The seasons of the year can be compared to our whole life: we experience times of growth and times of struggle, yet God lifts our eyes towards eternity. Fr Richard reflects on today’s readings from Mass.
Readings for Friday of week 25 of ordinary time can be found here.
Do you have a favourite season of the year? Wednesday of this week saw the autumnal equinox, the official start of autumn and the day when we have equal amounts of darkness and light. Many people love autumn with its colours of red, brown and gold. Some like winter and its crisp, cold days, while others prefer the warmer seasons of spring and summer. If you have a favourite, you may mourn its passing when it has gone and dread the next one which you don’t much care for. Each season, whether it’s our favourite or not, has its purpose.
Our reading from Ecclesiastes today takes this idea and applies it to all of life. There is a season for everything, both good and bad. There will be moments in life that we savour and rejoice in; there will be other times that cause us pain and sadness. “For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven”, says the author. Yet he also lifts our eyes to a greater purpose, beyond the uncertainties of life’s changing moments: God “has put eternity into man’s heart”.
God’s eternal purpose is shown dramatically in the Gospel reading. He himself has entered into our time with all its changing seasons, in the person of Jesus who Peter acclaims as the Christ. The suffering, death and resurrection of that Christ which Jesus foretells helps us to make sense of life and its different moments, the good and the bad, the highs and the lows. God in Christ enters the darkest moment and overcomes it with the brightest new dawn; in doing so he hallows all of time, and all of life, assuring us that eternity and salvation are never far away.
Mass today is in St Saviour’s at 10am.
If you’d like more resources for daily prayer, check out our Day By Day pages.
