[2025, Year C, Weekday Cycle I; March 5 Ash Wednesday; April 20 Easter Sunday]

Seasons of the Soul

A Reflection by Fred Schaeffer, OFS

The idea of associating activities of the soul with seasons came to me when I lived in New England, as a Monk of Adoration, from 1989-2001 in a small place called Petersham. MA. While I'd be the first to agree that Petersham is fairly dull as places go, it had an intrinsic beauty all its own. In autumn when the leaves on trees turn from green to yellow to red and various colors in between, the soul seems to be ablaze with zeal, then slowly settles down to an ascetical bleakness similar to the leaves that have fallen from the trees and the trees are now all bare, and the wind is blowing and it gets nasty outside. And yet there is a quiet beauty in all that. The trees and the leaves worship Jesus perfectly... and they do not have the temptation to sin. Neither have animals. Once at autumn-time, maybe in late September, I spotted a flash or orange and black with some yellow. And sure enough, as I came closer, there sat on a thin branch a magnificent Blackburnian Warbler. I still think of it. It made my day, to see such a lovely thing created by Father God. The colors, be they from turning leaves or colorful birds, they are the palette of God's creation... Or, once on the way from Cincinnati to Oldenburg in Indiana, in that Southern part of Indiana, I glanced up at a slowly rising hillside which was awash with different colors... all to the glory of God and his unique creation. It is a joy to behold it all and as we think about it, we praise God and love Him more and more. I think about seasons, particularly autumn and winter, a lot. In Florida we don’t have much of autumn and some cold but not the uniqueness of winter. I don’t miss the snow but I miss the beauty of the seasons.

When the leaves fall and the trees empty as days pass, and it becomes gradually cooler, and colder and the winds of winter begin to blow, we also begin to settle down inside, to prepare ourselves for the long haul. I recall making 1-2 hour walks, time permitting, in all sorts of weather. One of my favorite walks was through the woods but when the leaves were no longer there, there was nothing to keep the wind back either. And yet, with weather raging around me, I felt the warmth of God's presence for we are never alone. And we are not lonely either when Jesus is with us in our soul, keeping us company. He can be with every person on this earth individually, and He is still able to do more... He is there for the various elements in nature also. He worked on that rover that's sitting on Mars - since He is the source of all intelligence. His power in heaven far exceeds his carpenter skills while in Nazareth. For He is the Son of God. One God in three persons. God is the maker of heaven and earth. Of me, of you, of the trees, and the component parts of a tree, now used as beams in a house, for example. When you think about all that, as you look at those bare trees, your soul continues to be alive. Then comes winter,  where a pristine blanket of snow covers every reminder of dirt and grime. It covers signs of the slums in big cities, and lays over it a blanket of quiet and cold beauty. Have you ever walked through a small town with a foot of new snow on the ground? It is beautiful. There is a graceful and peaceful quiet. No traffic is heard, in fact, most of the time it is very still. God's created example of the quietness of a Soul at peace. Or maybe in Florida, with the sliding glass doors open to 72 degrees weather with a slight wind, not a sound in late afternoon... as I sit in my recliner     without TV or radio on, my soul dwells on God's Grace and Beauty. The changing of the seasons, the weather, they help us find those moments of beauty that nourish and give great peace. And when hearing about that Alberta clipper weather movement in the north, I think of a retreat in western Kentucky at the Trappist monastery of Gethsemane, where the outside temperature was 5 degrees... but I felt comfortable in a down parka with Jesus in my soul.

But before long, winter passes and new growth is on the way. First a tiny bud, barely visible to the eye. Then, the leaves on the maples come out, a little at a time, it is a time of regeneration. Father God is at work again, creating and recreating, and our soul comes out of its winter sleep, and we rejoice in the changing of the Seasons once again. Pretty soon we'll be walking barefoot along the beach, and as we do this, we think of Jesus at the Lake of Gennesaret, cooking for the apostles a little piece of fish. Think of the joy of friendship and brotherhood as Jesus sits with the Apostles and with us, as he breaks the bread and pours the wine, His Body and Blood, and we pray, "We adore you oh Lord Jesus Christ, here and in all the Tabernacles of your Church, for by your Holy Cross you have redeemed the world." (St. Francis of Assisi).

And even in Florida, in summertime with day after day over 90 degrees, hot, hazy and humid, even a little cool breeze is a gift from God. Even there, when we're dripping all over, God is there too. We are never alone. He is always there. Please let him in?

Sometimes our moods also behave in a similar way but be careful. Mood changes are emotional changes whereas changes of the Soul are deeper than that. I pray that you will recognize the changing seasons of the soul as you go through life now and at times to come.

Wishing you a very spiritual and happy Lenten Season

Fred Schaeffer, OFS

2015, 2024

 Index

Lenten Message

Lent is a 40 day season of prayer, fasting, and almsgiving that begins on Ash Wednesday (March 5, 2025) and ends at sundown on Holy Thursday. It's a period of preparation to celebrate the Lord's Resurrection at Easter. During Lent, we seek the Lord in prayer by reading Sacred Scripture; we serve by giving alms; and we practice self-control through fasting. We are called not only to abstain from luxuries during Lent, but to a true inner conversion of heart as we seek to follow Christ's Will more faithfully. We recall the waters of baptism in which we were also baptized into Christ's death, died to sin and evil, and began new life in Christ. Many know of the tradition of abstaining from meat on Fridays during Lent, but we are also called to practice self-discipline and fast in other ways throughout the season. In addition, the giving of alms is one way to share God's gifts—not only through the distribution of money, but through the sharing of our time and talents. As St. John Chrysostom reminds us: "Not to enable the poor to share in our goods is to steal from them and deprive them of life. The goods we possess are not ours, but theirs." (Catechism of the Catholic Church, no. 2446).