by Sue Robb, Marillac Spirituality and Retreat Center Director
Every April, I’m reminded of the joke I heard as a child – If April showers bring May flowers, what do May flowers bring? PILGRIMS! This Jubilee year, and especially as we journey through Lent, Pope Francis calls us to be Pilgrims of Hope. And isn’t HOPE what our world needs right now?
In this year’s Lenten message, Pope Francis offers us his holy wisdom and a road map to be Pilgrims of Hope: A first call to conversion comes from the realization that all of us are pilgrims in this life; each of us is invited to stop and ask how our lives reflect this fact. Am I really on a journey, or am I standing still, not moving, either immobilized by fear and hopelessness or reluctant to move out of my comfort zone?
Next, he calls us to journey together as one in the Body of Christ. It means walking side-by-side without shoving or stepping on others, without envy or hypocrisy, and without letting anyone be left behind or excluded. Let us all walk in the same direction, tending towards the same goal, attentive to one another in love and patience. With the news telling us daily how divided we are, it may feel hard to be hopeful, but that is our Gospel call. We are held together as one by our faith in Jesus, by the hope we share with the world, and by the ways we love others.
As we embark on the final three weeks of our Lenten journey, how is Jesus calling you to be the voice and vision of hope in our world? On April 10 from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., Fr. Kevin Cullen, SJ, is offering a day of reflection that will help us see how we are called to be synodal people of Hope. You are warmly invited to register and join us.
Consider joining us at Marilac Center for one of the following events:
Lenten Linger over Coffee
Five Tuesdays during Lent
9 – 11 a.m.
Join us as we continue our intriguing comparisons between the Church’s canonized Saints and the saints among us today.
Good Conversation: God Loves Us
April 10
9 a.m.-2 p.m.
Fr. Kevin Cullen, SJ, will delve more deeply into the work of the Synod on Synodality through the graces found in Pope Francis’ Encyclical, Dilexit Nos. Register by April 1.
Finding Beauty in the Margins
Tuesday, May 27, 4 p.m.– Saturday, June 1, noon
Awaken the creative beauty within and around you! Storyteller and artist Brother Mickey McGrath, OFPS, will offer a 5-day preached retreat which will include time for artistic expression, sharing, quiet prayer/meditation, and reflection. Register by May 17.
Directed Retreat, 3-nights
June 12-15, * paid event
Registration available at the button; contact srobb@scls.org for payment information.
Directed Retreat, 7-nights
June 12-19, * paid event
Registration available at the button; contact srobb@scls.org for payment information.
