SPECIAL EDITION ARTICLE #9 - March 7th, 2023 by Fr. Ben Daghir

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SPECIAL EDITION ARTICLE #9 - March 7th, 2023 by Fr. Ben Daghir

Editor's Note: Many people look for deer antlers during the winter months. Also, people look for elk antlers in the respective Pennsylvania regions during February and into March. Spiritually, we are currently in the season of Lent. There is a similar lesson to be learned with antler hunting and the Lenten season. 

Article:
Sometimes letting go of something is a greater gain than picking something up. 

Ever since I was a young boy I have always been intrigued by bucks shedding their antlers. I vividly remember as a young hunter seeing someone in our group find an antler during buck season.

“Why do bucks shed their antlers?” I remember asking myself. It just didn’t register with my young mind. “Bucks are bucks. They have antlers. Why would they shed their antlers?”

Of course, I learned over time that many organisms shed more than one may realize. Snakes shed skin. Birds replace feathers. Many fish naturally replace scales. Crabs shed shells. We, for example, shed hair, skin, etc. In other words, nature doesn’t mind letting things go. 

I also remember losing my first few teeth. That’s certainly an interesting moment in one’s young life. I can recall friends naturally coming and going in my life as I passed through high school to college to work and to seminary and to priesthood. Every major change in life demands a letting go of what used to be. We’ve all experienced these natural life moments. 

We shed, let go, flush out, detox, purify, etc. more than we realize.

Questioning why bucks shed their antlers helped me to see nature from a new perspective. Growth demands shedding - getting rid of things. Growth isn’t always “adding on” so to speak. 

This is also true in the spiritual life. 

Jesus calls out to Peter and Andrew - “drop your nets and follow me” (Mark 1:16-20). Drop. Let go. Shed. Get rid of. Jesus also responds to the question from the rich young man, “Teacher, what good must I do to gain eternal life?” Jesus then challenges him, “If you wish to be perfect, go, sell what you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven” (Matthew 19:16-21). Get rid of. Drop. Let go. Shed. 

Elk antlers, of course, are “the great treasure” for antler hunters. Although finding an elk or deer shed is a remarkable experience, I would argue that there is a greater treasure to discover. 

Just as the shedding of hair, cells, skin, old habits, etc. allow for growth and new life, so too the spiritual life demands shedding. The spiritual life is a process of shedding old habits, old ways of viewing things, vices, sins, misunderstandings, and pride. It’s detachment, detox, and letting go. 

There’s no greater witness to the heart of the spiritual life than Jesus shedding his blood on the cross. 

The saints follow in Christ’s footsteps. St. John the Baptist said, “He must increase; I must decrease” (John 3:30). That is spiritual shedding. St. Paul stated, “I no longer live, Christ lives in me” (Galatians 2:20). It’s clear that the spiritual life is one of emptying, letting go, and detaching from the self. 

It’s interesting how a deer or elk antler on the ground can bring someone back in touch with reality - with one of the most important movements in the spiritual life...shedding, letting go, dropping one’s nets, etc. 

What do we need to shed in our lives? What object, grudge, bad habit, fantasy, or mistake do we need to let go?

Sometimes letting go of something is a greater gain than picking something up. 

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Fr. Ben Daghir is a priest for the Diocese of Erie. He is a graduate of Elk County Catholic High School in Saint Marys, Saint Vincent College in Latrobe, and St. Mary's Seminary & University in Baltimore, Maryland. He considers writing one of his favorite hobbies.