Lent Ideas and Announcements

Lent is less than a month away!

An Idea for Making Your Lent Meaningful

This Lent, how can we better follow Jesus’ command to love one another? Be thinking about one particular person or cause that you want to “build up” this Lent. Perhaps there is someone in your life that needs prayer support, companionship, or encouragement. Maybe there is a cause such as homelessness or human trafficking that you have always wanted to engage with but never took the time. Choose a person or a cause and give yourself over to serving this Lent. Daily, committed prayer coupled with some concrete action can ground your Lenten experience and benefit the people in need around you. “Everything should be done for building up” (1 Cor. 14:26).
 

Two Lenten Programs

For those of you in Connecticut, I hope you can join me at one or both of the following programs:

Lent Retreat: In the Garden with Jesus. Come away for a prayerful Lent Retreat as we enter the Garden of Gethsemane with Jesus and experience an extraordinary moment of human struggle. What lessons can we draw from Jesus’ struggle in the garden? Can we stay awake with him this Lent? Our retreat day will consist of a close reading of the Gospel accounts of this story, meditations on the Agony in the Garden, and time for quiet reflection. The day will end with an optional Holy Hour from 3:00-4:00 p.m. Lunch will be provided. Sat., Feb. 24 (snow date is Mar. 24). 9:30-3:00 p.m. Caritas Christi Center, 295 Benham St., Hamden, CT. $60 is requested by the Caritas Christi Center by Feb. 10. To register, call Sr. Jeanne Marie at 203-281-2569, or register online by clicking here.

One-Night Lenten Mission: At the Foot of the Cross. All are welcome to join us in beautiful Mount Sacred Heart Chapel on the property of the Apostles of the Sacred Heart of Jesus for a prayerful evening of music and reflection. Meditations will be offered by Amy Ekeh, Sr. Virginia Herbers, ASCJ, and Deacon Art Miller. Music will be provided by the St. Ann Choir of Milford under the direction of Peter DeMarco.  Pray, reflect and sing with us as we stand together at the foot of the Cross! A free will offering will benefit the ministries of the Apostles of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. For more information, visit amyekeh.com/lent.
 

Something to Read Alone or in a Group

If you’re looking for a short Lent book to read alone or with a group of friends or parishioners, I hope my new book (Lent: Season of Transformation) might fit the bill! It provides commentary, reflection, prayers and questions, all centered around three Bible passages.

To look inside the book and find out more: amazon.com.

To buy in bulk if purchasing 6 or more copies: litpress.org.
 

And Finally….

….if you subscribe to Liguorian magazine, my article on Popular Devotions is in January’s issue. I was especially interested in Pope Francis’ respect for what he calls “the people’s mysticism” and the way popular devotions can build up communities and even evangelize. I took the photo on page 17 at Enders Island, Mystic, CT – with my phone!

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Liguorian, January 2018.

I Will Not Believe

Like most human beings, I’m very sympathetic to the disciple Thomas. Last Sunday’s Gospel reading recounted the story of Thomas’ iconic doubt – his declaration to his friends (who declared Christ risen because they had seen him) that “unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands and put my finger into the nailmarks and put my hand into his side, I will not believe” (Jn. 20:25).

My typical “go-to” thought on this episode has always been, Who could blame the guy?  It’s only human to not accept that dead people come back to life. It’s only human to think that perhaps your friends are simply believing what they want to believe. It’s only human to doubt.

But this year it struck me how defiant Thomas was in his declaration, how he limited himself.

I will not believe.

Thomas had conditions for believing – three of them. Perhaps those conditions were not entirely unreasonable. Perhaps they were not unreasonable at all! But he intractably declared that if these conditions were not met, he would not believe.

When we draw lines in the sand, we box ourselves in. We tell God what is possible. We tell God what we will and will not believe. We don’t leave room for wild and unimaginable (and true) things like resurrection, incarnation, transformation and salvation. We draw a line, and we stay on the safe side.

It’s a shame to miss out on so much.

I’m still sympathetic to Thomas because I know I have my own conditions, my own demands. We all do. Can we be more aware of them? Can we try to let them go? Can we stop drawing lines so God can tell us the truth? Can we believe based on the word of another? Can we let the unimaginable be...real?

Jesus had sympathy for Thomas, too. He made a special trip out to see him. He invited Thomas to have his conditions met – see the marks, put your fingers here, place your hand here, in my side. “Believe,” he urged Thomas.

Jesus won’t give up on us, even if our faith is limited. But how free and wise and faithful we can be, if we believe without conditions.  How free and wise and faithful we can be if we place no limits on what God can do, or where he might be, or how the declaration “He is Risen!” may play out in our own lives.

There are many ways to place our hands in the side of Jesus, close to his heart. So in the spirit of Easter, let us not limit God, or ourselves.

The Incredulity of Saint Thomas, Francois-Joseph Navez, 1823.

The Poetry of Easter

Our friend Scott Eagan speaks the poetry of life restored!  In this holiest of seasons, may your hearts speak "the most beautiful word ever uttered in any language" to one another.

Happy Easter, friends!

“SUNDAY

Very early
on the first day of the week
when the sun had just risen…

in the darkness of a new tomb hewn out of rock
a naked man steps out of his burial linen
the Son of Man clothed in Light
marked with Passion
and places his foot upon the stony earth.

The Lamb who had been slain and shorn and silenced
Jesus the Christ arises, returning from death robed in glory.

He strides through the rolled-away-stone opening
startling the disbelievers
wiping away every Mary’s tears
encouraging all the disciples
and opening the radiant Flower of everlasting Life.

He greets those who wait
and those who had run away
with the most beautiful word
ever uttered in any language – Shalom
Peace.

He is Risen. Alleluia!”

— Scott Eagan, April 16, 2017

One Hour Retreat for Holy Week: Who Am I? Where Is My Heart?

Pope Francis’ homily from Palm Sunday 2014 has always remained with me. For this year’s “One Hour Retreat for Holy Week,” I recommend that you first go back to the Passion story as told by Matthew, which we read together at Mass on Sunday. Then read Pope Francis’ reflection below, which is structured around a series of questions, each asking us to examine ourselves and our own place in the story of Jesus’ final hours.

Take your time with each question as you ponder the biblical text. Imagine yourself in the story. Be there with Jesus. Be honest with Jesus.

A very blessed Holy Week and a joyous Easter to each of you!

POPE FRANCIS’ PALM SUNDAY HOMILY 2014

“This week begins with the festive procession with olive branches: the entire populace welcomes Jesus. The children and young people sing, praising Jesus.  But this week continues in the mystery of Jesus’ death and his resurrection. We have just listened to the Passion of our Lord. We might well ask ourselves just one question:  Who am I? Who am I, before my Lord? Who am I, before Jesus who enters Jerusalem amid the enthusiasm of the crowd? Am I ready to express my joy, to praise him? Or do I stand back? Who am I, before the suffering Jesus?

We have just heard many, many names. The group of leaders, some priests, the Pharisees, the teachers of the law, who had decided to kill Jesus. They were waiting for the chance to arrest him. Am I like one of them?

We have also heard another name: Judas. Thirty pieces of silver. Am I like Judas? We have heard other names too: the disciples who understand nothing, who fell asleep while the Lord was suffering. Has my life fallen asleep? Or am I like the disciples, who did not realize what it was to betray Jesus? Or like that other disciple, who wanted to settle everything with a sword? Am I like them? Am I like Judas, who feigns loved and then kisses the Master in order to hand him over, to betray him? Am I a traitor?

Am I like those people in power who hastily summon a tribunal and seek false witnesses: am I like them? And when I do these things, if I do them, do I think that in this way I am saving the people?

Am I like Pilate? When I see that the situation is difficult, do I wash my hands and dodge my responsibility, allowing people to be condemned – or condemning them myself?

Am I like that crowd which was not sure whether they were at a religious meeting, a trial or a circus, and then chose Barabbas? For them it was all the same: it was more entertaining to humiliate Jesus.

Am I like the soldiers who strike the Lord, spit on him, insult him, find entertainment in humiliating him?

Am I like the Cyrenean, who was returning from work, weary, yet was good enough to help the Lord carry his cross?

Am I like those who walked by the cross and mocked Jesus:  “He was so courageous! Let him come down from the cross and then we will believe in him!” Mocking Jesus….

Am I like those fearless women, and like the mother of Jesus, who were there, suffering in silence?

Am I like Joseph [of Arimathea], the hidden disciple, who lovingly carries the body of Jesus to give it burial?

Am I like the two Marys, who remained at the Tomb, weeping and praying?

Am I like those leaders who went the next day to Pilate and said, “Look, this man said that he was going to rise again.  We cannot let another fraud take place!”, and who block life, who block the tomb, in order to maintain doctrine, lest life come forth?

Where is my heart? Which of these persons am I like? May this question remain with us throughout the entire week.”

* * * * *

Homily delivered by Pope Francis from St. Peter’s Square, Vatican, April 13, 2014; to see text on Vatican website, click here.

To see previous years' "One Hour Retreats for Holy Week," click here and here.

Unknown Egyptian artist. Gouache on papyrus. Courtesy Sacred Art Pilgrim.

Some Lenten Levity, Courtesy Dorothy Day

In honor of Laetare Sunday (“Rejoice Sunday,” marking roughly our halfway mark through Lent), I thought I’d share a story with quasi-Lenten undertones (that’s a stretch) that made me laugh out loud.

It’s from a wonderful book put together by Rosalie G. Riegle entitled Dorothy Day: Portraits by Those Who Knew Her.  The book is full of impressions, stories and memories about the real Dorothy Day from a wide survey of people who knew her in all sorts of capacities throughout her life.  

A little background on this particular story – apparently Dorothy was known for disliking contemporary music!  Rosalie narrates with the help of longtime Catholic Worker Brian Terrell:

“Often the young [Catholic] Workers would ‘have a hard time understanding the grumbling of their elder leader as an expression of love,’ as Brian Terrell says. ‘For all its craziness, the Worker is a family, and in families it often happens that the elders complain about…the younger generation.’ Brian tells a generational story about Dorothy coming upon some young people at work in Maryhouse and listening to the Carly Simon song ‘I Haven’t Got Time for the Pain.’ Dorothy shook her cane at them and said, ‘You’ve always got to have time for the pain.’”

Dorothy Day! When I'm old enough to shake my cane at people, may God grant me your panache!

I doubt Dorothy ever shook her cane at these four whipper-snappers: Ralph DiGia, Dan Berrigan, Chris Kearns, and Tom Cornell. Photo courtesy of Jim Forest’s online photo album.  Click on the picture to visit Jim’s “Dorothy Day” album.