Dante’s Prayer. Loreena McKennitt  When the dark wood fell…

Hazel Catkins, usually my first indicator of Spring

As a young boy February seemed to me to be a non-month; the excitement of Christmas was a distant memory and the Easter break too far ahead. School then finished at 4pm, so by the time we walked home there was little time to play out. Added to this was the fact that I was brought up near to the biggest railway marshalling yards in Europe. The smoke from the engines and the coal fires of the houses would linger at times producing a dark, grey smog – there was nothing for it but to wait for the long days ahead.

It was not always this way. For our ancestors February heralded the coming of the spring. It was part of a season know as Imbolc (said im -molk) a reference in the old Gaelic to pregnant ewes ready to give birth to their lambs. For some rural communities in Ireland, the 1^st February, St. Brigid’s day, is still traditionally seen as the first day of Spring. The people of the past had many festivals to mark out the circle of the year and some of these have been Christianised and found their way into our Church Calendar. Imbolc for example is our Candlemas, Samhain (Winter) our All Saints.

I find the idea of the circle of the year to be inspiring. God said in the book of Genesis, “While the earth remains, seed-time and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter, and day and night shall not cease.” Sadly, today most of us live in towns and cities and have, to some extent, lost touch of God’s creation of which we are a part. We have lost the rhythm of the seasons with different fruits and vegetables being available throughout the year. How I remember the rush to the greengrocers when we had fresh peas rather than the tinned variety!

Willow Buds

As I grow older I have come to believe we would be spiritually better off if we made reconnection with that creation, so I am going to make a suggestion. This month, if you are able, get out to the park or take a walk along the loop line that runs through our parish. Take notice of what you see around you and offer up a quick thanksgiving to God for his goodness and his creation which he has given you to enjoy. If you want to take things further here is a little exercise I recommend whilst you are out.

Face West – the direction of the setting sun. Take a couple of deep breaths and be still. Observe the remains of fallen leaves, the dead branches of trees and all that belongs to last year. If there is anything that troubles you, anything that burdens you ask God to remove it. Then imagine it blowing away with the remains of those leaves. Take another moment to pause and thank God he has removed whatever troubled you far away.

Face East – the direction of the rising sun. Again take a couple of deep breaths and be still. This time become aware of new life – the small buds on the branches, the birds singing soon to find a mate, the lengthening days. This time ask God to breath into you his new life which he offers to all freely. Ask him to be with you in the year ahead. Remain quite a moment longer to thank God for his gift of nature free for you to enjoy.

Finally, go home resolving to be more aware of all that God has to offer, whatever the season- Oh, and make a nice cup of tea!

Then God looked over all he had made, and he saw that it was very good! (Genesis 1:31)

Tags: ecology, lesson from life, Pilgrimage