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Appleton, WI

Sep 22: Day by Day with Father Bill

TUESDAY OF THE TWENTY-FIFTH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME
FIRST DAY OF AUTUMN

[Autumn is a] time of plenitude, a time of fulfillment in which the richness of nature become abundantly visible, but also a time in which nature points beyond itself by the fragility of its passing beauty…When I walked out I was overwhelmed by the beauty of the landscape unfolding itself before my eyes. Looking out over the Genesee valley, I was dazzled by the bright colors of the trees. The yellow of the hickory trees, the different shades of red from the maples and oaks, the green of the willows – together they formed a fantastic spectacle. The sky was full of mysterious cloud formations, and just as I walked down to the guesthouse, the sun’s rays burst through the clouds and covered the land with their light, making the cornfields look like a golden tapestry. The beauty of fall is unbelievable in this part of the country. I can only say with the psalmist: The hills are girded with joy, they shout for joy, yes, they sing. (Psalm 65:12-13) Two weeks from now the colorful leaves will have whirled to the ground and the trees will be bare, announcing the coming of winter and snow. It will only be a few months before all the hills will be white and the green of the winter wheat covered with a thick blanket of frozen snow. But then we can remember the rich powers hidden underneath that will show themselves again to those who have the patience to wait.

-from Fr Henri Nouwen, The Genesee Diary