October 23, 2022 - Pastor Message
04/30/2024“Be still, sad heart! And cease repining; behind the clouds is the sun still shining; thy fate is the common fate of all, into each life some rain must fall” (Excerpt from The Rainy Day by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow).
Well, it finally happened. The day we all dreaded and knew was coming, just not when, has arrived. Old Man Winter decided to show up early and give us our first snowfall of the season, even though it’s still fall. While thankfully the light covering we had on the ground didn’t stay long, it reminded us of the sad truth of living in “dreary Erie”. To paraphrase the poet Longfellow, into each life some snow must fall.
This time of year can be challenging for many people. As the days grow shorter, the temperatures colder, and what little sun we get in our area becomes even less, people can experience feelings of sadness, apathy, and, at its most extreme, depression. Add to that experience the anxiety and difficulties of dealing with snow and ice and the hectic pace of the holiday season, and this time of year truly can become something that people dread.
To those who find themselves in that frame of mind, Longfellow has some advice: “Be still, sad heart! And cease repining; behind the clouds is the sun still shining.” The days are growing shorter and sunlight harder to see, but we know the sun is still up there all the same and will one day break through the clouds again. The temperatures are getting colder, but all the more does that enable us to enjoy the special treat of a delicious, steaming cup of cocoa, wrapped in the embrace of a warm blanket or curled up in front of a crackling fire. Snow covers the trees and the ground, but it can never touch the seeds that lie hidden there, just waiting to burst forth into the new life of spring in just a few, short months.
Winters come, and winters go, but through it all, the sun always shines. Clouds and snow may obscure our view of it sometimes, but we know it is still there. May that unshakable faith bring us hope in dark times and lead us on through the winters of our lives so that, no matter how much snow may fall, we will all arrive safely home.
Fr. Marc Stockton
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