St. Mary of the Immaculate Conception

     Happy Lent! Yes, I know that sounds like a contradiction in terms “Happy” and “Lent.” And yet, for the ardent Catholic Christian, Lent should be a truly happy time. So much focus is upon the fasting from that we can forget what we are fasting for. We engage in extra (or beyond the normal) prayer, fasting, and almsgiving as an intentional way to draw nearer to Jesus Christ, our Suffering Savior. No one likes to suffer (especially not your pastor), and yet suffering is not just part of the Christian Way; it is an essential and beneficial activity of the Christian Way. In how the Christian accepts suffering and unites it to Christ’s suffering upon the Cross do we Christians find deep and abiding joy. It unites us to the life and discipline of Jesus Christ, who “said to His disciples, ‘Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me’” (Mt 16:24).
     
     One could liken the essential nature of suffering in the Christian life to the act of tilling and ripping the soil before planting; breaking eggs for a cake; cutting cloth before sewing; sharpening a pencil before writing; surgery to bring healing to a body; or even the arduous act of travel with family to enjoy a vacation. We may still not like suffering, but suffering is needed to make us happy. This is a key to the Gospel our children are often missing.
     
     As you consider your added Lenten practices of preparation, let me suggest one question to guide your discernment. “What has God placed upon my heart that will truly lead me into a deeper Communion with Christ and the Church?” To be entirely honest, sacrificing one of the three “C’s” probably isn’t it: Caffeine, Chocolate, or Cable. Those three probably are not the greatest obstacles to your having a close and abiding relationship with Jesus Christ and the Church. If after prayer and discernment, you disagree with me, then fine.
     
     However, I would encourage you to think about removing ‘obstacles’ to closer union with God or a new ‘orientation or practice’ to draw near to God. I am always a big fan of slowly, prayerfully reading the Scriptures. Perhaps, you commit either to read the entire 27 chapters of the Gospel of Matthew or to read the four Passion Narratives in each of the Gospels. Maybe you sacrifice some of your time to assist at the Food Pantry to encounter Christ present in the poor or get to Mass early to serve as a Greeter to welcome others to Church. Conceivably, you forego eating out to make dinner as a family and actually eat together around a table. Maybe you find a way to connect you and your children closer to Christ in prayer and prayerful recognition of God’s tremendous gifts bestowed in your life. Maybe you commit your Wednesday evenings to join the Bible Study looking at the Sacrament of the Eucharist in the Scriptures. Maybe you wrestle with some doctrinal teaching of the Church; what if you spent Lent reading the Catechism or another Catholic text explaining the teaching in question? The possibilities are endless. They will require some suffering. Jesus Christ and the Church want you to be near. We want you to have a deep, loving, and lasting relationship of Communion with God, both personal and communal. Lent is a beautiful time to remove an obstacle to that relationship or to put ourselves upon a firmer footing to such a relationship. So, Happy Lent, Blessed Lent. May we each draw closer to our Suffering Savior.

St Mary, Sorrowful Mother, pray for us ~ Fr. Gries

Mass Schedule

Tuesday 6:30 p.m.

Wednesday - Friday  8:30 a.m.

Saturday  5:30 p.m.

Sunday 7:30 a.m. and 10:00 a.m.

Emergency Number: (765) 932-2588
ext. 223

St. Mary Food Pantry: (765) 932-2588

ARE: Jill Kuntz