By Fr. Kevin Cullen, S.J.
We are living our Lenten Journey. It seemed to sneak right up on me. Did we not just finish the usual celebrations for Christmas, New Years, and Valentines Day? Aren’t we finishing those extraordinary celebrations like the Chiefs’ Super Bowl win? Today, we have lived into a portion of our Lenten Journey.
During this Lenten journey, Ash Wednesday marked us as sinners but loved by God. Prayer, fasting, and almsgiving direct the simple steps of our daily lives. Our prayer includes more time to sit with Scripture (Lenten Linger Over Coffee on Tuesday mornings at Marillac Center) or devotional practices on my own or in the community, like the Stations of the Cross or Taize Prayer. Our fasting includes giving up sweets or alcohol and adding in the parish Friday fish fry or minimizing internet use or the distractions on TV. Our almsgiving includes sharing pocket change with Operation Rice Bowl or serving and having a meal at the local Community Meal.
In her language, Missionary of Charity, St. Teresa of Kolkata, suggests that “As Lent is the time for greater love, listen to Jesus’ thirst … ‘Repent and believe’. What are we to repent? Our indifference, our hardness of heart. What are we to believe? Jesus thirsts even now, in your heart and in the poor – He knows your weakness. He wants only your love, wants only the chance to love you.”
The Triduum Retreat at the Marillac Center allows us to join the Church in receiving God’s love. We live these holy days and rituals without distractions. God’s love invites us to Hope. We will reflect upon the theology and the practices of the rituals. We will listen to the call that God speaks to us. We will move forward, concluding this Lenten journey and step into the Easter Season as a time of renewed hope.
This ancient practice of our Church invites us to slow down, prayerfully reflect, and recognize again how God’s love invites us to Hope. Like the early followers of Jesus, we know our graces are received to be given. Our world journeys toward the Passion, Death, and Resurrection of Christ this year. Our living those graces brings hope and new life into the world.
We are invited to join the Sisters of Charity for the Triduum Rituals and celebration. We are also invited to reflect during these Holy Days on the power of God’s love, that over comes even death itself and establishes a new world order. All are welcome!
Consider joining us during our Lenten Journeys at Marilac Center for one of the following events:
Linger Over Coffee
Tuesdays, March 5, 12, and 19, 9 to 11 a.m.
This Lenten season, we will use materials from the series “The Ten Commandments: Laws of the Heart” by Joan Chittister OSB.
Poetry as Prayer
Saturday, March 16, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Sr. Rosemary Kolich, SCL, helps us experience poetry as a way of prayer, where the poet looks to God in light of humanity and all creation. The retreatant will break open various forms of poetry and experiment with prayer writing, leaving the day with a personal written prayer.
Triduum and Easter: God’s Love invites us to Hope
March 28-31
Ross Chapel
Fr. Kevin Cullen, SJ
Conferences: Wednesday, March 27: 4:15 Vespers and opening talk
Thursday, March 28: 11:00am and 3:00pm – Conferences
Friday, March 29: 11:00am – Conference
Saturday, March 30: 11:00am and 3:00pm – Conferences
Triduum: Thursday, March 28: 7:00pm – Holy Thursday of the Lord’s Supper
Friday, March 29: 3:00pm – Friday of the Passion of the Lord
Saturday, March 30: 7:00pm – The Easter Vigil in the Holy Night
Sunday, March 31: 11:00am – Easter Sunday of the Resurrection of the Lord
We pray with the Universal Church these Holy Days, trusting in God’s tremendous love that transforms sadness and despair into hope and new life. Our journey with Jesus offers right order with God, one another and with all of creation. The Conferences will break open the Scripture, Theology and Tradition behind the practices of the Triduum Liturgy celebrated later that same day.
Retreat Days
May 28 – June 4
Marillac Retreat Center
Sr. Wendy Cotter, CSJ
During “The Cost of Discipleship” retreat, we join the first disciples, and listen to Jesus’ words, be taught by his outreach, and respond once more to his call to us, along the pathway of love, to holiness, to outreach to God’s children, and to recommit ourselves, with all our hearts to bring ever nearer, the Kingdom of God.
