Fr John’s Reflection – Sunday 18th May 2025

 The seasons seem to be out of order. We have skipped winter and gone straight into Spring. Daffodils are starting to put forward their new growth at least two months early. Those who are more attentive to their gardens would also notice subtle changes in the climate and how this can confuse plants, no less than ourselves. Yet this weekend we talk about the importance of pruning and tidying up the garden of our lives. There is a need to be aware of where new growth is starting to emerge and what impedes it.

Unlike Lent, this is not just a time to focus on the adverse effects of sin but to notice how we resist meeting the risen Christ in this new springtime of our lives, even as we prepare for winter. This is where we no longer focus on what causes death but on what brings life. This takes a willingness to work in harmony with the Holy Spirit and find ways to share the gifts entrusted to us for the good of others. We start to notice how we are called to resist the temptation to hoard what we have been given for a rainy day or become like bears who hibernate in winter. There can be a secret fear that we will become less if we give anything away. We can start to measure our lives by what we own rather than what we are worth.

This is the gentle encouragement of Easter when we discover the risen Christ in the reality of daily life. God does not wait until we have it, but meets us where we most need to be met. We are not called to wait for the perfect opportunity for this to happen, but to be embraced by God’s love that enriches and emboldens us to be present to the whole of God’s creation. We are Easter people who proclaim that our mission is to meet Jesus each day, as we are not as we think we should be.