Joan Chittester OSB wrote of the cooler seasons, “The skies hang grey and heavy, the wind gnaws and bellows. Life changes drastically from the velvet days of early autumn. The things we love begin to die right before our eyes. The roses begin to shrivel on the bush, the sun draws away, the colors around us start to darken. Then the streets get quieter and the neighbors disappear inside their houses and the days darken before the light has had time to seep through the mist of morning. The earth rests. It is a time of great life learning: We learn that we cannot control the passage of time in life. We learn to accept each of the stages of life with serenity. We learn to look to new moments in life with hope rather than despair...Winter is a lesson about the fine art of loss and growth. Its lesson is clear: There is only one way out of struggle, and that is by going into the darkness, waiting for the light, and being open to new growth".

To live with hope rather than despair is especially important for us as Catholics this Winter. There are so many issues and injustices being experienced and highlighted in the world. So much unfairness and pain. With the recent murder of George Floyd, we are reminded that people of colour are told that their lives don’t matter. In our own country overrepresentation of Aboriginal Peoples in custody and high rates of deaths in custody reinforce the same message. Domestic Violence continues to result in the death of one Australian woman per week. Refugees remain unfairly detained with increasing human rights abuses. As Sister Patty Fawkner articulated in this month's 'Good Oil' article, "In the face of searing unfairness and injustice, we set ourselves up for misery and frustration if our response is merely to rail, rant or hunt for a scapegoat. We embrace injustice by working for justice. We embrace the painful realities of life by digging deeper for hope". 

Winter is a time to prune, to remove what is unhealthy from our lives. It is not enough to pray but to challenge the injustices in the world, in our Church, communities, and families. In this way, we need to "go into the darkness and wait for the light”.

We are urged to turn to God as a source of love and warmth during the metaphorical Winters of our lives. 

In the midst of Winter, when the days are cold and wind can pierce remind us of the 

warmth of your love.

In the midst of Winter, when days are short, dawn comes late, and dusk arrives early 

remind us that in the darkness your light still shines.

In the midst of Winter, when the flowers of spring still lie hidden in the earth, when leaves 

are off the trees, and the world can seem bleak remind us that Easter is but a short time 

away.

And when in our lives we feel as if we are experiencing a season of Winter, reach out to 

us with the power of your resurrection so that we may feel the warmth of your love and 

see your light that alone can take away the darkness of our soul.

- Cal Wick

Louise East - Religious Studies Coordinator