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I always like a year-end recap post. I know there are people who would rather forget 2020, but I am not one of those people. I say let’s remember! The things we experienced in 2020 will impact us in ways we are not even aware of yet. It’s already the thing we date other things from - “That was pre-pandemic” - “This happened after the first lockdown.” I want to remember what this crazy year was like for us.
So here we go.
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Have you been doing the readings lately? If you have, have you noticed that we’re being steeped in Isaiah? Or do those two sentences have you completely confounded? If so, here’s some context.
The Catholic Church has a schedule of scripture readings for the entire year, with an Old Testament passage, a Psalm, and a Gospel passage for each day. (Sundays get an extra New Testament reading.) This schedule is universal, meaning if you were to go to Mass on a given day, people going to Mass in any other place on earth on that same day would be hearing the same readings as you. Reading the daily readings is something many Catholics do, even when they can’t go to Mass. (Here and here are a couple of good places to get the daily readings.)
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I buy three bunches of eucalyptus at Trader Joe’s, plus two bunches of golden rod and some purple statice. I don’t usually keep fresh flowers in the house during Lent but we’ve got 8 foot icicles hanging off our roof, 4 feet of snow in our yard. and we’re currently digging out from our most recent snow storm. On top of that it’s been a long dark winter of kids getting sick, temps too low to go out with a baby, and my mind totally preoccupied with the health concerns of my oldest. Instead of the start of a penitential season, Lent this year feels like the continuation of the penitential season I’ve been in since January. I know that eventually I will get there, I will lean into Lent and mortify my flesh and walk the road to Calvary, but for now, darn it, I need signs of life. So I buy fresh flowers and eucalyptus.
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