When October Goes...

Oct 19

A few years ago, I discovered a song called "When October Goes." Composed by Barry Manilow, the lyrics were based on unpublished lyrics written by the late songwriter and musical legend, Johnny Mercer. Like "September of My Years" by Frank Sinatra, this relatively modern classic (recorded in the early 1980s) describes the season of autumn as a metaphor for the passing of time, the process of aging, and the inevitable changes in life.

As the "October" of life transitions us into the winter months and years, we often look back with nostalgia, sadness, and sometimes even fear. The song acknowledges that no matter how much wisdom or maturity we gain with age, we never completely outgrow the pain of saying goodbye. Change is hard in every season of our lives. When we grow older, it may initially seem to get easier. We think our maturity and experience can ease the sadness and soften the sting, but it doesn't. The same old fears appear, but so do our hopes and dreams.

These feelings are universal and timeless. St. Francis de Sales understood human nature and offered a comforting way for us to face the changes in life, growing older, and passing through the seasons of the soul. Four hundred years ago he wrote:

Do not look forward in fear to the changes of life;
rather look to them with full hope as they arise.
God, whose very own you are, will deliver you from out of them.
He has kept you hitherto, and He will lead you safely through all things;
and when you cannot stand it, God will bury you in his arms.
Do not fear what may happen tomorrow -
the same everlasting Father who cares for you today
will take care of you then and every day.
He will either shield you from suffering or give you unfailing strength to bear it.
Be at peace and put aside all anxious thoughts and imagination.

As October goes and November beckons, some of us can become saddened and sullen. The brightness and beauty of autumn is slowing sliding into the cold and darkness of winter and death. Yet our faith gives us hope and a reason to rejoice. Francis de Sales summarized our struggles and called us to be positive in the face of fear and anxiety. Seasons come and go, but God remains. The Letter to the Hebrews tells us clearly and with confidence: Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever (13:8).

When October goes… Christ will come. Come, Lord Jesus.