June 17

And Jesus advanced in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men. — Luke 2:52

He who plants a tree
Plants a hope.
Rootlets up through fibers blindly grope,
Leaves unfold unto horizons free.
So man’s life must climb
From the clods of time
Unto heavens sublime.
Canst thou prophesy, thou little tree,
What the glory of the boughs shall be?
— Lucy Larcom.

Very early, I perceived that the object of life is to grow.
— Margaret Fuller.

Many a genius has been slow of growth. Oaks that flourish for a thousand years do not spring up into beauty like a reed.
— George Henry Lewes.

Prayer

Almighty God, thy power is so great I cannot express it; help me to comprehend the meaning of it, that I may feel more profoundly thy expectations of my life. May I remember that to forget that life is eternal may make me to lose all it has grown. Amen.