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From
the Associate
Joy From the Catechumens
Recently, I gave a talk to the Knights of Columbus in Fridley, on the subject of Lent. I had to chuckle, as the next day I say one of our own parishioners who attended, and he summed up the presentation as, "Interesting." That is often (not necessarily always, but often) a Minnesotan's typical way of saying, "I didn't like it, but I'm not going to say that exactly." And that's because most of us have "Minnesota niceness," which most of us also appreciate.
Anyway, returning to the subject, the Eucharistic Prayer of the fist Sunday in Lent reads, "Each year you give us this joyful season when we prepare to celebrate the paschal mystery with mind and heart renewed." I asked the group, "How many of you really think of Lent as a joyful season?" Most, of course, did not. We rather think of it as a season of mourning: "Return to me with all your whole heart, with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning, says the Lord; rend your hearts and not your garments" (Joel 2:12,13). Is it possible that these two themes, of mourning and joy, are meant to be united, within the context of Lent? Yes, I believe it is. The saints experienced tremendous joy in the midst of repentance, and that is precisely because true reconciliation opens the gates for a deepening experience of "being-in-love," with God. And love makes me happy, especially divine love. The spiritual disciplines of Lent, namely fasting, prayer, almsgiving and confession are all meant to till the soil of our souls, so that we could love and be loved in ever-greater degree. And over time, we discover a hidden joy, which paradoxically follows from being united to the suffering Christ. In the desert, we are far from alone. In truth, we are surrounded by the ministering angels (like Christ himself was), prayers of the saints, and Jesus Christ, who fills our cultivated emptiness with the sweet taste of his eternal love. Lent is all about growing in union with God, and that is a joy beyond all telling.
There is another joy of the season, which comes with new members of the Church: the reception, Baptism, Confirmation and First Eucharist of the Catechumens. Their faith in Jesus Christ and the Church's treasury of wisdom, their courage to follow God's will, and their arms reaching out to embrace the family of the Catholic church, is such an inspiring witness to us all. Consider for a moment, the kind of joy a family experiences, when grandchildren arrive on the scene, for the first time. It is an unexplainable joy, which flows from the gift of new life, and love. It is a joy par excellence, and family celebrations, such as birthdays and Christmas are forever altered by it. Such is the feeling in one's heart (who is truly and totally in love with Jesus Christ and the family of God's people), as new life enters the Catholic fold. Our hearts are filled with an inexpressible joy, and our celebrations are forever altered, as the face of our community
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