Call for submissions: Spring
TL;DR: send us Lent + Easter + spring liturgical content by April 1 for our Holy Week issue of Signs + Seasons!
Friends, guildmembers, paraliturgymen, lend me your springtime thoughts!1
As much of the world emerges from a winter colder-than-usual, snowier-than-usual, and overall more wintry than usual, for many of us the warmth of spring can’t come soon enough. All the same, emerging from the cocoon represented by half a dozen winter layers strewn about the floor of my car, I am mindful of T.S. Eliot’s caution against the cruelty of April and his observation that: “Winter kept us warm, covering / Earth in forgetful snow, feeding / A little life with dried tubers.”2
Those of us who observe the liturgical calendar know that before the blossoming of Easter must come the painful self-immolation of Lent. The winter of the soul must march on even as the snowdrops resolutely burst forth from the soil. Yet what if we saw Lent, as not a far-reaching icy hand holding us back from proper celebration, but as Eliot’s cozy incubator?
I personally think Cicely Mary Barker’s Narcissus Fairy puts it best:
Brown bulbs were buried deep;
Now, from the kind old earth,
Out of the winter’s sleep,
Comes a new birth!
Flowers on stems that sway;
Flowers of snowy white;
Flowers as sweet as day,
After the night.
So does Narcissus bring
Tidings most glad and plain:
“Winter’s gone; here is Spring—
Easter again!”
Lent indeed requires a stripping down of the soul, but in doing so we make room for new things to grow. The snowy spiritual winter melts away, watering the fruits of our spiritual labors.
Because Easter occurs relatively late this year, the natural world may start to feel “ahead” of the liturgical cycle. How can we maintain an ascetic, sacrificial posture when the earth is bursting forth with color and song? In March, the feasts of St. Gregory, St. Patrick, St. Joseph, “Lady-day,” and others allow us respite and rejoicing amidst the season of spiritual pruning and renewal. Meanwhile, onward we trek to Calvary, following the liturgies of Palm Sunday and Holy Week, until at last we triumphantly rejoice in the Resurrection. April’s sanctoral cycle includes St. Isidore of Seville, St. George, St. Mark, and other opportunities for amplifying the glorious celebration of Easter. Here at S+S, we just can’t wait to learn what you are doing in this liturgically jam-packed season!
The nitty gritty details:
You can expect our Spring issue of Signs + Seasons to appear in your inboxes during Holy Week (which, as a reminder, is April 13-19). Bring us along your journey of balancing fast and feast through liturgical living, celebrating springtime saints, contemplating the mysteries of Christ’s passion, and embracing the paraliturgy that works for you this spring.
Beyond the classic “thought piece” we also welcome your compliations of liturgical texts, translations, poems, podcasts, and really anything that touches on the broader liturgical experience of Lent, spring, and Easter! Our guild is ecumenical, so no particular faith background is required or expected of our contributers.
Please try to send your submissions, thoughts, and questions to signsandseasonsguild@gmail.com by April 5. As a reminder, you can also become part of our guildmember directory anytime so other paraliturgical pilgrims can more easily find your writing!
Cheers,
Carolyn, Kristin, Sara, and Dixie
Can you tell I’m gearing up for an Ides of March party with my Latin students?
Eliot, T. S. (2001). The Waste Land (M. North, Ed.). WW Norton.
Right here with you for alllll the Ides of March references!