February 29, 2004

Lenten remembrances

As often as not, we Christians stumble into Lent, overwhelmed by busyness, and then try to catch up with the sense of the church’s time of reflection, remembrance and reconciliation before the glory of Easter.

And, as often as not, that catching up is hard to do.

Certainly, Sunday Mass helps. But Lent is not made by liturgy alone. Lent calls for—even insists—that we spend more time in prayer so we can appreciate these 40 days. This column is being written in the week before Ash Wednesday, so I’ve been getting a jump start with a book—“Daily Lenten Meditations; Prayerful Reflections from John Paul II.”

It’s a remarkable little book, edited by an Australian, Father Max Polak, and published by the archdiocese’s Liturgy Training Publications. It contains readings for each day of Lent, right on through Holy Thursday, Good Friday, the Easter Vigil and Easter Sunday.

These are not pious words or flowery prayer. Taken from the pope’s homilies and teachings through the past 25 years, they are comforting, challenging, reflective, instructional and inspiring.

The reading for the first Monday of Lent, for instance (the day after this issue of The Catholic New World is dated), takes the words of the pope from his general audience March 28, 1979, in which he speaks of “conversion and the giving of alms.”

Almsgiving, says the pope, is not only giving money in support of good works. As laudable as that is, the heart of almsgiving is to be open to the needs of others. We cannot be open to others without a change, without a sense of conversion. Conversion, of course, is the heart of faith and the core of Lent. (Good messages, incidentally, for the Annual Catholic Appeal.)

Prayer, says the pope in this reading, is an opening to God; fasting is an expression of “self-mastery” and alms is an opening to others: “Only with a total attitude—in his relationship with God, with himself and with his neighbor—does man reach conversion.”

Strong, reflective words in a world which today likes to go it alone.

Reflections like that throughout Lent will cure our stumbling and make our feet walk a straight path toward the resurrection.


 

u u u


 

Lent is one of those reminders that life is never very far away from death. Here are two acknowledgments of that eternal truth.

I was at St. Benedict’s Nursing Home in Niles a few weeks ago visiting the dozen or so retired priests of the archdiocese who live there. The lunch was suggested by Deacon Ed O’Leary, chaplain at the home which houses other residents as well.

The meal went well; the conversation was often lively and challenging. Hungry for information, they wanted to know how The Catholic New World, and the archdiocese, were getting along. One, Father Jerome Siwek, was pleasant, smiling and entered into some of the conversation.

Just a week later, the pastor emeritus of St. Richard Church, was dead of a heart attack. He was 73. His obituary appears on Page 33.

Our acquaintance was brief. But it was a reminder that life goes on, at least until we’re called home.

Finally, one of the sometimes unsung heroes of our office is Dolores Madlener, venerable Church Clips columnist and queen of the Around the Archdiocese pages. She’s also a do-gooder of the first order.

Readers might recall her mentions of Mercy Sister Mary Berchmans, 95, for whom she helped assure a roomful of birthday greetings in December. Recently, this note came from a former student: “… our wonderful Sister Berchmans passed away in her sleep Jan. 20, surrounded by her 200 cards from former students, from Cardinal George and (Mercy) Sister Rosemary Connolly … thanks to your articles in The Catholic New World. … A beautiful end.”

Amen. Both for Sister Berchmans and Father Siwek.