Springtime

Last Tuesday, March 21st, was the official first day of Spring. Although California needs water, I suspect most of us hope for an end to the cold and rainy winter weather. It would be nice to be able to count on sunny skies and moderately warm temperatures.

The word “Lent” comes from the Old English word , which means

“springtime.” Lent, then, is our spiritual springtime: a time of new life and new growth. Hopefully, our Lenten season has brought us spiritual life and growth: that’s the purpose of the various practices of prayer, fasting, and almsgiving that we carry out during this time. This weekend, as we begin the last two weeks before Easter, it’s a good time to assess how our spiritual life is going. If it’s necessary to hit the “reset button” for our Lent, we should do so.

The new life we celebrate with the Lord is so great on Easter; but we know that the Lord does not force his grace on us. Let’s cultivate our hearts and souls to receive that grace and cooperate with it in our daily lives.

Gratefully Yours,