My Beloved is the mountains, and lonely wooded valleys,

Strange islands,

And resounding rivers,

The whistling of love-stirring breezes,

the tranquil night at the time of the rising dawn,

Silent music,

Sounding solitude,

The supper that refreshes and deepens love.

Seeking my love I will head for the mountains

And for watersides,

Nor fear wild beasts;

I will not gather flowers

I will go beyond strength and frontiers.

O woods and thickets planted by the hand of my beloved,

O green meadow,

Tell me, has he passed you by?

Coated, bright, with flowers,

Pouring out a thousand graces,

He passed these groves in haste,

And having looked at them,

With his image alone clothed them in beauty.

SPIRITUALITY OUT-OF-DOORS A Hiking Retreat Spearfish Canyon, SD June 4-12, 2010 Introduction, Part I

Find God in the intimacy of all creation. Listen to the words of the “Spiritual Canticle” of St. John of the Cross: