Aug. 27 – Autumn “Liturgical Season”
September-October is one of my favorites “liturgical seasons” of the year. I put “Liturgical Season” in quotes as we are technically in the Liturgical Season of Ordinary Time. But this time of year is when we commemorate Feast Days of certain mysteries of our faith and of certain Saints that have been particularly spiritually meaningful to me.
Sept. 5 is the Feast day of St. Mother Teresa of Calcutta, Sept. 14 is the Feast of the Exultation of the Cross and the day after, Sept. 15, is Our Lady of Sorrows (Followed by something called “ember days,” but more on that another time). Sept. 23 is the Feast of St. Padre Pío, a holy priest mystic in our modern century with many supernatural miracles attributed to him. Then, St. Wenceslaus (the good king); St. Jerome (an important biblical monk); the Feast of the Archangels (Saints Michael, Gabriel and Raphael) and of the Guardian Angels. Later, Feasts of St. Thérèse of Lisieux and St. Francis of Assisi. Oct. 7 is Our Lady of the Rosary – October sometimes being referred to as “The month of the Rosary,” hence us usually communally praying the Rosary out loud before Mass in some of our parishes. And finally, Oct. 15 is St. Teresa of Ávila.
I could write a whole book explaining to you why all these days are spiritually significant to me, and also other neat spiritual significances and connections about these feasts … in fact, I will write more about them in upcoming bulletin columns!
On top of all this, the cool season of autumn and the changing of leaves have always felt to me like a season of great anticipation, of new beginnings – starting a new school year and seeing beloved friends whom I had missed all summer. A time of beginning of new exciting adventures, the season of spiced apple cider and pumpkin-flavored things (both which I love) and the coming of winter, which is a season that I, unlike many people, really love.
Thus, because of their spiritual significance and the exhilarating feel of anticipation of adventure that autumn seems to bring to me, these days in this time of year always have felt like to me its own special little “Liturgical Season” within the Liturgical Season of Ordinary Time.
Peace,
– Fr. Kevin
PS: For Labor Day weekend I will be going to visit my family in Colorado. Fr. Jangill will be taking the 8 a.m. Mass in Ackley and the 5:30 p.m. Spanish Mass in Hampton. Fr. Jim Secora, a retired priest from Ames, will be at the 10:30 a.m. Mass in Hampton.
