Like an autumn leaf surviving in a wintry landscape, an attitude of faith, hope and love is meant to provide a sense of surprise and delight when it appears in the midst of the challenges of life.

Are the virtues of faith, hope and love dependent on the circumstances of life, or are they meant to be maintained despite those circumstances?  I believe the answer is  "Some of both."  On the one hand, we need to experience enough of the beauty of life to water the seeds of these virtues, and to enable them to take root.  On the other hand, there are times when we are meant to surprise and shock the Divine - present in us, in others, and in the depths of the Universe at large - with an ability to maintain these virtues despite all odds. Like an autumn leaf still surviving in the midst of winter snows, our attitude of faith, hope and love is meant to bring surprise and delight by the contrast it provides.

Photo: A Wild Geranium leaf enlivens a wintry landscape, with Long's Peak looking on in the distance; Gem Lake Trail, Rocky Mountain National Park, CO; October 26, 2012