Homespun Homily: Tulips and the Resurrection – Easter 2023
By Lori Fontana
You know about tulips. I think they are my favorite flower. Each fall, around early September, I buy or pull out of the storage shed the oddly shaped, gnarled orbs we call bulbs. They look dry and lifeless, with loose peelings of brown skin and sometimes a tuft of short, dark root tendrils. I loosen the soil in our garden, dig little circular tunnels straight down, and, one-by-one, place the bulbs inside. As I smooth dirt over each bulb, I wonder – what will this one look like? What color will it be? Because, usually, I have no idea which bulb is which, which is red or pink, white or purple – it will be a great surprise come the spring.
Then, with great hope, I wait…and wait…and wait.
The bulbs are out of sight, hidden in the earth. Through the fall and winter, they are covered over with fallen leaves, puddles of rain, a smattering of snow.
The winter months are so dark, so gray, so wet. It’s hard to remember the promise of colorful blooms. Our Seattle spring comes very slowly. We might have one sunny day in January; maybe one more in February. By March the sun might shine once a week. Yet the air is still damp and icy cold. But the tulips respond to the slightest touch of sunshine warmth. Forgotten over the long winter, each bulb now stretches the tiny tip of a green leaf through the soil and into the weak sunlight of early spring.
At first, I hardly notice that the garden is coming alive. But then the tip of the leaf pushes further up; one leaf, then two and three. And nestled between them is the flower stem with the tightly closed bloom perched on top. The tulips grow at their own pace; and they keep their blooms securely under wraps until they reach full height. Only then do the buds begin to unfurl, showing the glorious colors of their delicate petals, some rounded, some pointed, some ruffled or scalloped. The petals are bright and luminous, catching the breeze and waving and bowing in the sunlight. What a wonderful spring surprise!
It’s very fitting that we observe Holy Week in the spring. As we approach Holy Week – the Passion, Death, and Resurrection of Jesus – I think tulips are a gentle reminder of the desolation and the glory of this painful, wonderful, awesome mystery. On the cross, Jesus gives his final gift. Through his passion and death, Jesus pours out his life in great love for us. At the end, he has nothing left to give – he’s given us his all. Taken down from the cross, Jesus is placed in the tomb, his tortured body hidden away in darkness, out of sight. His followers are left alone, bereft and drained of hope.
Symbolically, for Jesus’ followers, it’s winter in their hearts and souls: Jesus, whom the disciples believed was the Messiah, their friend and teacher whom they loved, is now lifeless, gone from their sight. All is hopelessness. The disciples cower behind closed doors, filled with doubt and fear. Quickly forgotten is the Jesus who turned water into wine, who multiplied loaves and fishes, who healed the blind and the lame, comforted the mourning, gathered the children in his arms, and raised Lazarus from the dead.
Then comes Sunday morning. Mary Magdalen and her companions come to the garden, intending to anoint Jesus’ body. The first rays of the rising sun warm their faces as they approach the tomb where Jesus lies. And then, wonder of wonders! “An angel of the Lord…[had] rolled back the stone.” To the women, the angel says, “He is not here, for he has been raised just s he said.” Matthew 28:2, 5-6
Jesus appears to Mary Magdalen and others of his disciples. Over the next several weeks, Jesus appears to many believers and doubters alike. With the resurrection, many renew their faith in Jesus; many others come to believe. What was lost is found; what was hidden is now seen; what was dead is now alive!
In a very humble way, the tulip mirrors the Resurrection. The tulip bulb appears dead. It’s hidden away in the cold earth. In fact, it must lie buried in winter’s cold so that it can “rise” to new life in the spring. A small miracle: from the bulb which, when planted, appears to be wrapped in a drab burial cloth, bursts forth a magnificent flower rich with color and life.
From death to life! The miracle of the Resurrection. As we travel with Jesus through Palm Sunday to the Last Supper of Holy Thursday, to the Agony in the Garden, through Jesus’ trial and torture, his Way of the Cross, his crucifixion on Calvary’s hill, his death and burial – cling to sure hope. Jesus’ burial in the dark tomb is not the final word. Easter morn will dawn, and with it the glory and colors of NEW LIFE. When you see tulips blooming in gardens and on Easter dinner tables, remember that death is not the end. For we who believe, it is the path to new life. What appears dead has new life in the promise of Jesus.
The lesson of the tulip is echoed in a line by Martin Luther, the great Protestant Reformer:
“Our Lord has written the promise of resurrection, not in books alone, but in every leaf in springtime.”
Happy Easter!
Finally A CLM Event for Families: Advent Preparation
By Lori Fontana
On Saturday, November 26th, CLM partnered with the Care for Mother Earth Social Justice Committee of Assumption Parish, north Seattle, to help families prepare for Advent.
Over 30 people attended – children, parents, and grandparents – to learn about the INCARNATION of Jesus, who came to earth to be with us and all of God’s creation.
Through prayer, skits, songs, and crafts, we helped each other enter into the Advent season with a plan for prayer and action.
We watched a children’s video which explains Pope Francis’s letter on the care for creation, Laudato Si. (seehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KIVuISZGdug) Remember, the Incarnation of Jesus is not simply about His saving humans for heaven. Jesus came to teach us how to bring heaven to earth by loving one another and that love includes the “birds of the air and the flowers of the field.” (Matthew 6:28)
Each family made an Advent wreath to use as a focus for their daily prayer. Also, each family made an Advent chain, to countdown the days until Christmas. On different links of the chain, they wrote what they will do to show care for each other and for God’s beautiful creation.
It was a lively, fun, and faith-filled time!
It’s not too late to make an advent plan for your family!
Advent Prayer with the Advent Wreath
[Materials Needed: Prayer card; Advent wreath, 3 purple candles, 1 pink candle.]
All O come, O come Emmanuel and ransom captive Israel that mourns in lonely exile here until the son of God appear. Rejoice, rejoice, Emmanuel shall come to you, O Israel.
Leader Come, O Lord, and set us free. All Bring your people peace.
Candle of Promise (1st Week of Advent): I light the Candle of Promise because God made a covenant to our ancestors to save us from sin and evil, and give us peace. This promise has been fulfilled in Jesus. (light 1 candle)
Candle of Hope (2nd Week of Advent): I light the Candle of Hope because God’s beloved son, Jesus, born at Bethlehem, gives us everlasting life. (light 2 candles)
Candle of Joy (3rd Week of Advent) I light the Candle of Joy because God’s beloved Son, Jesus, born of Mary, is our friend. He is “Emmanuel,” “God with us.” (light pink candle, and 2 purple candles)
Candle of Love (4th Sunday of Advent): I light the Candle of Love because God so loved the world that He gave his only son, not to condemn the world, but to save it. (light 4 candles)
Homespun Homily: Presents or Presence; what will you give this Advent?
By Lori Fontana
Every year about this time, I just want to burrow into my favorite cozy chair, wrapped in a fleece blanket, with a mug of cocoa and a good book. Mark Twain describes it well:
“Good friends, good books and a sleep conscience: this is the ideal life.”
But it’s also Advent-tide, one of my favorite seasons of the liturgical year. I normally make a special plan of action and prayer. But this year, the Seattle “Big Dark,” plus my age, leave me feeling a bit tired and unmotivated. Twain’s good book and sleepy conscience sound inviting. How to get motivated to observe this holy season and to grow spiritually…
Advent, with its candles and songs, readings of light and hope and the awaited birth of a little baby, can be a potent antidote for the very dark, very cold, very rainy Seattle winter days.
My conscience, I guess, is not sleepy enough to ignore Advent. In the depths of my heart and soul, I do want to celebrate this lovely season in a concrete and meaningful way. But to do that, I’ll have to push through some very real inertia and make a plan.
How can I mark this holy season? Here are some ways to journey through Advent with spiritual awareness and energy. There are Advent booklets galore, with daily Scriptures, reflections, and suggested activities. I like the offerings of an organization, Creative Communications (CreativeCommunications.com), which has an assortment of Advent prayer booklets for everyone: children, families, seniors; booklets in Spanish and booklets especially for teens. The themes of these booklets range from angel messages to “light,” from the messages in traditional carols to the gentle wisdom of Henri Nouwen. Many parishes offer a reflection booklet for Advent. Find one you like and use it in your daily prayer.
Maybe you’d like to go straight to the Scriptures, the Gospel of Matthew or Luke, reading the birth story of Jesus a little bit at a time and reflecting on the awesome mystery of the Son of God who became a tiny, helpless baby, in Israel, over 2,000 years ago.
Perhaps your prayer could be a daily quiet time: sitting in silence and stillness for 5 or 10 or 20 minutes each morning or each evening, making that a part of each day in Advent. Light a candle, wrap up in a blanket (but, I remind myself to sit up so it doesn’t become naptime!) and just pay attention to your breath and to the mystery of God’s love for YOU. You can whisper a word that draws you into prayer: “Jesus.” “Love.” “Surrender.” “Peace.” A time of stillness like this can be a centering balance to the chaos of the Christmas season, with its parties, presents, cooking, cleaning, traveling, family, guests, late nights, early mornings, wrapping, baking, buying! Doesn’t 20 minutes of quiet sound heavenly?!?
And just a few days ago, I had a gentle revelation about another way to observe Advent with meaning. Robert and I attended Thanksgiving Day Mass. The people gathered were small in number, mostly older folks like us. It was a beautiful time of prayer, singing, a lively homily by our pastor Fr Oliver, and then receiving the Eucharist.
After Mass, we walked out behind an elderly woman. We stopped to introduce ourselves and ask how she would celebrate the day. She told us her name and that she would be with family. But she would be missing her dear husband of 43 years who had passed away last year. She was thinking of her mom, too, who had passed away just three years ago. Then she related a very funny story about how, first her mom, and then later her husband convalesced in the very same room at a care facility. “God has a sense of humor,” she commented. Her memories brought some tears to her eyes and also a smile to her lips.
As we parted, she reached out to shake our hands and said, “Thank you both for stopping to introduce yourselves and say hello. I am grateful.”
It was a poignant reminder for me: Advent is about the GIFT OF PRESENCE. Our culture says it’s all about PRESENTS! And, of course, presents are nice – fun to buy, fun to receive. But our Christian faith adds a deeper dimension to this season – that of PRESENCE. We will so benefit, body, mind, and spirit, if we take some time to be present to God in prayer, and present to one another. Our visit with the elderly woman after church was only 5 minutes of time, but it was rich in connection and care. Presence makes a difference.
So this Advent – YES, take time for a good book, without the sleepy conscience, though. As many of the Advent Scripture readings point out, we Christians must STAY AWAKE! Take time for reflective prayer and silence, and make time to be present, both to your loved ones and to others you know or meet, who might need a little extra love and care in this holiday season. After all, Jesus’ gift to us at Christmas is his presence in our world and in our lives. For Advent, let’s be generous in sharing that hopeful presence.
