What a beautiful time of year!

Walking this morning I noticed that there’s a bigger variety than usual in the appearance of the trees: some have lost all their leaves, some have a few left and some are still completely covered. Some of the leaves still on trees have turned while others remain green. The newly bare trees have sharp differences from each other as well since each has a different pattern of limbs and branches. Some bear gaping holes where large limbs gave way – those holes were well-concealed in leafier days, but not any more. The constancy of the evergreens stands out more than it had a few weeks ago, yet even many of them are succumbing to pine blight and are surrounded now by diseased needles, rather than by the helpful mulch under the alamos.

This variety is most fitting at this time of year when we consider death and judgment at least a bit more than is customary at other times of year. Each of us is like one of those trees. Each has a different pattern of growth and of brokenness. Each of us has unique bare spots. Each has made some contributions –probably both for good and for ill – to the world around us.

Today we celebrate those trees that have already borne much good fruit and we ask their intercession for us (for a particularly lovely and example, see here). During the days ahead, we join in prayer for those who have not borne so much good fruit.