Equinox

At about eight o'clock tonight, the Sun will cross the celestial equator from south to north, and winter will turn to spring in the Northern Hemisphere. It is the day of the "equal night" -- in Latin, the words from which the term equinox is derived.

The significance of this day in the cosmos was always felt here on Earth below. The Stonehenge monument in Britain is aligned so that the Sun will cast its light at a precise point on this day. In an area northeast of where I grew up, the Hopewell Nation created a ceremonial meeting place about two thousand years ago. There also, an earthen mound was created to align with the path of the Sun on the first days of winter and summer.

From these reference points, and the original traditions themselves, the early Church determined the time for celebrating new life of the Risen Savior. The darkness of sin and penance gave way to the light of Christ. It still does today, as all our technology, and the sum total of human knowledge, is overwhelmed by the voices of our past, reminding us of where we have been, and who we are.

It is a rainy day in the Nation's capital. The military conflict proceeds elsewhere, the protesters blocking Pennsylvania Avenue have gone away, and things have quieted down. My biggest decision is whether to go to a dance in Philadelphia on Friday night, or just catch a movie here at home. One look at the place in which I live, tells me there is much to be done. After all, spring is a time for cleaning the nest.