Autumn's gift is a renewal of body and soul

By Mary Regina Morrell
©Catholic Online 2004

"We are not born all at once, but by bits. The body first, and the spirit later; and the birth and growth of the spirit, in those who are attentive to their own inner life, are slow and exceedingly painful. Our mothers are racked with the pains of our physical birth; we ourselves suffer the longer pains of our spiritual growth." - Mary Antin

Where I come from in upstate New York, autumn was not a season that stealthily caught you off guard. There, in the bosom of the Heldebergs, autumn "arrived," in full phantasmagoric color, in crisp apple-picking days and dimly lit supper times. It held me captive, but I never knew why. Even now, as autumn approaches, I find myself stirred by vague memories of long walks home from school under a harvest moon, the smell of fall air and the delightful treat of caramel apples. Now that I am older and a little wiser I realize that on a deeper level there was something meaningful in the purpose of fall itself; in the season that signaled a moving into winter.

For me there was, and still is, comfort in the latency, that period of time when growth is stilled. After the last harvests of fall the created world begins its journey inward, when the growth of spring and summer comes to a halt and life begins a period of rest and renewal. Certainly, there is an essential quality to the experience of growth. God has deemed it necessary in all areas of human existence.

Think of Jesus, who grew in wisdom and grace. There was no immediate, "Cecil B. DeMille quality" moment of revelation, with trumpets blaring and lights flashing, where Jesus became aware of all things from all times. Neither are we born with a full spectrum of knowledge in any academic discipline nor does any flower erupt from the earth in full bloom, at once whole and complete.

But growth for the person can be the most painful of experiences, often stemming from great trials of loss and doubt. When the trials are many and the pain becomes overwhelming we are often encouraged to find ways to flee from the experiences, and that means we avoid growth.

I believe God created nature and the world as we know it not only for our enjoyment and benefit, but also as our teacher. Nature teaches that periods of stillness, of turning inward, periods of rest, are necessary for all of God's creation. Perhaps that is why God created autumn to be so beautiful, to encourage us to lose ourselves in the stillness for awhile in order to prepare for our next season of growth.

_________________________

Mary Regina Morrell is a free-lance writer, syndicated columnist and author of Angels in High Top Sneakers from Loyola Press.

Contact

Diocese of Metuchen
http://www.diometuchen.org NJ, US
Mary Regina Morrell - Associate Director, Office of Religious Education, 732 562.1990

Email

mmorrell@diometuchen.org

Keywords

autumn, gift, renew, body, soul

More Catholic PRWire

Showing 1 - 50 of 4,716

• « Prev
• 1
• 2
• 3
• 4
• 5
• 6
• 7
• 8
• 9
• Next »

A Recession Antidote
Randy Hain

Monaco & The Vatican: Monaco's Grace Kelly Exhibit to Rome--A Review of Monegasque-Holy See Diplomatic History
Dna. Maria St. Catherine Sharpe, t.o.s.m., T.O.SS.T.

The Why of Jesus' Death: A Pauline Perspective
Jerom Paul

A Royal Betrayal: Catholic Monaco Liberalizes Abortion
Dna. Maria St.Catherine De Grace Sharpe, t.o.s.m., T.O.SS.T.

Embrace every moment as sacred time
Mary Regina Morrell

My Dad
JoMarie Grinkiewicz

Letting go is simple wisdom with divine potential
Mary Regina Morrell

Father Lombardi's Address on Catholic Media
Catholic Online

Pope's Words to Pontifical Latin American College
Catholic Online

Prelate: Genetics Needs a Conscience
Catholic Online

State Aid for Catholic Schools: Help or Hindrance?
Catholic Online

Scorsese Planning Movie on Japanese Martyrs
Catholic Online

2 Nuns Kidnapped in Kenya Set Free
Catholic Online

Holy See-Israel Negotiation Moves Forward
Catholic Online

Franchising to Evangelize
Catholic Online

Catholics Decry Anti-Christianity in Israel
Catholic Online

Pope and Gordon Brown Meet About Development Aid
Catholic Online

Pontiff Backs Latin America's Continental Mission
Catholic Online

Cardinal Warns Against Anti-Catholic Education
Catholic Online

Full Circle
Robert Gieb

Three words to a deeper faith
Paul Sposite

Relections for Lent 2009
chris anthony

Wisdom lies beyond the surface of life
Mary Regina Morrell

World Food Program Director on Lent
Catholic Online

Moral Clarity
DAN SHEA

Pope's Lenten Message for 2009
Catholic Online

A Prayer for Monaco: Remembering the Faith Legacy of Prince Rainier III & Princess Grace and Contemplating the Moral Challenges of Prince Albert II
Dna. Maria St. Catherine Sharpe

Keeping a Lid on Permissiveness
Sally Connolly

Glimpse of Me
Sarah Reinhard

The 3 stages of life
Michele Szekely

Sex and the Married Woman
Cheryl Dickow

A Catholic Woman Returns to the Church
Cheryl Dickow

Modernity & Morality
Dan Shea

Just a Minute
Sarah Reinhard

Catholic identity ... triumphant reemergence!
Hugh McNichol

Edging God Out
Paul Sposite

Burying a St. Joseph Statue
Cheryl Dickow

George Bush Speaks on Papal Visit
Catholic Online

Sometimes moving forward means moving the canoe
Mary Regina Morrell

Action Changes Things: Teaching our Kids about Community Service
Lisa Hendey

Easter... A Way of Life
Paul Spoisite

Papal initiative...peace and harmony!
Hugh McNichol

Proclaim the mysteries of the Resurrection!
Hugh McNichol

Jerusalem Patriarch's Easter Message
Catholic Online

Good Friday Sermon of Father Cantalamessa
Catholic Online

Papal Address at the End of the Way of the Cross
Catholic Online

Cardinal Zen's Meditations for Via Crucis
Catholic Online

Interview With Vatican Aide on Jewish-Catholic Relations
Catholic Online

Pope Benedict XVI On the Easter Triduum
Catholic Online

Holy Saturday...anticipation!
Hugh McNichol

• « Prev
• 1
• 2
• 3
• 4
• 5
• 6
• 7
• 8
• 9
• Next »