You know how to interpret the appearance of the sky, but you cannot interpret the signs of the times.

(Matt. 16:3)
Now snow, now sun, now cold, now warmth; the changes come rapidly and are accepted as part of life
because that’s what weather does. Our lives change as rapidly as the weather; now hope, now despair,
now joy, now fear. Change is as much part of our lives as it is of nature but not as easily accepted because
they are our changes. We recount, as the gospel for the Second Sunday of Lent tells us, that the face of
Jesus shone like the sun and his clothes became white as the light but we know that Jesus is soon to suffer
and his face will show pain and his clothes will go to a dice throw. Nature and the life of Jesus teach us all
that we should endure what comes in life whether it be joy or sorrow with the abiding strength of hope
and faith: hope in transfiguration and faith in God. It is difficult for us to do this and more than difficult to
maintain it over a lifetime. But if we try our best at this, we are to be graced with joy and peace to the
end of our days.

We mourn over the blossoms of May, because they are to wither; but we know, withal, that May is one
day to have its revenge on November, by the revolution of that solemn circle which never stops,-which
teaches us in our height of hope, ever to be sober, and in our depth of desolation never to despair. (John
Henry Cardinal Newman, The Second Spring)

We belong to that solemn circle that never stops and we glory in it as a gift from God. Lastly, remember
Lent means Spring!

Fr. Al Hicks