These are strange times we find ourselves in: never in your life, nor your parents’ nor your grandparents’ lives, have schools, churches, museums, libraries, and sports venues all closed, with the hope that social life and social interactions in the Washington, DC, area will slow down. The year 1918 was probably the last time this happened.
That our churches have closed during the Lenten season, along with all of their unique practices and ceremonies intended to bring us closer to the idea of sacrifice, means we need to be more intentional concerning how we live. Jesus spent forty days in the desert, fasting and praying in order to prepare for the three-year phase of his life that ended with his crucifixion as the ultimate sacrifice. Those three years continue to reverberate through history and affect lives thousands of years later.
Jesus’ life ended as a sacrifice for others, and the faithful are often asked to unite our sacrifices to his. The Latin root of sacrifice means "to make holy" and the Church teaches that large and small sacrifices help us to become more holy. As a young person, I must admit I was not immediately drawn to the idea of being holy. In retrospect, I think I mischaracterized the people I knew whom others considered holy. I thought them boring. Avalon and Brookewood work to convey this idea of sacrificial holiness to you in many different ways. One of those ways is when we teach that freedom is not being able to do whatever we want, whenever we want; it is being free to do the right thing, at the right time, in the right way for ourselves, our family, our friends, and strangers. I have the great fortune of being surrounded by many people who focus on others, try to be of service, try to sacrifice for others ̶̶̶-and these are the happiest people I know. They have discovered a path to happiness in this world and the next.
During this time of quarantine you are being asked to sacrifice for the sake of others in a way that will keep you away from your friends, which will be hard. For reasons unknown to scientists at this time, while many young people will be exposed to the coronavirus, almost none of you will feel sick. Your immune system will make the antibodies needed to suppress the virus, and you will be without symptoms. This will not be the case for your parents and grandparents, and that’s why it is important that even though you feel fine, you limit your time with friends and try to interact with as few people as possible, for as long as this situation requires. This sacrifice will help save people. Literally.
With this newfound sacrificial time please attend to your studies, find time to pray for those who are currently suffering, help around the house, and learn something brand new. Put a bird feeder out and practice drawing birds, find a spring flower, leaf or insect and sketch it, read a book. Use this time you have been given to stretch yourself in some new way.
Sincerely,
RJ Hawley
Executive Director
CATHOLIC DEVOTIONAL RESOURCES
TO CONSULT DURING THIS TIME Please click on the link to visit the resource
Magnificat - Please note that the Sunday and daily readings are included for free. Once directed to the site, click on the picture, which will take you to the readings.
The Divine Office -a Liturgy of the Hours, offering a specific prayer seven times during the day
For any information you would like to post on the Avalon Advisory, please email Glencora Pipkin at advisory.avalon@gmail.com by Friday at 3 p.m. If you would like to receive the Advisory from a different email address, please send Mrs. Pipkin a short email with your request.
