How can I repay the Lord for all the good done for me?
“How can I repay the Lord for all the good done for me?” The
Psalmist sings these words in Psalm 116 to express both the fact that
he is truly blessed by God, and also his true inability to give
anything back to the Lord of equal value to those blessings. We too
are blessed, and those blessings often go unnoticed.
The gratitude expressed by the Psalmist is precisely the kind of
sentiment that we will focus on during the Lenten Season about to
begin for us. From the prayers and readings of Ash Wednesday,
through the celebration of the Lord's Supper on Holy Thursday, our
hearts will be invited to brim with gratitude for all He has given us.
And our response will be total, if not perpetually inadequate.
Several things have been set for us to work together to fully
recognize how blessed we are, both individually and as a parish.
First, the homilies at Mass will be focused on specific ways that
God has graced us. What are the gifts and talents that we have at
our disposal? And do we utilize them to the fullest for our personal
benefit, and for the glory of God? Our time and talent are tools to
be used in life to build up the Kingdom, and every time we offer a
bit of ourselves to others, we return those gifts to the Lord.
Second, a Parish Mission has been set for the week of March
26th, when Father John Codega will be with us to lead us in prayer
and sacrifice. Such preparation for the Easter celebration will surely
place us all in the right frame of mind to recognize the greatest gift
of all - our salvation - to eternity! Centered in the celebration of
Mass, the “talks” will open us to the spirit's promptings, and a
parish penance service will surely wash us clean of sin, some carried
for many years.
Third, is a full-fledged push for us all to gather during Holy
Week to experience the suffering and death of the Lord, as well as
the resurrection to new life won for us all. Those participating in
the GIFT Celebrations spent the last session looking at ways in
which this Lent can be more transforming than any before. This
month's Celebrations will focus on the Sacred Triduum, that is,
Holy Thursday, Good Friday and Easter Sunday, and all will receive
a personal invitation to continue the work done together by coming
together in worship and prayer. You too, are invited. This after all
is the central celebration of our faith, and missed by many on an
annual basis.
Fourth, parishioners of Saint Theresa Parish will be invited to
look not only at the ways in which they offer their time and talent,
but also their treasure. Through pulpit talks by parishioners and
myself, direct mailings to your homes, and receptions held to outline
both the needs of our parish and what we can do to meet those needs
monetarily, all of us will be asked to pray about our level of giving
back to God from our pocketbooks. Those who are already giving
to the best of their ability will be truly thanked. The rest of us will
be encouraged to step forward and help others to the same level that
God has helped us.
And finally, columns and bulletin inserts will be prepared each
week to keep us moving forward and with the conscious intent that
true gratitude requires. It promises to be a busy season of grace, and
we pray fruitful in its effects.
