By Sam Aitchison
The Church is Alive!
As people receive ashes on Ash Wednesday, the distributor usually says, “remember you are dust and to dust you shall return.” It’s a humbling and even a bit morbid thing to think about, but it’s the reality of the circle of life. I remember last year attending an Ash Wednesday Mass right after a difficult finance test. Feeling stressed about the exam, hearing that I will return to dust helped me put things in perspective.
In the Catholic Church, the month of November is a time to commemorate those who have gone before us. Beginning with All Souls Day, November is a time to pray for loved ones who have passed away, reflect on the influence and impact they’ve had on our lives, and recognize our own mortality and the fleeting nature of life.
The seasonal changes happening right now in the Midwest have helped me reflect on and remember loved ones who have passed away. In fall, the leaves on trees turn from vibrant green to shades of orange and red. They then turn brown and fall to the ground before eventually composting into the earth. During this time of year, the weather turns colder, and we bundle up when going outside and cloister indoors more often. Daylight Savings Time means it’s dark at 5 p.m. — the days grow shorter, and the nights grow longer. The change of early fall moving towards winter can have a dismal feeling accompanied by it. For me, it feels somewhat bleak, cold, sad, and dark.
The seasonality of earth — marked by cold, dark winters, fresh beginnings in spring, long summer days, and the crispness of fall — help me to understand my faith better. As winter approaches, it’s metaphorical to death and the end of life. Some of the feelings associated with winter align with how I’ve felt when loved ones have passed away. Yet at the end of every winter is a springtime — where birds sing again, the earth defrosts, plants and flowers sprout up, and there’s a feeling of new beginnings in the air. But there’s always winter before spring — and in Christianity death before life. Jesus died a human death before rising to live with the Father in glory. We’re all human and we will die. But our faith teaches, just as Christ rose, so too will we rise to be with him, in a place so wonderful and beautiful we can’t even imagine it.
The seasonality of earth sometimes makes me feel down, especially when it gets quite cold and dark in the wintertime. Yet at the same time, there’s a sense of security I feel as I’m reminded that I’m dependent on God and that his loving power rules heaven and earth. The Church teaches that earth is just a step on the journey of our soul uniting with God — we came from dust on this planet, and we’ll return to dust someday, too.
During this month of November and as it continues to get colder, I’m trying to take time to reflect on what’s truly important in the eyes of God. I’m going to pray for those who have left this earthly life. And I’m going to try to let the coldness of winter remind me of the warmth of Christ’s love. How can we take steps to ensure our actions reflect what’s truly important, honor the memory of those who have passed, and show Christ’s warmth to those who need it?
(Sam Aitchison is a senior at Saint Louis University studying business and theology. Contact him at samaitchison6@gmail.com.)
