Autumn Ritual

The Gryzbek household follows a usual ritual each year in preparing for winter.

We take down the garden, removing what little vegetables that may still exist amongst the weeds that seem to grow no matter what they face.

We winterize our above ground pool, lowering the water level below the skimmer and place an inflatable pillow in the pool to prevent ice from hurting the liner or filter pipes.

We place winter covers over the lawn furniture to protect it from the changing temperatures, snow and ice.

We cover the air-conditioner and rake leaves.

It doesn’t seem like a lot of work, but these required activities do still take time to complete, and they are needed to help protect our belongings from the hard winter months.

As I thought about it, it seemed to me that this work is similar to what we need to do in life. We should prepare for the “winter” of our years by saving money for retirement when possible, getting health checkups to stay well, and taking recommended vaccines and vitamins to help protect ourselves from viruses and ailments.

If these reasonable activities protect our wellbeing, I believe that we should take similar action with our souls. As we age and get closer to the day when we have no more time on earth, I think it makes sense to do preventative maintenance in our spiritual lives. We should pray daily, seeking God’s help. We should go to Mass at least once a week. We should go to Confession. We should reach out to loved ones to tell them what they mean to us, help those who need help, forgive those who have hurt us, and pray for those we may have hurt.

I think all of this makes sense. What about you? 

By: Deacon Tom Gryzbek