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A Change of Season

You can sense it in the air.  You can see things happening all around, if you take the time to look.  It’s sixty degrees today in Maryland, and we are ever so slowly coming out of another long winter.  Sadly, the change from winter to spring is not moving as fast as I would like.  Witness to that is the fact that my front lawn is still completely covered in snow.  The nearly four feet of snow which buried my back yard, however, is now almost completely gone.  What a contrast!

The official start of Spring will get here in about three weeks, and those weeks will fly by.  Just ask yourself, “What happened to January?”  Although the seasons change slowly, time moves fast.  We are heading into our second week of Lent, the church season which helps Christians prepare of the joy and hope which comes with Easter.  I guess it wouldn’t make much sense for us to go from Christmas to Easter without a bit of time to think about life, and how often we, as St. Paul says, don’t do the things we know we should and end up doing the things we know we shouldn’t (Romans 7:19).. The season of Lent is a time to work on straightening that out, and asking for God’s help to get back on track and do the things which are not only good for us, but also give God glory.

This weekend, get outside and go for a walk, or take a drive.  Look around for the hopeful signs of spring, and trust that it will come.  Spring will be upon us before we know it, just as Easter will follow Lent.  Be on the lookout for the changes all around us, and don’t forget to think about the changes you need to make in your own life.

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Lent Is Here

The season of Lent has arrived a bit early this year, but here we are.  Ash Wednesday, the official first day of this penitential season, reminds us that, in the end, “you are dust, and unto dust you shall return.” Hearing that timeless line is always a jolt to my system, and I guess that’s what this whole liturgical season is about.  Life is short, and how we live it has consequences.  The good news is we don’t have to stay stuck in the ashes.  No, we can move forward, trusting in God’s mercy, changing our bad habits into good ones.  We can move from death to life, worry to hope, sadness to joy. 

If you need some help with this journey, there’s plenty of resources available.  Check out what’s being offered at your own church, and if you need more, try Loyola Press’ website.  Although they have resources to purchase, you’ll find plenty for free. 

I hope to make this  Lent a good one.  I’m going to try my best to stick to the Lenten practices I’ve chosen for the next 40 days.  Never really easy, but doable.

“We adore You, O Christ, and we praise You, because by Your holy cross, You have redeemed the world.”