Wednesday, September 25, 2013

SEASONS


Seasons                                                         Moira '04
 
For everything there is a season, and a time for every purpose under heaven: 
a time to be born, and a time to die;
a time to plant, and a time to pluck up
what is planted;

a time to kill, and a time to heal;
a time to break down, and a time to build up;
a time to weep, and a time to laugh;
a time to mourn, and a time to dance;
a time to embrace,
and a time refrain from embracing;
a time to seek, and a time to lose;
a time keep, and a time to throw away;
a time to tear, and a time to sew,
a time to keep silent,
and a time to speak;

a time to love, and a time to hate;
a time for war, and a time for peace….
              Whatever God does endures forever….stand in awe before God.    
                                                                                                                  
Ecclesiastes 3:1-9, 14

 
Autumn has begun, the time for change of seasons.  We stand in awe of Creator and creation as the tilt of the earth shifts the light of summer into the darkening days of winter; golden and scarlet leaves swirl down leaving bear branches; the crunch of leaves beneath our feet toll the death that brings new life.  

Death is essential to life though it is hard to appreciate while it is happening.  Jesus was born in time and showed us the Father’s love.    Christ’s passion and death was not the end but brought the world new life; and life everlasting.   At Mass we receive this new life daily when we evoke the Anamnesis: “Do this in memory of me” and actually enter into the paschal mystery. 

Jesus spoke to Ven. Maria Celeste’s community, and therefore to us, in regards to the holy sacrifice of the Mass, “With attention and profound reverence they receive the fullness of the heavenly treasures in their minds and let fall upon their hearts the abundance of my mercies, which fall like dew on the meadow.” Florilegium 133          To keep with the analogy of Fall, we could say this abundance of mercies fall like leaves on the meadow.  

God’s mercies are like the leaves that will soon fall to the ground that by their decay will nourish the soil to bring forth new life. 

We are going through many changes personally and as a community.  What looks like decay may be enriching the soil of our lives.   There has been a lot of letting go still going on even though we are settled in our new surroundings.    Changes in our ways of doing liturgy and developing new rituals; letting go of the Cape department and wondering about new feasible income work; sisters aging and their special needs.

Our sisters in Meadowview never dreamt they would be in assisted living.  The pillars of their lives: daily mass, communal prayer and community life have fallen away.  What remains of this letting go is complete trust in the Lord.    And from that springs peace and a kind of anamnesis, a living memory of being Jesus to the world as a Redemptoristine.


Jesus asked Celeste to, “Make your will the echo of mine: an echo of love.”  Florilegium 64     And that is what our sisters in Meadowview are echoing even though they are not physically with us; they are our Redemptoristine sisters living the charism as they are called to do in these changing times.

We are all called to, “Be faithful and live by the Divine Life while you are still wayfarers on earth.  Because by ceasing to be led by your own will in everything, and by following whatever I should arrange for you, you will enjoy an anticipated Paradise. For by accepting me and all that I ordain  you will be granted to see my well-ordered scheme of things even down to the changes in the seasons. You will not be disturbed by sufferings and crosses.  In being united by love to my Son you will enjoy a life of untroubled peace. Florilegium 68 …and all things will fall into place for you for the best purpose!” Florilegium 101   


The glorious autumn colors remind us there is a beauty hidden underneath the steady green of summer which is only revealed just before the leaves fall and die that new life will be created in the spring if we just be attentive, trusting and awe-filled to the abundant mercies that are falling upon us in this present season.

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