Tis the Season

Every High Holy Feast is preceded by a season of preparation. This season includes a prayer, a fast, and a flavor.

In Advent there are the O Antiphons. These beautiful prayers describe the longing of a people for their God. The fast is from the noise and secular distractions of the world and a focus on the poverty and simplicity of Christ Child. The flavor is the inescapable chocolate peppermint confections served in homes and coffeehouses throughout the season.

In Lent there are the Stations of the Cross. These beautiful prayers describe the journey Jesus our Redeemer took to destroy death and save His people from sin. The fast is from indulgence in the worldly pleasure and a focus on the blessings only God can give. The flavor is fish. Be it fried, baked, or flaked, seafood is a staple, always present and readily available.

Thus we have a preparation for Christmas, the coming of the Lord, and Easter, the Lord coming into Glory, but what about the Feast of All Saints, the celebration of the Lord bringing His people to Himself? Should not His people prepare for this as well? What if there was a third season of preparation? What if it was called Homecoming?

In Homecoming there are the Rosary of the Seven Sorrows of Mary. This beautiful prayer follows the grieving mother. It is a reminder that God the Son, the Creator of the Universe spent time loving His people with a human heart, in a human form, and being loved by a human mother, who understood His mission, and walked the road with Him. The fast is from the restlessness and anxiety the world cannot help but give. It is a time to put resting in the Lord first and the needs of the outside world second. The flavor is pumpkin spice. With the warm, bright orange of ripe autumn pumpkins, it is a flavor of home and home away from home.

He said to me, “These are the ones who have survived the time of great distress; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. “For this reason they stand before God’s throne and worship him day and night in his temple. The one who sits on the throne will shelter them. They will not hunger or thirst anymore, nor will the sun or any heat strike them. For the Lamb who is in the center of the throne will shepherd them and lead them to springs of life-giving water, and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.” Rev 7: 14-17