Today marks the arrival of the season of autumn (or fall), traditionally seen as a period of changes leading to the dark of winter. In Holidays and Holy Nights, the author Christopher Hill points out that for Christians who observe the liturgical year, autumn is actually the beginning of a cycle. He suggests that “the dynamics of the fall of the year have the sweep of a great symphony or an epic poem.”
As we watch leaves fluttering to the ground in the fall, we are reminded that all of nature’s cycles are mirrored in our lives. Autumn is a time for “letting go” and “releasing” things that have been a burden. Many of the world’s religious traditions pay tribute to such acts of relinquishment. Fall is the right time to practice getting out of the way and letting Spirit take charge of our lives.
Let us pray. “God of all seasons, we thank you for autumn. We thank you for the touch of coolness in the air that gives us a new burst of energy, for the coloring of trees that shows your Divine Artistry, for the hues of fields that bring peace to our souls, for the smiles on pumpkins that bring joy to children, for the fall harvest which that brings us gratitude for the bounty of our land, and for this change of seasons that reveals part of the cycle of life. God of all seasons, as you transform the earth, transform us by your Spirit. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.”
