Show Your True Colors
“It must be October, the trees are falling away and showing their true colors.” ~ Charmaine J Forde
While it is hard to believe that it is already October, the “evidence” of the fact is all around us. Our summer flowers have pretty much finished their beautiful displays, gardens are giving up on their production, the fruits of summer are yielding to the fruits of autumn, and the trees have started their preparations to shed their leaves.
But, before all the “death” of autumn, the season is treating us to its own display of color. While summer might appear to be splendid in bright colors and pastels and in fragrances of all the flowers, autumn has its own flashy display. The colors are, at times, even more vibrant. At no other time of the year can one find the vivid reds, oranges, and yellows that can be seen in the leaves and other fall flowers. Autumn even has a scent of its own. It is a very earthy scent as the leaves drop and begin to decay. It is the scent of piles of leaves being burned in different places. It is the scent of “clean” air washed by the autumnal rains.
As autumn displays its true colors, we are reminded that we, too, should be displaying our true colors: the true “colors” of a Christian. October is Respect Life Month. It is also one of the two months dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary, specifically the Month of the Rosary.
During this month, we pray, in a special way, for a deepening respect for all human life. We gather together to show our strength in numbers and let the world know that we believe that life is sacred and should be protected and nurtured. That is one of the reasons for things such as the Life Chain. The Life Chain is a peaceful and prayerful public witness of pro-life individuals standing in silent prayer for one hour, praying for our nation and for an end to abortion. It is a visual statement of solidarity by the Christian community that abortion kills children and that the Church supports the sanctity of human life from the moment of conception until natural death.
October is also about Mary. The rosary is a wonderful prayer that can be prayed at any time. It helps us to focus. It helps us to reflect upon the various mysteries of our faith. It helps to bring peace or comfort. The rosary is probably one of the most recognized pieces of prayer and, at the same time, one of the most underutilized. We need to pray the rosary more often. If possible, we need to pray the rosary together as a family. That helps to strengthen the family bonds as well.
This is a time for Christians to show their true colors. It is time to stand up for the faith and for what we truly believe. It is time to stand up for the poor and the needy. It is time to do all that we can to protect the powerless. Show the world who and what you are.
FAITH ACTION: Do not be afraid to be recognized as a Catholic today by what you do for others and what you say to others.