Divine Providence  
Many are the plans in the mind of a man, but it is the purpose of the Lord that will be established.  – Book of Proverbs (19: 21) as quoted in the Catechism of the Catholic Church, Paragraph # 303
 
Just a few days ago, I was on the phone with a priest friend talking about our many limitations, cautions, and changes.  And how this is a distinctively privileged opportunity for renewal in our relationship with the Lord.  This is a time of grace both to reflect on our life and to make the necessary adjustments to reorder ourselves.    
 
As it is for each of you, it is true for a Parish Priest, Lent is a busy time of year. In just a matter of days, the Lent of 2020 went from the usual full schedule of Parish Activity (filled with devotions, additional Holy Masses and hours of Confessions, fish frys, and the normal Parish meetings and works) to a suddenly quiet, empty, daily agenda.  It caused both my priest friend and I to reconsider the things that we do: the meetings and events that we participate in versus what we subsequently relinquish because we have spent our time and energy elsewhere, as well as the priories in our schedule against what is truly most important – these ponderings beg an important question: what could we modify if we could reset our agendas?  There is much to be considered here, for all of us, especially as we look to how we will be changed by this experience and move forward after these shutdowns.
 
In this conversation, we talked about how these circumstances are calling us to improve our relationship with the Lord and these days are reinforcing the importance of virtue.  All virtue is built upon self-restraint – the ability to choose an immediate sacrifice, suffering, or inconvenience for a delayed good.  Our relationship with the Lord can be challenging amid so many frustrations, anxieties, and even doubts, but these circumstances can be the moment of substantial growth if we begin to earnestly trust in God’s plan for each one of us.  My friend reminded me that we cannot lose sight of Divine Providence; it is foundational if our relationship with the Lord is going to grow, because it strengthens our trust in the Lord.  In short, we need to understand and live according to Divine Providence. 
 
In the course of this good conversation, my friend offered a suggestion for some reading – a bit of “Holy Week Homework”: the 5 pages from the Catechism, paragraphs 302-324, on Divine Providence.  He stated, rather boldly, that they are the most important five pages in the whole text… that may or may not be objectively true… but, I will say they are insightful, encouraging, and appropriate in our present moment when so much of our life feels uncertain.
 
As we grapple with the solitude, restrictions, and losses during this strange time, it is a good moment to consider anew how our everyday tasks and lived priorities compare with the reality of God’s Love and our true identity.  To this end, I would recommend that each person be refreshed in our understanding and living within Divine Providence, as well as self-restraint, so that each can deepen their relationship with the Lord in these strange, yet grace-filled, times.
 
Accepting Divine Providence will help each to embrace these challenging circumstances rightly, and to come out of them better than we began them.
 
 
 
Know of my prayers for you, please pray for me!
 
Father Wilke
 
Saint Joseph, Guardian of the Redeemer, pray for us!