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Unexpected Lent - A Word from Deacon Jim

I think that all of us would agree that prior to Ash Wednesday, Feb. 26th,  none us could have foreseen what has now changed in the way we practice our Catholic faith: no public masses, meetings, educational and formational groups canceled, social distancing, sanitizing our church, in fact all the things that are changing each day with which we can barely digest, etc. Without question, the challenges seem overwhelming.

 In this Lenten season, ironically, we have a context in which we can interpret these massive changes in the practice of our faith let alone the countless suffering of so many at virtually every level of our culture. Our current crisis is facing the ubiquitous damage that the Corona virus has done and continues to do to humanity. At this writing, over 358,00+ people on earth have been affected; 15,000+ having been identified in the USA as infected; Italy has surpassed China in recorded deaths – the list goes on and on and changes daily.

 From a faith perspective, as paradoxical as it sounds, we are being given an opportunity in the midst of this tragedy. In Luke 5:4, we read, “After he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, ‘Put out into deep water and lower your nets for a catch.’” We are being told, wisely, to “shelter” ourselves and limit our contacts.

 It is Lent (actually the essence of our faith relationship) that allows us to reconsider “not avoiding crises but taking up one’s cross – to be one of Christianity’s most valuable contributions” (Fr. Tomáš Halík, Night of the Confessor). Fr. Halík is one who suffered under Communist rule in Czechoslovakia. Besides being a licensed psychotherapist, he served the Czech Conference of Bishops and is currently a professor of philosophy and sociology at Charles University in Prague. This Lent, Fr. Halík’s words more than ever before remind us of our need for others when we can’t gather, and our opportunity to lift up in prayer, so many who are suffering: from those have contracted COVID-19, those who have died, the thousands and thousands who have lost their jobs, the thousands of nurses, doctors and caregivers, hospital and clinical workers who are on the frontlines of dealing with this virus. This is certainly taking up part of one’s cross.

 When exhausted from fishing and returning with nothing, Jesus asks his disciples, experienced fishers all, to go back and lower their nets again for a catch that they had difficulty imagining. They had to abandon the knowledge they had relied on from experience. Jesus asks them to trust him and abandon their own wisdom.

 Today and in the coming weeks and months, we will have countless opportunities to pray for the suffering, to mourn with those who have died or fallen ill, to be patient with those who have lost their patience, those who are having a hard time with all the adjustments they have had to make, the social isolation and so on.

As people of faith, let’s continue to “lower our nets for a catch,” hopeful in the midst of so many bearing their cross. Let’s be willing to embrace the crisis in front of us, trusting that Jesus is with us in this present darkness, offering us the light and hope of his love. Our needs are very present to Jesus.

 Be assured that our staff is available to serve you as much as we are able. We lift you up in prayer each day and will continue to do so. We love you and we miss you all.