Happy first day of spring. .jpg)
That’s what I grumbled to myself this morning when I saw wet snowflakes falling from a cold, gray sky, again. Nonetheless, I optimistically dressed my daughters in pastel outfits underneath their winter coats.
"Embrace the season you’re in" has become a mantra of sorts for me lately. Each season of the year brings its own challenges and joys alike. I really dislike winter’s icy roads and early sunsets, but I love Christmas, big, fluffy snowflakes and building snow forts with my children.
Each season of life also brings its own unique trials and treasures. Right now, my season of life is marked by lots and lots of diapers, runny noses and cries for attention, yet it’s also filled to the brim with hugs, kisses, smiles and laughter.
Sure, my 2-year-old often disagrees with me — quite vocally — about the need for a diaper change or the necessity of pants, but she makes me deliriously happy when I come home from work and she runs up to me yelling, "Mama, Mama!" and jumps into my arms. And yes, it’s incredibly frustrating when my 6-month-old wakes up crying 30 seconds after my head has finally hit the pillow after a long day. That frustration is short-lived, however, because I know when I pick her up from her crib, she’ll snuggle into my shoulder and sigh, and my heart will melt.
Much like the seasons of life, the church’s liturgical seasons also come with their own challenges and joys. The current season of Lent probably has more obvious challenges than the others, what with fasting and abstaining from meat and all. Nonetheless, as Bishop Salvatore R. Matano stated in his Lenten message, "This is a privileged time for renewal, conversion, repentance and reconciliation."
This season is filled with God’s grace, and all we have to do is seek it.
