Recently it occurred to me, as I marveled at the beautiful azaleas blooming all about town in a multiplicity of colors, that this is nature’s way of saying that it is in solidarity with us as we welcome spring and journey through Lent. As the colors are a sign that the long dormancy of winter is finally awaking to the sounds of new life and vitality, so the Lord of nature is awakening us to journey deep inside of our souls so that we might find those sparks of life which will enable us to fully appreciate the presence of God who lives within us.
More than anything Lent is — or should be — an intense interior journey down to the depths of the self, for it is there that we will find God. This I believe is what Jesus meant in John’s Gospel when he said, “Whoever loves me will keep my word and the Father and I will come to him and make our dwelling place within him.”
We can’t get more assuring words than these that God wants us to be aware that he walks with us and is closer to us than we are to ourselves. It is only when we seize these moments of Lent that we come to fully realize that what we have been seeking all the time has really been inside us all the time, just waiting to be discovered.
We ought to thank God that Lent lasts for 40 days. It gives us time to keep searching and trying. If we stumble and fail or find ourselves trying to give up, then we use Lent to start over again. And that is the key, to keep trying and not be afraid to pick ourselves back up when we fall and start over again. This is what the Christian life is all about, starting over and over again.
I hope that all who will read this will see this as a catalyst to start again, even if there is even the slightest attempt to give up or to cease paying attention to this time of grace. May our enjoyment of nature spark within us the energy and courage to begin again!
Bishop John H. Ricard
The Diocese of Pensacola-Tallahassee
1 comment:
There are more azaleas around town than I realized until they started blooming. :-) Nature can indeed point us toward many truths about our faith. This year I've been noticing the tiny wildflowers that spring up in even the most barren lawns. I know that some people call them weeds. Unless you look closely, you'll miss out on the unexpected beauty. The tiny creations of purple atop a slender stalk, the delicate white petals of some unknown flower, and the miniscule but bright spots of cheery yellow have all been reminding me to look more closely... at my own life. Just as those preparing for baptism are going through the scrutinies, I need to look deeply into myself. In the searching, I can rest assured in the love of our God who knows every delicate detail of the flowers AND every delicate detail in my heart.
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