Emmanuel
EUCHARIST: LIVING & EVANGELIZING
Spirituality of the Seasons -
Summer and Autumn
by Peter Schineller, SJ
The turn of the seasons is ever with us. What can we learn from them to enrich our
inner life and our spiritual journey?
Father Peter
Schineller, a
native of New
York City, has
taught theology
in Chicago,
Illinois, and
Cambridge,
Massachusetts,
and served in
administrative
and teaching
posts at the
Catholic Institute
of West Africa in
Abuja, Nigeria,
and Hekima
College in
Nairobi, Kenya.
He is currently
assigned to The
Jesuit Center in
Amman, Jordan.
The first part of
this reflection
appeared in the
January/February
2017 issue.
Summer: “. . . a summer, so that the fruit might ripen into an
abundant harvest”
I n summer , the world blossoms in every imaginable color . I t is time to go
outdoors and stay outdoors enjoying the warmth and light of the sun.
This could mean a beach, a park, or simply our own backyard, a swim,
a hike, or a long walk. If we prefer to be spectators, we go to a park or
stadium for a ball game and root for “the boys of summer.”
Summer is the time for holidays from school and vacations from work.
How children look forward to and enjoy summer! And in the summer
with family, friends, and schoolmates, how much they learn that no
school or classroom can teach them!
In the Church calendar, summer is “Ordinary Time.” In summer, it is
okay to be lazy, to waste time, to appreciate the warmth and power
of the sun. Summer invites us to a more contemplative approach to
ordinary things — the feel and taste of food, the scent of flowers and
plants. Streets, cities, gardens are vibrant with light, color, warmth,
and cooling breezes.
Summer is the time for optimism, to try new things, new places, and
new activities. It is a time to broaden our horizons, to revisit, explore,
and expand our dreams.
Summer begins with the longest day of the year, the summer solstice
around June 20-21. We experience the plentifulness of creation. Birds
provide the music; trees and plants flower and fruit in a way that can
almost seem criminally wasteful. Yes, it can be nasty, hot and humid,
148