God in Winter – A Meditation on Finding God in the Snow.

Archdiocese of Washington ^ | 1/2/2014 | Msgr. Charles Pope

[markomalley]

It’s snowing in Washington. And I had quite a slow ride home through a very heavy fetch of snow that reflects back in the headlights making it difficult to see. But it had a magnificent and hypnotic effect. I will enjoy my walk tonight through the winter wonderland.

Not every one likes snow but is it an amazing work of God. He takes a barren winter landscape and creates it anew. I can almost hear the Lord saying, “Behold, I make all things new!”

In the modern world we often walk past the glory of God and hardly notice the gifts that God daily provides. I am mindful of the movie, “The Color Purple” when the main character “Ceilie” admits she is angry with God. Her friend “Shug” says, “I think God gets mad at us when we walk through a field and miss the color purple.”

Tonight and tomorrow I don’t want to miss God’s gift. It is true, it comes at the price of weather related hardships. But MAYBE just maybe, God can get a few of us here on the East Coast to stop, for just a minute and rest a while, and behold his glory. Getting “snowed in” for those who will get more than we are expected to get in DC,  is a wonderful chance to become reacquainted with our family and even our very selves. And just looking out the window and marveling at the snow as it falls with a hypnotic and calming steadiness can be a prayer if we think of God who sends it. Where ever you are on this planet, don’t walk through life and miss the glory of God!

In the Book of Sirach there is a beautiful and poetic description of God and the majestic work he creates even in the “dead” of Winter. Enjoy this excerpt from Sirach and spiritually reflect on the glory of God in winter.

God in Winter:

A word from God drives on the north wind.
He scatters frost like so much salt;
It shines like blossoms on the thornbush.
Cold northern blasts he sends that turn the ponds to lumps of ice.
He freezes over every body of water,
And clothes each pool with a coat of mail.
He sprinkles the snow like fluttering birds.
Its shining whiteness blinds the eyes,
The mind is baffled by its steady fall.

Sirach 43, selected verses

[markomalley]

A meditation for those who are buried this morning.

Msgr Pope ping.

[Celtic Conservative]

He lost me with the "Color Purple" reference. What an pro-homosexual, anti male screed that thing is.

CC

[Berlin_Freeper]

Hallelujah

[NYer]

Msgr. Pope ping!

[AnAmericanMother]

He's about as orthodox a priest as you can imagine.

I imagine he's trying to reach his DC liberals with a "cultural reference".

[Tax-chick]

Maybe he saw the movie in the 1980s, remembered one line, and didn’t bother, this morning, to think about where the whole thing fit into the latest iteration of the Grand Cultural Narrative.

[Biggirl]

No, what Msgr. Pope means to say is appriciate God’s creation, even winter.

[Celtic Conservative]

I appreciate God's creation, I enjoy the beauty of winter,despite its downside. I just cannot stand Alice Walkers writing.

CC

[Salvation]

His parish is in Washington D. C.; so draw your own conclusions. He very often posts a musical rendering at the bottom of his blog page, many of them from the Negro spirituals.

[Salvation]

Today’s music

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=qj_4m5qSFl8#t=0

[Celtic Conservative]

I think that's what was on my mind when posting. The author Alice Walker is a Waay out of left field super liberal and the mention of her work skewed my perception of the Msgrs. beliefs. Also having no choice about reading "The Color Purple" as it was assigned reading in a 100 level English lit. class may have something to do with it.

CC

[Tax-chick]

I saw the movie when I was a college student, and Msgr. Pope is just a few years older than I am. I doubt he read the book, in school or elsewhere; I never have.

The movie has some touching and memorable scenes. Yes, it’s manipulative, but so are a lot of other films.

[Biggirl]

With a much longer winter Ordinary time coming up, once Three Kings Day and the Baptism of Jesus feasts is done this year, this winter is shaping up to be one to do some quiet reflecting.

[Salvation]

Not really. Ash Wednesday is the first Wednesday in March — March 5th — thus Lent begins.

[Biggirl]

Yes, late start for Lent this year, early March.

[Biggirl]

Yet for me, March is the gateway to spring, so I am happy that Lent will not start until March 5, 2014.