Weekend Wisdom, March 26, 2023

As you know, and hopefully feel regularly in your life, God knows each and every one of us intimately.  According to Matthew 10:26, he knows us so well that even the hairs on our heads are counted.  I am hoping His count of the growing number of grey hairs on my head is about to level off rather than continuing to increase but I haven’t read any scripture specifically addressing that concern.

I’ve shared many times in my bulletin writings that God knows me SO well that he knows he has to hit me with a message multiple times for me to really pay attention to it.  I do think I’ve grown in recognizing these likely messages the first time but God knows that for me to really spend some time ruminating on it, repetition is the key.

Here’s the latest repeating message in my life: When something is removed from our lives, it makes room for new things to grow. Fr. Ben shared at a school mass recently that we are at the halfway point through Lent and that, especially for children, Lent can feel so very long.  He filled the students with a renewed spirit to stay faithful to their Lenten promises as a sacrifice to God.  This prompted me to think about my own fasting and the realization that giving something up has made room for so much more.  More time with family, more time in prayer, more time outside.  Each of those things also brings additional gifts: a closer relationship with God, a closer relationship with my kids, a resolution to that winter Vitamin D deficiency, and noticing beautiful sunrises on the drive into school.  

This same week as Fr. Ben shared his message and I noticed all these increases in life-giving areas, we were short subs at school which prompted me to fill the role of our middle school religion teacher for the day.  I had the opportunity to coach students to be ready for mass parts, celebrate their successes, prepare for a test, and watch the first round of March Madness with a group of invested students over a lunch period.  Multiple things had to get crossed off my calendar on that day, but so many more opportunities for faith and connection flourished in the space made by giving up something else.

May sunshine shine in the empty spaces and dark corners in your life this coming week showing you the many blessings available for your benefit.

With heart and soul,

Molly Mares

Principal

Notre Dame of De Pere