March Reflection

March sees the coming of the spring equinox, this year on 20th March. It is the astronomical first day of spring where the length of the day is more or less equal to the length of the night. Lent extends through much of the month.

The word ‘lent’ means spring and may well have derived from the word ‘lengthen’. In farming communities ploughing and sowing begins

during a period in which stocks from last years harvest are low. So, the beginning of growth and hard work involved in preparing the soil and planting fits in with the traditional abstinence and spiritual growth of Lent.

Christians are called at this time, to read and reflect, to be patient and be contemplative. To embark on a spiritual journey, an inner pilgrimage, to connect with God and try to understand what their faith means to them and the world around them as the weeks pass towards Easter.

Whatever your personal faith our spiritual lives are, necessarily, bound up in the way we live. Just as there is a balance between the light and dark of the equinox, so we are more balanced if we pay attention to our outer and inner lives. 

As we look forward to seeing the lengthening of the days, the brighter spring light and the signs of nature awakening all around us this March take time to enjoy and reflect.