Despite the return of some freezing temperatures these past two weeks, the signs of spring are abundant. The birds are back and singing their lively songs each morning. The southwest wind has swept away the ice and snow. And perhaps most notably, green and growing things have once again returned: grass is sprouting, trees are budding (though not yet in the full green glory of their foliage), and wildflowers are beginning to bloom. Bright spots of white, yellow, purple, and blue dot lawns everywhere.
These physical signs of the changing season also speak to a deeper supernatural reality: we have entered that sacred time of year when Easter is just a few days away. Spring is in the air outside, but inside our churches, all is plain and veiled in purple. It is Holy Week, the most intense time of preparation before the sadness of Good Friday and the joy of Easter.
This Lent, and even this winter, may have felt just too long. The natural world slept beneath snow and cold winds, but we humans toiled on. The birds and bees, and the flowers and trees rested from their summertime labors. But we, with our electric lights and indoor heating, have been hard at work. The St. Benedict Classical Academy school year has gone by, with all its readings and plays and sports and exams… And now, perhaps, as the natural world awakens, we feel the call to rest: to bask in the sunshine and take slow walks to find the wildflowers.
And the Lord, in His infinite wisdom and love for us, is giving us just that opportunity with Holy Week and Easter. This time is not just to soak in the beauties of the natural world as it slowly awakens from its slumber, but also to take part in Christ’s death and Resurrection. There is a sad somber beauty to the Masses and services of Holy Week and Triduum – the three days preceding Easter. Christ, the God-man, has suffered and died and is laid in the tomb. There is an invitation here for us to carry our crosses, too, small or large, and enter into His death by dying to ourselves and our earthly desires. However, it is not a death without hope – just as no winter arrives without the hope of spring. So too, on the third day after His Passion, comes the joy of the Resurrection.
As we enter into this time of Holy Week, with Easter (and school vacation) right around the corner, make time for your families to rest and spend with the Lord. Attend as many of the services as you are able, and allow God’s grace to shine in your hearts. May it awaken you to His love and glory and cause a springtime of flowers within your soul. Then, in joy and gratitude, may you offer them back to Him as you worship on Easter Sunday and in all your days to come.
AUTHOR: Rose Dussault, Latin & Floating Teacher
