By Gregory Lewis
Spring is at last upon us and the trees and flowers are once again returning to their grandeur. As such there is much work to be done, many weeds need to be removed, trees and plants need to be pruned and those plants that did not survive the winter need to be replaced or renewed. This work can often be laborious and painstaking, but I find that it is a wonderful teacher of patience and perseverance.
A garden is not something that just magically appears with little to no effort, it is something that requires a consistent and dutiful effort to ensure that the beauty is retained. This is not to say that without spring there is no beauty, for even in the depths of winter a vibrantly green plant can often brighten the dreariest of days. It is only by passing through these times that we reach the majesty of springtime.
Within the Church, as the year rolls on, we move further away from Easter and edge closer and closer to the birth of Our Lord at Christmas. This period between Easter and Christmas can be likened to the season that encompasses it, winter, whilst it lacks the grandeur of these important dates in the liturgical calendar, it is not lacking in beauty, it is a time to prepare ourselves and commence a period of renewal, we must as it is written at the beginning of Mark’s Gospel…
“Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight” (Mark 1:3)
It is a time to weed, prune and sow the garden that is our hearts and souls. To ensure that the seeds of faith have been resown if the flowers have begun to dry out, to remove the weeds or obstacles that are preventing our spiritual growth and to look forward to the fruits and flowers that will grow, if only we let Christ work in our lives.
Photos: Jean-Sebastien Gery, Sixth-year Melbourne seminarian.