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Lent: An Opportunity to Feed My Lambs

On this last weekend before the Season of Lent, the Parish Pastoral Council has recommended that we raise everyone’s awareness about Feed My Lambs, our Parish Outreach to those in need. It just so happens that the gospel reading for this weekend ties in perfectly with the Feed My Lambs program. This story about Jesus healing a paralytic (Mark 2:1-12) relates to our Lenten journey and the Feed My Lambs program in two significant ways.

The first and most obvious connection is to focus on the paralytic. Who does this disabled man
represent? In a certain sense, he represents all of us because we are all wounded or disabled in some way. Some of our disabilities, like those of a physical nature, are more obvious. But it’s interesting to note that
Jesus places his first priority on healing the spiritual nature. “He said to the paralytic, ‘Child, your sins are
forgiven’” (2:5). It seems as if the grace of his spiritual healing then overflowed onto the physical level when the man picked up his mat and walked away (cf. 2:12). Once our inner being is healed, we begin to experience healing of our emotions, our mind, our relationships and perhaps even our bodies. So as we begin this Lenten journey we can be mindful of the ways in which we are in need of healing, and offer ourselves to the Lord for his healing touch.
But sometimes our inner healing can be nurtured when certain external challenges are met. That’s where Feed My Lambs comes in. It is a program that identifies certain people in our community who are
occasionally in need of a helping hand. So if you or someone you know is in need of a little help with things like babysitting, cooking a meal, housekeeping, transportation to Mass, picking up groceries, snow-removal or yard work, just let the parish office know. Or you can call Kate Flood who is coordinating Feed My Lambs (879-1726). She will do her best to contact someone to help you.
That is the second connection between today’s gospel and Feed My Lambs. Think about those four friends who brought the paralytic to Jesus. They were “unable to get near Jesus because of the crowd, [so] they opened up the roof above him… and let down the mat on which the paralytic was lying” (2:4). These were some pretty determined friends! It seems that they would do anything to get their friend to Jesus. And they pursued their goal in a very practical way (although I’m sure the home owner was not pleased!). This is what Feed My Lambs tries to do: To match up people in and around our parish community who have various
practical needs with those who are willing to help them. So if you are willing to be like one of these friends who helps people feel the healing touch of Jesus in simple practical ways (like those listed above), please
contact the office or Kate Flood (879-1726). You may also complete one of the Feed My Lambs sign-up sheets in the church vestibule.
Why not try something different for Lent this year? Instead of giving something up, you can do
something to help your neighbor. If you volunteer, your name will be placed on a list with others who are
offering the same service and periodically you may be called to see if you are able to lend a hand. I invite you to prayerfully consider if Jesus is calling you, as he called St. Peter, to “Feed my lambs” (John 21:15). If you join the other members of our parish in sharing your time and talent with those in need, I guarantee that you will discover the truth of the words of St. Francis: “It is in giving that we receive.”

Fr. Ernest Bayer

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