Good morning,
It is dull and grey outside the window and we just avoided the predicted winter storm. Thank Goodness!! I find that by the middle of March we are feeling a little lethargic and beginning to dream of warmer days with sunshine and possibility. At least I know that is where I tend to be. And there are signs that this will come. The evenings are growing longer and the bitter chill of the winter has lost its edge. When the sun does shine there is a certain amount of warmth to it that catches and lifts us up. I must say, I love the changing seasons with their uniqueness and differentness. Each one invites us into a new space. As Spring approaches we know that the seeds that have been dormant just beneath the surface will begin to take on new life and the smell of the earth coming alive will fill the air. Now I realize that today this is only a dream for Spring is still a little way off but , for me, knowing that it will come makes a difference.
Easter is just around the corner and the long weeks of waiting, reflecting, struggling will come to an end. We will stand again in the light of Easter morn and proclaim “ He is Risen!” There will be a change in our focus and the breath of new life will begin to take hold.
I share with you today the words of Joyce Rupp and Macrina Wiederkehr in “The Heart’s Journey Through The Seasons” They write these Antiphons “that express the human longing to be open to the truth that each season brings.”
O Midwife of Spring
Come! Come encourage what needs to be born in us.
Draw us out of winter’s burturing womb.
Teach us to believe in unopened buds.
Accompany us into a world starved for new life. O Come!
O Seed buried in the Soil,
Come! Come die to your seed-like condition.
Break through the darkness that has cradled your life.
Pierce the hard husk of all that we cling to.
Urge us to listen to the quiet sound of growing. O Come!
O Hidden Life Unveiled,
Come! Come, welcome guest.
Set free our reluctance to life fully and deeply.
Awaken us to the beauty that holds and enfolds us.
Open our eyes to all that we can become. O Come!
O Spring Rising our of Winter’s Arms,
Come! Come melt what is frozen in us.
Open the buds of our longing with your gentle breezes.
Soften the hard earth of our hearts with your rains.
Breathe warmth upon the cold places in us. O Come!
O Green Mantle of Creation,
Come! Come clothe us with the colour of spring.
Paint our fields and forests with your artist’s brush.
Leap into our lives with a lover’s enthusiasm.
Fill us with boundless energy and faithful hearts. O Come!
O Child of Resurrection,
Come! Come dancing out of winter’s gloom.
Enliven us with your radiant hope.
Lure us through the closed doors of our doubt.
Celebrate with us the wonder of risen life. O Come!
Blessings
Valerie
