The Best Lent Ever…in 100 Years!
God has orchestrated things in this “fallen world,” this world poisoned by Original Sin, “to make all things work unto good for those who love God and are called according to His purpose.” (Rom 8) You may remember St. Mother Teresa of Calcutta’s quip: “You know how to make God laugh? Tell Him your plans.” As Pastor of Blessed Sacrament Church, with a wonderful staff and faculty to advise me, I laid what I believed to be some great plans to celebrate our 100
th
anniversary as a parish in 2020. 😊 You have probably heard me say what I call my favorite prayer: “Oh well, I still have Jesus!”
“Father, what is God doing?” This is a question which I have been asked more than a few times in the last few weeks. What is God doing? Why is God “permitting” these bad things to happen to us? As people of Faith, who know that God is good, that Jesus loves us very much and that He has the power to do all things. Adversity is where the rubber hits the road in regard to our faith.
When we suffer, we do not stay the same.
We may move away from God. We may move closer to God. But we will not stay the same.
How do you “see” what is happening with the Corona virus? What is your perspective? Is this crisis, and everything in your world an ego-drama or a theo-drama? Are you thinking and speaking about “How does this affect me? How much will it cost me? Will I get sick or will my loved ones? Or, are you thinking and speaking about “What is God doing in all of this? How is this part of His great plan to save the world? And how can I cooperate in His great plan?”
I was vocation director in the Diocese of Savannah for ten years. Vocation directors have an interesting expression: “The only thing we need to provide many priests for the Church is a good war or a good depression.” Of course, these are both misnomers. There is no such thing as a good war or a good depression. But in time of war or depression, living in this world becomes more difficult. And the more difficult life in this world becomes, the more attractive life in the next world becomes! Hence more men who are called to become priests say yes to that call.
St. Augustine wrote: “God has placed man halfway between earth and heaven. The closer he gets to one, the farther he gets from the other.” Could the Corona virus be an act of mercy on the part of God to save the world? To simplify our crazy, busy, frenetic lives; to give us more silence…because in the silence, God speaks. We are now prohibited from going to parties, restaurants, sports stadiums, etc. Many of us cannot even go to work! Many “superfluous” things have been stripped away from us, like during a war or depression. World War II galvanized people’s faith and produced many truly great men and women. Great suffering always produces great people. The word “galvanize” means “to stimulate by electricity.” We are able to do what we could not seem to make ourselves do before. We have to be “shocked” into it. God made the human person to be tough; to be scrappy. God made us to find a way to keep going when the going gets tough.
“There are no atheists in foxholes.” Only 30% of Catholics in the U.S. go to Mass faithfully on Sunday, and the U.S. statistics are high when compared with Catholics in Europe! Yes, I do believe that our Faith needs to be galvanized. Remember…when good things happen, God is about the business of saving us. When bad things happen, God is about the business of saving us.”
I am your pastor and I love you. I am truly sorry that you are suffering. My heart goes out to you. Some of you are suffering from fear and anxiety. Some have suffered great financial loss and the loss of your businesses. And some are physically sick, with the Corona virus or other illnesses. I am here for you, and I will do my best to help you in whatever way you need. If you need physical support, we will try to help you. If you need spiritual support, come to us. We need to walk together through this trial as a community, loving one another and caring for one another.
Humans are scrappy, and especially humans who have Faith in Jesus Christ! God made us that way. God is not cruel. He will walk with us in our trials, and then He will rejoice with us when we have become “great” because of our trials.
We will keep crafting contingency plans for Blessed Sacrament, and we will keep celebrating our Centennial Anniversary. If God laughs, it is not derisive laughter but the laughter of a loving Father watching His children change and grow. This may be the best Lent ever, even in 100 years.
Oh well, I still have Jesus!
Fr. Brett Brannen
Pastor
