Month: April 2025

Seasons

The book of Ecclesiastes in the Old Testament gives us guidance about true Wisdom. The Wisdom we seek is not found in earthly things, rather, it rests with God. Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 contains verses we often hear at funerals, but the Wisdom and beauty of the passages here are worthy of constant review throughout life. They help us better understand the value of life and the dignity of our days.

There is an appointed time for everything, and a time for every affair under the heavens. A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant and a time to uproot the plant. A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to tear down, and a time to build. A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance. A time to scatter stones, and a time to gather them; a time to embrace, and a time to be far from embraces. A time to seek, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away. A time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to be silent, and a time to speak. A time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace.  Ecclesiastes 3:1-8

Just as nature moves through seasons—spring’s promise, summer’s fullness, autumn’s letting go, and winter’s rest—our lives, too, follow sacred cycles. Each season, whether external or internal, has purpose and meaning. We are not meant to bloom year-round. There is a time to grow, and a time to be still. A time to create, and a time to rest. A time to hold on, and a time to release.

The beauty of Ecclesiastes 3 lies in its acceptance of life’s contrasts. It doesn’t promise perpetual happiness, nor does it dwell in sorrow. Instead, it teaches us to recognize the Divine timing in all things—to trust that the season we are in, no matter how difficult or joyful, is not forever, but it is meaningful.

This message becomes especially sentimental for those entering the retirement season, which includes yours truly.  After years of planting, building, leading, and striving, there comes a sacred time to slow down—to simply be. It is a time to find peace in still waters, to cast a line into a quiet lake, to walk forest trails without hurry, to pedal down a winding country road and feel the breeze of grace on your face. It is a time to see families grow and pass on God’s important truths. It is a time to listen more closely to the voice of God, often heard best in the hush of morning light or the rustle of leaves.

And in this quieter season, we are blessed to realize that some friendships—those rooted in shared joys, hardships, and prayers—have lasted across all the years. These are companions of the soul, with whom we have walked through many seasons, and whose presence remains a living witness to the constancy of love and loyalty. There is great comfort in knowing that as the leaves of life change, some bonds hold firm, as steady as the mountains.

So let us embrace each season with grace. Let us learn what it has to teach us, and trust that just as winter yields to spring, so too will our seasons shift in time.  After all, there is an appointed time for everything. And in that divine timing, we find peace.

A Farewell and Blessing

As I write this final blog, I do so with a grateful heart. Thank you for walking with me through these reflections—through seasons of growth, of questions, of gratitude, and of faith. It has been a gift to share words with you, and I pray that something along the way brought you peace, clarity, or simply a moment of pause.

Though I step away from writing for now, I carry each season shared with me, just as you carry your own story forward. May God bless you at every time appointed to you—in joy and sorrow, work and rest, hello and goodbye.

And may you always find Him in the turning of your seasons.

May the Lord bless you and keep you.
May His face shine upon you and be gracious to you.
May He look upon you kindly and give you peace—
in every season, and all the days of your life.
(Based on Numbers 6:24–26)

There is an appointed time for everything, and a time for every affair under the heavens.
—Ecclesiastes 3:1

With peace and gratitude,
Beth Zanotelli

Offerings

During Lent, we often focus on what we are giving up. We talk about fasting, about sacrifice. But what are we offering to the Lord? Scripture reminds us that offerings are more than just physical sacrifices. In Mark 12:33, we read, To love Him with all your heart, with all your understanding, with all your strength, and to love your neighbor as yourself, is worth more than all burnt offerings and sacrifices. At every Holy Mass, the priest prays over the gifts, saying, “May what we offer you, O Lord, in token of our service, be transformed by you into the sacrament of salvation.” These words remind us that our offerings should be more than routine gestures; they should be truly pleasing to God. What about the offerings of our own lives?  God gave us the gift of our life; do we offer our life back in service to God?

Lent is a season of prayer, fasting, and almsgiving—all of which are ways to offer ourselves to God. Often, we think of offerings in terms of action, but our prayers are also a precious gift in His sight. Psalm 141:2 says, “Let my prayer be counted as incense before you, and the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice.”

When we pray, we are offering God our time, our trust, and our love. A sincere prayer—whether of praise, repentance, thanksgiving, or petition—is an act of the heart that God welcomes. But do we approach prayer with reverence and devotion? Do we truly offer our words as a gift to Him, or do we rush through them without thought?

There are many ways to make our prayers more of an offering to God.  First, pray with intention – Instead of just saying words, we can take a moment to acknowledge that we are speaking to the living God. Offer your prayer with love and devotion. Perhaps we could pray with greater surrender, that is, offer your desires, struggles, and joys to God, trusting that He knows what is best for you.  Another way to offer our prayers to God is to unite our prayers with sacrifice – Offer up small sacrifices during the day, like patience in difficulties or kindness when it’s hard, as a prayerful act of love.  Often, we are asked to pray for others.   Interceding for someone in need is a powerful way to make our prayer an offering of love. One other way to make our prayers more of an offering to God is to give God our time – Set aside focused time for prayer, free from distractions, as a true gift to Him.

Are our offerings favorable to God? When we fast, do we unite our sacrifice with Christ’s? When we give alms, do we do so joyfully, as an act of love? When we help someone, do we see it as an offering to God? When we love our neighbor, do we recognize it as a sacrifice more pleasing than any material gift?

Too often, we focus on what we do rather than why we do it. Our works of love—helping a friend, forgiving an enemy, comforting the sorrowful—can be powerful offerings to God. But do we give Him credit for these moments? Do we thank Him for the opportunity to serve? Do we ask Him to guide us toward new opportunities to love?

Lent is not just about giving things up, it is about giving of ourselves.
It is about surrendering our hearts, our time, our love, our very lives to the Lord. Mother Teresa once said, “I am a little pencil in the hand of a writing God who is sending a love letter to the world.”  Her life was an offering, a willingness to be used by God as His instrument.  We, too, can offer ourselves in this way – allowing God to write His love through our actions, our words, and our prayers.

So, how can we better offer ourselves to God today as part of Lenten practices and continuing into Easter?

  • Through prayer: Lifting our hearts to Him as a sincere offering.
  • Through fasting: Sacrificing comforts to grow in spiritual strength and reliance on God.
  • Through almsgiving: Generously giving our resources, time, and love to those in need.
  • Reflect on your daily actions:  How can they become intentional offerings to God?
  • Ask God for opportunities to serve Him through others.
  • Make your prayers an offering: Pray with devotion, offering them as a gift of love.
  • Go forth and love—because in loving, you are offering yourself to God.

May our prayers, our fasting, and our almsgiving be holy and pleasing to Him.

Here’s what Scripture has to say:

Romans 12:1 – I urge you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God, your spiritual worship.

 Hebrews 13:15-16 – Through him, then, let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that confess his name. Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have; God is pleased by sacrifices of that kind.

Psalm 51:17-18 – Lord, open my lips; my mouth will proclaim your praise.  For you do not desire sacrifice; a burnt offering you would not accept.  My sacrifice, God is a broken spirit; God, do not spurn a broken, humbled heart.

Colossians 3:17 – And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.