My scooter with pear blossoms in front of the
rectory--a fine day for riding!
rectory--a fine day for riding!
Three weeks ago I gave a Lenten mission at St. Patrick’s parish in Ripon. It was at the height of the almond blossoms—indeed, it was the very weekend of the Ripon Almond Blossom Festival. For five days I drove to the parish of my good friend, Fr. Peter —through magical tunnels of pinkish-white blossoms, with blooming branches arching above me on both sides of the narrow country roads.
For the next two weeks our Valley was awash in blossoms of every type—almond, pear, apple, peach, plum, and nectarine. The weather that accompanies our blossoms is up and down—warmly inviting breezes one day, and sharply cold winds the next. The weather is Lenten Weather—high highs and low lows. We embark on these 40 days in search of God, who dwells within us. We fast and pray and give alms so as to find God in the still secret places of our souls. Fasting is difficult (remember take lots of deep breaths) and dedicated prayer will take significant bites out of our schedules. We have to rearrange significant areas of our daily routines—we have to surrender some comfortable habits for a greater good—if we are to get even a glimpse of Christ’s loving presence within our hearts. Just about now, halfway through Lent, we feel like we are running out of steam.
In this often trying pilgrimage of Lent, I thank God for the blossoms. They shine with hope. Their freshly fluttering innocence manifests God’s promise to “make all things new.” Reading the newspaper every morning seems like watching a train wreck in slow motion, or the gradual but inexorable collapse of a noble edifice. It seems like whole sections of our culture are caving in every few weeks—how can we regain what the aggressive forces of secularism are destroying week by week? And yet, just a drive in the country at blossom time restores my spirits. As discouraging as things become, God will always bring about a Springtime of blossoms and sunshine. Let’s enjoy this magnificent Springtime God has given us, and move briskly through our Lenten pilgrimage!
For the next two weeks our Valley was awash in blossoms of every type—almond, pear, apple, peach, plum, and nectarine. The weather that accompanies our blossoms is up and down—warmly inviting breezes one day, and sharply cold winds the next. The weather is Lenten Weather—high highs and low lows. We embark on these 40 days in search of God, who dwells within us. We fast and pray and give alms so as to find God in the still secret places of our souls. Fasting is difficult (remember take lots of deep breaths) and dedicated prayer will take significant bites out of our schedules. We have to rearrange significant areas of our daily routines—we have to surrender some comfortable habits for a greater good—if we are to get even a glimpse of Christ’s loving presence within our hearts. Just about now, halfway through Lent, we feel like we are running out of steam.
In this often trying pilgrimage of Lent, I thank God for the blossoms. They shine with hope. Their freshly fluttering innocence manifests God’s promise to “make all things new.” Reading the newspaper every morning seems like watching a train wreck in slow motion, or the gradual but inexorable collapse of a noble edifice. It seems like whole sections of our culture are caving in every few weeks—how can we regain what the aggressive forces of secularism are destroying week by week? And yet, just a drive in the country at blossom time restores my spirits. As discouraging as things become, God will always bring about a Springtime of blossoms and sunshine. Let’s enjoy this magnificent Springtime God has given us, and move briskly through our Lenten pilgrimage!
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