The Greatest of These is Love

And now these three remain:

Hope

Faith

And Love.

But the greatest of these is love.

                        1 Cor. 13:13

What a powerful verse -- it speaks of love in all forms. Yesterday was Valentine’s Day, and 1 Cor. 13:13 speaks volumes in my marriage.

Together, my husband and I hope for the things we cannot see – we hope for a long future, we hope for health, we hope to be able to spend a morning at a coffee shop alone some day, we hope for eternal life in Heaven.

We have faith in each other – faith that each of us will remain committed in our relationship – no matter what the cost. We have faith that our holy vows of “for better or worse” will be lived out as we walk this journey of life – whatever this life may bring. We have faith that when one of us is tired and weak the other will be strong and encouraging. We have faith that we can cry with one another and laugh with one another. And we have faith that if we live our lives as servants to each other, to our little girls, to friends and to strangers, that one day we will meet Jesus.

But then there is love. If we do not hope in love, if we do not have faith in love, if we do not do all things out of love, our service is worthless. We can give generously, we can laugh loudly, we can cry passionately, but if we do not love, it means nothing.

We must love. Pope Francis has encouraged us that this Lent we might fast from indifference towards others. I cannot overlook how perfectly that aligns with this verse.

I am taking on that Lenten challenge. I want to look at others and not past others. And while we often think to focus on strangers or even acquaintances, there is a great need to apply that within our own homes. It is easy to forget that those we care about the most don’t always get our best. It is easy to take our children and our spouses for granted. So this Lent, I will also focus on those outside as well as inside my home.

I encourage you this day, as Blessed Mother Teresa did, to do even little things with great love.

The Hope in Ash Wednesday

I think Lent truly is one of the most beautiful liturgical seasons.

Today is Ash Wednesday. Many denominations practice Ash Wednesday. As a Catholic, I am drawn to it. When I was younger, it was a little scary – the priest usually put black ashes on my head and recited, “Remember that you are dust, and unto dust you shall return.” It seemed like a heavy thing to a child.

I’ve also heard, “Turn away from sin, and be faithful to the Gospel."

Either way, the fullness of the message is clear: we all will die. We all have souls that are tarnished by sin ~ sin as dark as ash.

Yet there is such hope in that ash.

The priest will make a cross on my forehead. A cross. This ash is not about death, but rather the transition from death unto new life. And, in that, dear friends, I place my hope.

Lent is a long journey. For me, it is a chance to grieve along with Mary as she prepares for the cruel death of her son. It is a time for me to reflect on my sins – the sins that Jesus took as his own and died for – and to not only ask for mercy, but to make a concerted effort to change. It is a time to revisit my prayer life – to reevaluate how my spiritual conversation with God is going.

And, though my children and I will bury our symbolic alleluia banner and make our decorations sparse for these 40 days, we shall not lose the hope that comes with the journey. For, at the end of these 40 days, there is an empty tomb and, with that, there is a beautiful mercy.

We do Groundhog Day(s) here!

Chili cook-off location

It is that time of year again when my small town awakens in the middle of winter. Everyone who is anyone in Woodstock is out and about, early in the dark of morning. The gazebo in the middle of the square is bathed in the yellow-white glow of Christmas lights and vintage street lamps.

For my children, February means one thing: Groundhog Day(s)!

Jim May, professional storyteller

You read that right – we don’t merely do this one thing on February second. No. We celebrate for a week.  Our very own Woodstock Willie hangs around at all the local establishments throughout the fest. Storyteller Jim May shares not only wisdom about the groundhog, but also local folklore. A chili cook-off celebrates the camaraderie of our community.

The Woodstock Square was the site of Harold Ramis’ Groundhog Day starring Bill Murray and Andie MacDowell ever so long ago. And every February 2, our historic town recreates the iconic prognostication scene – at 7:07 a.m.

There is a walking tour of the filming sites, there are news crews, there is an accordion band and, of course, there is a real groundhog.

Just a normal scene during Groundhog Days

Much more important than the actual prognostication, however, is the exchanging of pleasantries about town with people who might as well have hibernated along with Woodstock Willie over the past several months. The shops on the square open early to accommodate the crowd. Little children visit the bookstore and the coffee shop before school. Moms and Dads have gotten up ridiculously early to get a good parking spot with their little ones all bundled up. Groundhog Day enthusiasts vie for a close-up with the groundhog. And, as with the lighting of the square, there is an entire community indulgently singing groundhog tunes accompanied by a polka band.

Happy Groundhog Days – and smile a little brighter for the days are growing longer, and the time to emerge from the darkness of winter is fast approaching.

The Prognostication -- 2016, Woodstock Willie did NOT see his shadow!

If you are anyone who is anyone, you really must get a photo with Woodstock Willie once the sun comes up!

And this is a groundhog!

Official Groundhog Days song sheet