Spring and the Pope

Another beautiful day here in Southeast Missouri. The wind is blowing and making my bell chime ring. I can hear it while I'm blogging. I love the sound. The sound it makes is similar to those wind chimes made from metal pipes that are several feet long. I love the deep resonance of the notes, and my bell chime is similar, though not so deep.

I really love spring. It is my favorite season. I love the new leaves, the flowers, the singing birds, the wind, the increasing length of the days. I love the temperatures, which are ideal-balmy during the day, and cool at night. Mostly, I like the sense of hope. I always want to plant flowers in the spring, but when summer comes I don't want to water them, because I'm too warm. Then I feel guilty when the flowers are struggling. I actually imagine the flowers' feelings of abandonment as I walk past them into the house. (Can you spell codependent? How about neurotic?) Anyway, I have finally learned to "think the flower through" and save myself from MONTHS of guilt by not planting in the spring. I just realized that I never feel guilty for not watering my lawn. I wonder if that's because I didn't plant it. I must be of the ancient oriental belief that if I plant a flower I make myself responsible for it's life.

Father was talking about the Pope's resignation today at mass. He reminded us of the Pope's humility in giving up the power of the papacy. He linked that back to the gospel reading about how the devil tempted Christ in the desert. Father said that sin is always beautiful. I have heard this concept before, but never so succinctly put. Sin is always beautiful, but it's wage is death. Father also pointed out that everything the devil offered Christ was temporary, that none of it lasted. That's true for me, too. When temptation comes to me, it is always disguised as a good, and it is of no lasting value. If I reach for it, I will die or Christ will die for me. The Pope has refused to reach for the illusion of being indispensable. I hope that this Lent will teach me to discern between evils, which are always disguised as goods, and true goods. I hope I will learn to reach for the true goods, rather than the temporary 'goods' of temptations.

If you read this, then thank you for being my imagined audience for today. Happy spring and happy Lent!