By Fr. Christopher Kubat, Catholic Social Services
Have you ever said to yourself during Holy Week, ‘Easter is just days away, and I have done nothing meaningful for Lent’?
On Ash Wednesday, I was invited to deliver a day of recollection to a group of women at Our Lady of Good Counsel Retreat Center. They are members of the Lincoln Diocesan Council of Catholic Women (LDCCW). Gathering together for such a day is a great way of ‘starting out on the right foot,’ as we begin another Lenten season.
The theme of the day was “The Meaning of Suffering.” I pointed out that suffering, strictly speaking is an evil, and that suffering and death entered the world as a result of Original Sin. But as we all know by our Lord Jesus Christ’s suffering and death, He has redeemed the world. In addition, by joining our sufferings to the cross of Christ, we can make reparations for our own personal sins, the sins of others, and can offer them up for the conversion of sinners and the souls in Purgatory (Col 1:24).
But since only a self-less soul is able to offer their sufferings for others, I shared with the ladies what Father Jacques Philippe presented to us priests during our last priest study day at St. Gregory the Great Seminary Feb. 21. He is a member of the Community of the Beatitudes religious order.
In a beautiful little book entitled “Fire & Light, Learning to Receive the Gift of God,” he shares nine things to do in order to ensure that the Holy Spirit is active in one’s life. Being open to the actions of the Holy Spirit is essential in order to be self-less and not selfish.
The first thing listed is perseverance in prayer. Developing a committed, serious prayer life is a must if anyone is to get anywhere in their relationship with God. And as Jesus taught us, all prayer ultimately is directed to God our Father. And Jesus? He is the Father speaking to us. And the Holy Spirit? He is the love of the Father, given to us through His Word Made Flesh, Jesus Christ. I stressed the importance of developing the daily habit of contemplative prayer, that intimate heart-to-heart conversation with God that only can be received in silence.
I would like to again thank the ladies who came and all of the ladies of the LDCCW for all they do for Jesus! I pray that all of you have a blessed and holy Lenten preparation for Easter, when we celebrate the definitive victory of Jesus Christ over sin and death with His resurrection from the dead.
