Denver Catholic

7 DENVER CATHOLIC | APRIL 8-21, 2017 ccdenver.org/donate Sabrina A. was struggling to keep her family together. She was in school to become a nurse, while also caring for her ailing mother. Sabrina had recently become guardian of her niece and nephew. Her modest income couldn't keep up, and the family was evicted from their apartment. Sabrina turned to Catholic Charities' Samaritan House Family Services Program. Because of generous donors like you, the family was given the chance to rebuild the foundation for long-term success and stability. Your Help Gives Homeless Family New Lease on Hope St. Teresa of Calcutta Prayer Society Mother (now Saint) Teresa of Calcutta taught and lived that "everything begins with prayer." Catholic Charities invites you to join a new prayer society named for this faith-lled servant to the poorest of the poor. As a member, you are asked to pray daily for those we serve, and for other special intentions shared by email. You will receive a beautiful prayer card and St. Teresa medallion to remind you of your generous commitment. You may send your own intentions to be remembered in prayer during weekly Mass at Catholic Charities' chapel on Pecos. Join the St. Teresa of Calcutta Prayer Society by visiting ccdenver.org/prayer St. Elizabeth of Hungary Society You'll be honored as a distinguished member when your annual giving reaches $1,000 or more. Join with a pledge of $83.33 or more per month. Give online today! ccdenver.org/donate EMBRACE YOUR LITTLENESS. (JESUS IS STRIPPED) When we're su• er- ing, we're often stripped of our energy, going about everyday life as normal, or of our ability to pray as usual. Maybe we stop pray- ing altogether. These are opportunities to embrace how "little" we really are; when our human weakness becomes more appar- ent, we can o• er this to Jesus, too. This is what St. Therese of Lisieux's "Little Way" is all about. It's also another opportunity to unite this to Jesus, too; a share in his being stripped of all dignity and humanity when the soldiers stripped his garments before nailing him to the cross. DON'T FIGHT YOUR DAILY DEATHS. (JESUS DIES ON THE CROSS) Death is often not as apparent as the physi- cal; we die little deaths every day. Our su• er- ings, especially when we allow them to mold us more into the people God is calling us to be, are small deaths, too. Embrace them. Step into them. Refl ecting on Jesus' own death on the cross is consoling, knowing that our su• erings make sense when united to his. He suf- fered everything we could ever su• er and so we are understood by him. Whatever we are experiencing, he experi- enced it fi rst. I heard once that "Whatever you go through, it has already gone through his heart fi rst." NEW LIFE ALWAYS COMES FROM SUFFERING. (JESUS RISES) Su• ering never feels good, but we can always trust that it can be redemptive, when o• ered to Jesus. New life always comes from seasons of drought. It depends on our choice, though; we can let ourselves respond to su• ering with bitterness, or we can respond with openness and let it be new growth in ourselves and others. We can't rid the world of su• ering. And no matter how many times we su• er, we will still have moments where we cry out and wonder why it happens. But we can trust in the Father's goodness, that whatever he allows, he allows for our greater good and for the greater good of others. 4 5 6

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