I don’t know the entire process involved, but I appreciate the end result. Someone in the parish gave me a small jar of this year’s maple syrup, cooked down from what he collected from trees on his own land.

            I picture trees being tapped with little buckets collecting the sap. According to my understanding, it is a forty-to-one ratio. That is, ten gallons of sap cook down to one quart of syrup. Lots of water has to be boiled away.

            Amazingly, taking this sap from the tree does not damage it. Maple trees can give away their sap without depleting their strength or tree life. And the small hole in the side of the trunk usually grows over rather quickly.

            I’m thankful to the man who gave me the syrup. Many people love sharing the produce of their own land, the fruits of their work. They know that they do not lose in the process of sharing. Like maple trees, people can actually become more alive when they share. 

           So I am thankful to both the maple tree and the parishioner as I pour the new syrup on my French toast. The world is full of blessings!

‘Whoever confers benefits will be amply enriched, 

and whoever refreshes others will be refreshed.

 Proverbs 11:25