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September 21, 2026September 22nd. Our season of Autumn begins, the equinox when the day is equally balanced between light and darkness.
As the stanza from Ecclesiastes 3:1 reminds us: “There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens.” Prior to his papacy, Pope Benedict XVI wrote about the aspect of Christ Jesus’ dwelling within the seasons of nature. “Christ connects the world’s spring and autumn. The autumn of declining time becomes a new beginning, while the spring, as the time of the Lord’s death, now points to the end of time, to the autumn of the world, in which, according to the Fathers, Christ came among us.”Quite possibly the season we are about to step into is God’s way of calling us to be attentive to the natural aspects of change around us, and the possibility of the spiritual change taking place in our souls. An Ignatian Reflection brought forth the hidden dimensions of the autumn colors within the leaves. Brown reflects stability, protection, endurance and simplicity. Passion, determination, love and adventure are reflected in the changing color to red. And the ever present orange symbolizes balance, warmth, and freedom. And the purple leaves of the sugar maples incurs imaginations, levels of spirituality, transformation and wisdom. As Pope Benedict XVI implies, the diversity within the season of autumn nonetheless invites us to recognize, “Christ came among us.”Sr. Joyce Rupp, native of Cherokee, Iowa, has authored various books and articles on faith and spirituality including this appropriate poem entitled: “A Prayer for Autumn Days.”God of the seasons, there is a time for everything; there is a time for dying and a time for rising.
We need courage to enter into the transformation process. God of autumn, the trees are saying goodbye to their green, letting go of what has been. We, too, have our moments of surrender, with all their insecurity and risk. Help us to let go when we need to do so.God of fallen leaves lying in colored patterns on the ground, our lives have their own patterns.As we see the patterns of our own growth, may we learn from them. God of misty days and harvest moon nights, there is always the dimension of mystery and wonder in our lives. We always need to recognize your power-filled presence. May we gain strength from this.God of harvest wagons and fields of ripened grain, many gifts of growth lie within the season of our surrender. We must wait for harvest in faith and hope. Grant us patience when we do not see the blessings. God of geese going south for another season, your wisdom enables usto know what needs to be left behind and what needs to be carried into the future. We yearn for insight and vision. God of flowers touched with frost and windows wearing white designs, may your love keep our hearts from growing cold in the empty seasons. God of life, you believe in us, you enrich us, you entrust us with the freedom to choose life.For all this, we are grateful. Amen. For this bountiful season God brings forth ten interesting facts. Equinox Balance: Autumn starts with the autumn equinox around September 22 or 23, when day and night are nearly equal in length. According to NASA, autumn is the prime "aurora season" because geomagnetic storms happen twice as often now.
Hidden Colors: Leaves do not turn new colors; yellow and orange pigments are already inside them, hidden by green chlorophyll until the sun weakens. Smart Squirrels: Squirrels hide thousands of nuts in autumn, and their brains grow to help them. Harvest Moon, which gives farmers extra light to gather crops before electricity. Name Origins: The season was once simply called "harvest" before "fall" and "autumn" became popular in the 16th century. Bird Migration: Birds fly thousands of miles south, such as the Arctic Tern, which travels roughly 11,000 miles each way. Ancient Courtship: Bobbing for apples started in Britain as a Four Seasons dating game where young people tried to bite a marked fruit. Longer Life: Some studies suggest that babies born during autumn months have a higher statistical chance of living to age 100. Sugars: Red and purple leaves are only that color because of the presence of sugars and sap that are trapped within the leaves. These sugars provide plants with the energy they need to survive. Needles: Evergreen trees such as pines, cedars, and spruces stay green because their leaves (needles) are covered with thick wax and they contain materials that prevent freezing when it gets cold. And finally. . . . Halloween takes place in the fall and comes from an ancient Celtic tradition. They believed that ghosts roamed on Halloween and people would wear disguises in order to hide from these spirits.
God Bless, Fr. Tim