I love spring. The sun is typically out more. The birds are chirping. My winter coat receives the rest that it is begging for. The windows in the house can be open. And most importantly, it’s not cold.
I don’t enjoy being cold (unless I’m sleeping). This winter in particular was difficult. Not only did we see 12 inches of snow drop in less than 24 hours (and then proceed to stick around for the next four weeks), but we also had lots of things happen in our family. I’ve already shared about the cast and the stitches. But then we got the flu. And then we hit a deer with our van. It was a rough winter.
I find great joy in thinking about starting this liturgical season of Lent during Winter, and more often than not, ending it in Spring. It’s like the final push to the joy of warm weather. When Easter morning comes, hopefully all we need as we walk out the door for Mass is a light jacket – if we are lucky, no coat at all. But first we have to go through some things. You don’t just switch from Winter to Spring overnight. There’s an ugly, thawing period where everything is gray. And wet. And cars are covered in salt from the roads. There are those days that are so close to the warm weather we want, but not quite there.
It doesn’t take much to see the analogy here. As Lent starts, and we tip toe into the desert, there’s not all that much hope of the “warmth” arriving anytime soon. 40 days is a long time. We have to go through that ugly period where things just aren’t quite what we want them to be. We have sacrificed little things (maybe big things, too) that can make things feel not as joyful. And, of course, we have Good Friday on the horizon.
But then suddenly, the dawn breaks. The tomb is empty. We have exited the desert hopefully different than how we entered. Things aren’t as ugly. We have hope. We are warmer. Jesus has risen.
So in these final days of Lent, I hope you are mentally preparing for this final, most daunting part. The Holy Triduum is easily one of my favorite times in our Church year. But just as the joy of a 75 degree and sunny day is accentuated by the misery of a 2 degree and blustery day that precedes it, so is the joy of Easter morning preceded by the sorrow of Good Friday. We go from dark to light, cold to warm, and dead to alive, but we know that we can make this journey with Him who loves us above all things.