This Sunday it returns! Daylight Savings Time will begin once again.
After the winter months of increased darkness and accompanying cold, these longer days of increased daylight are a welcome sign of the warmth and new life that will follow.
While greeting the increasing daylight, I must confess to some sadness in leaving behind the darker, colder months. These winter months provide the guilt-free opportunity to slow down, curl up in a warm blanket and reflect, read, and just be. It is a season of interiority on many levels; a time to “Be still and know that I am God”.
Given our geographic location, our winter season morphs into Lent, a time to gather the dormant seeds of our wintering, these seeds of yearning, seeking, and reflection that have been prepared to be planted in our hearts. The centuries-old Lenten practice of fasting, prayer, and almsgiving is available to fertilize these seeds. These practices enable our hearts so as to be able to receive the abundant outpouring of Love and Mercy that we celebrate each and every Easter. This is the healing, redeeming, transforming love and mercy that Jesus offered to all so that, like him, we can in turn offer these gifts to all we encounter.
-Terri Sersch
Terri, timely and excellent inspiring reflection. Unlike you, I am not saddened leaving the winter months behind that provided ” more guilt free opportunities to slow down and etc. Spring time excites and rejuvenates and energizes me at seeing and hearing all the “new life” emerging in nature like the red-wing blackbirds with their cheery melody, following the robins back before them, the sand hill cranes already back March 1st, the cardinals have changed from their winter melody into their delightful Spring/Summer melody, the pussy willows are out and other buds are emerging forth like even the crocuses and tulips, daffodils and hyacinths are already emerging forth from the wintering darkness of the soil to the new life and light.
I love your wording of “our winter season morphs into Lent,” So true it “morphs” and hopefully each of our Lenten Seasons “morphs” into our” abundant outpouring of Love and Mercy that we celebrate each and every Easter.” The word “morphs” reminds me of the symbolism of the transformation of the egg into the milkweed caterpillar into the chrysalis stage (cocoon stage) into that awesome process of emerging as a beautiful monarch butterfly, a symbol used to celebrate the new and gifted life of Easter that Jesus offers to each and everyone of us. And we in turn and like you, Terri, ended your reflection, “we can in turn offer these gifts to all we encounter.” Thanks for your inspiring reflection.
Beautuful Reflection Terri, thank you. Although I am looking forward to Spring,
I too will miss the “wintering days”, where I can sit in the darkness and be still, awaiting God’s voice. Lent is my favorite liturgical season, partially because we really do go within to discern. It is the time that I take my retreats and Ponder where God is calling me. Thank you again for such a beautiful reflection