to stock up on extra frames so we can continue the expansion. 

And what does that involve for the Church? New priests, of course, for the sanctification and salvation of the flock. Now wouldn't it make sense for the pope to recognize that the SSPX is focused, not on fighting with Rome, but providing for the good of Holy Mother Church? If the pope can tolerate heresy in the German Church and praise the null and void consecration of Sarah Mullally as the new head of the Anglican Church, isn't there enough room in his heart to at least tolerate us? 

We pray for the pope at every Mass and rejoice in every good act he performs. Unfortunately, there is so much confusion today among the hierarchy, it's impossible to be on the same page with everything. At any rate, the season's beginning in the bee yard  indicates this may be the best year we've had in ten years for honey production. Let us pray that the the entry of so many into the Church indicates the same for our Mother, the Bride of Christ. 

Bees are amazing little insects, focused single-mindedly on carrying out the job God gave them. They work diligently building little rooms for the baby bees and to be storerooms for honey and bee bread. The nurse bees take care of the brood until the new bees break out of the cells and become, in turn, nurses to the next generation. The former nurses join the crowd foraging for nectar and pollen to feed the hive. And the queen? She lays thousands of eggs every day while the hive maintains a small number of drones to keep the girls happy.

Many saints have shared about bees seeing them as an appropriate metaphor for the faith. Here are a few examples:

'May your soul, like a mystical bee, never abandon the dear little King and may everything within it be for Him.'                            St. Francis de Sales

'The bee is more honoured than other animals, not because she labors, but because she labors for others.                                  St. John Chrysostom

'Like unto bees, you are all occupied in gathering from the flowers of religious life a delicious honey which will be composed of virtues.'                                                                                                                       St. Mary Euphrasia Pelletier 

'Take the bee for your model, which constructs its cells without injuring anyone and without interfering with the goods of others. It gathers openly wax from the flowers with its mouth, drawing in the honey scattered over them like dew, and injects it into the hollow of its cells. Thus at first honey is liquid; time thickens it and gives it its sweetness. The book of Proverbs has given the bee the most honourable and the best praise by calling her wise and industrious. How much activity she exerts in gathering this precious nourishment, by which both kings and men of low degree are brought to health! How great is the art and cunning she displays in the construction of the store houses which are destined to receive the honey!'                                                                          St. Basil the Great

St. Bernard actually compared Jesus to a honeybee. What a grace for that humble little being:

'And now let us turn to the honey. Our bee feeds among lilies, and dwells in the flowery country of the angels. This bee flew to the city of Nazareth, which is, interpreted, a flower; He came to the sweet-smelling flower of perpetual virginity; He settled upon it, He clove to it. But bees, besides their sweet honey, have likewise their sharp sting. The Prophet that sang of the mercy and judgment of the Lord, knew that this bee had a sting as well as honey. Nevertheless, when He descended to us He brought honey only that is, mercy, not judgment so that to the disciples who wished to call down fire from heaven on the cities that would not receive Him, He answered: "The Son of Man is not come to judge the world, but to save it." Our bee had no sting in His mortal life; amid the extremity of insult He showed mercy, not judgment. Christ, then, may be symbolized both as a bee and as the flower springing from the rod. And, as we know, the rod is the Virgin Mother of God. This flower, the Son of the Virgin, is "white and ruddy, chosen out of thousands." It is the flower on which the angels desire to look, the flower whose perfume shall revive the dead, the flower, as He Himself declares, of the field, not of the garden.'                                      St. Bernard of Clairvaux

May we all be busy about the work of bringing many souls to God. As St. Teresa of Avila said, He has no hands but ours. What a blessing to be in his legion watering the earth with our witness, filling the Church with sweetness, and feeding those hungry for the truth with the nectar and bee bread of life. Let us imitate the busy little bees and fly far and wide bringing souls to Christ. As a dear priest once said to me: "Make a friend, be a friend, bring a friend to Christ." Amen! Alleluia!

May Jesus Christ be praised!