When I was a little girl in Catholic school, a teacher told my mother I daydreamed too much. I probably did, but what we didn’t know then was the capacity of harnessing such daydreaming for prayer. This year on Hallow, a new practice has been incorporated into Lent Pray40 called “Imaginative Prayer.” This has been led by Sr. Miriam as she immerses us in biblical stories by ‘painting the scene’ as to say.
Historical fiction has always been my preference for reading, but it wasn’t until recently that I thought about reading historical fiction of the bible.
A few years back I listened to an audiobook read by Marly Streep titled “The Testament of Mary.” Written by Colm Toibin, this short novel has been criticized by conservative Christians and I felt guilty even listening to it, like I was doing something sacrilegious by entering a framework for the Virgin Mary that included details not verified by the Gospels. Although the novel should be taken with a grain of salt, what I so enjoyed about it was the humanizing of the Blessed Mother. Depicting her in a way that was relatable made me feel closer to her. Imagining what “could have” been her thoughts and feelings.
As a mother who buys her son every Bluey play set to appease his imaginative play (and live vicariously through him), I am really excited about this imaginative prayer stuff. It hit home for me today while listening to Fr. Schmitz’s Sunday Sermon: Enter the Story.
Let’s be real, no one likes suffering, but Fr. Schmitz points out that suffering is “sanctifying.” The suffering involved in the Passion of Christ was not a waste, but the historical moment that changed the world, and guess what? The story is not done.
“The story is still not done, and we are invited to enter the story with our own surrender.”
“Christ’s redemptive act did not of itself restore all things, it simply made the act of redemption possible.”
“Redemption will only be complete when all men share His obedience.”
So how to we enter this unfinished story? With our obedience aka surrender. When we suffer, we surrender to God’s will, just as Jesus surrendered himself to the cross. So, the next time you are at a loss for words when asked why do you Catholics “give up stuff” for Lent, tell them that we are surrendering, and therefore participating in the salvation of the world. When you put it that way it makes it a lot easier to give up that cup of coffee you thought you couldn’t live without, right?