Sights & Sounds: Wintry scenes around the Archdiocese of Newark
Ever since the Archdiocese of Newark faced a major snowstorm two weeks ago, there has been little reprieve from the cold temperatures that preceded it.
While many are now yearning for spring, it may be helpful to recall that for many saints, snow has been a sign not of trial or inconvenience but of God’s grace.
St. Therese of Lisieux, for instance, adored snow so much that she asked Jesus to send her some on the January day in 1889 when she received her Carmelite habit. Unfortunately, that region of France was unusually warm in 1889. After the ceremony, however, she discovered that the monastery garden was covered with fresh snowflakes, prompting the Little Flower to praise Jesus for his great kindness.
“What thoughtfulness on the part of Jesus!” she wrote. “Anticipating the desires of His fiancée, He gave her snow. Snow! What mortal bridegroom, no matter how powerful he may be, could make snow fall from heaven to charm his beloved?”
Snowy birth of a basilica
There is also the miracle of Our Lady of Snows, which occurred in August of 352 A.D. According to tradition, a wealthy but childless Roman couple considered giving all their wealth to the Virgin Mary but first asked her for a sign.
That night, despite intense summer heat, snow fell on Rome’s Esquiline Hill. The amazed couple had a beautiful church built on the site, which they dedicated to Our Lady. Today, the Basilica of Saint Mary Major (Santa Maria Maggiore) is one of four great papal basilicas in the Eternal City; it is also the place where Pope Francis chose to be buried.
And so, while the snow and cold linger, perhaps we can see in them a sign of God’s closeness, trusting that He wraps us in His love like a blanket of snow. In the words of St. Therese: “We can never have too much confidence in the good God… As we hope in Him, so shall we receive.”
To view more images of wintry scenes around the Archdiocese of Newark, click HERE.
Please consider supporting charitable efforts such as The Mercy House and your parish soup kitchen as they provide for those in need during the winter months.
Featured image: Saint Bartholomew Parish in Scotch Plains, NJ, is shown on Jan. 27, two days after a snowstorm covered the region in more than a foot of snow. (Photo by John Touhey / Archdiocese of Newark)
