I have just a short message for everyone, this week. Don’t give up. Hang on for a little while longer.
When I think of the word “persevere,” I think of the late Msgr. “Father” Mike Burke, one-time rector at Holy Name Seminary in Madison, pastor at St. Maria Goretti Parish in Madison, and chaplain to the Wisconsin Badgers football team.
He made a habit in many of his homilies to encourage everyone to persevere through whatever trials they were going through along with the motivation to “hang on” and ultimately “keep hope alive”.
Those are fitting words for where we are in the Church year — the second half of Lent — as I’m writing this on the day of the season’s midpoint.
If you haven’t met all of your (keyword “your,” not necessarily God’s) Lenten goals for yourself, if you feel you haven’t done much of anything, or if you’re finding this point in Lent to be an absolute chore, hang on.
Life is all about hanging on until we’re called to the Father in eternity.
Do not forget, He loves us and He is with us.
If that “footprints” poem has taught us anything it’s that He truly is with us when things are their toughest.
If you seriously do not know how you’ll make it through the rest of Lent, or even, through the rest of your life, He’s with you.
You can take it one minute at a time and get through this.
Whether it’s getting through a tough and down time in your life or if it’s trying to get to Easter without having a donut (I realize there’s a wide chasm of difference in challenges there, but everyone has their own cross to carry), you can get all of the graces you need to get through it.
Sometimes, immediate or obvious happiness isn’t part of getting through it, but God never abandons you.
So whether you need to reboot or restart your Lent or you just need a reboot or restart on life to get through whatever it is that you need to get through, now is the time to do so.
If things aren’t going well, hang on.
Don’t give up.
You are not alone.
Keep all of that hope alive.
Persevere.
#YouGotThis
Thank you for reading.
I’m praying for you.