Dear Friends,
Sharing a parishioner’s story about the power of prayer and the hope such power proclaims.
Peace, Fr. Damian
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Hello Cabrini Family,
No, that is not a typo. Yes, I consider you family. You are more than “family”. You are Family. I choose to capitalize the word because, at St. Frances Cabrini, it is more than just a common noun. It is a word that deserves specific and special attention. It defines who we are. It deserves fanfare and confetti falling from the ceiling. It deserves a large, joyous celebration, like a parish picnic or, I don’t know, maybe a world famous spaghetti dinner.
Our Cabrini Family is a unique and special gift. In many ways, we are one. We are not just a group of individuals that exist apart from each other in isolation and only gather to praise, worship, and celebrate the Eucharist. We have many opportunities to gather as large and small groups outside of the celebration of Mass and those are priceless gifts. Unlike a traditional family, however, most of us do not live in the same physical dwelling. Our Cabrini Family, the Body of Christ, extends beyond the confines of walls. It surpasses the traditional family unit. It reaches far beyond Alpha, small faith-sharing groups, Cabrini Communities, and parish potluck dinners. Our Cabrini Family relationship fills those minutes, hours, and days between those encounters. As a Family, we share the highs and lows, the joys and sorrows, the successes and failures of those Family members we know deeply and those we have yet to meet. We lift each other up and are intentionally present in each other’s lives. We embrace each other and hold one another’s hands, literally and even more deeply when we cannot be physically present. One of the most joyous and beautiful parts of this Family’s relationship is that it exponentially impacts more lives and hearts than we could ever possibly know. What the Holy Spirit does with this deep Family connection transcends our most vivid imaginations. I believe God constantly drops pebbles in the center of the spiritual body of water located at 10th and William in Omaha, Nebraska. The ripples created each time one of us “pebbles” are dropped, travel further than the eye can see. Those ripples spread love, compassion, hope, joy, faith, change, mercy, and all the other gifts God chooses, as they journey outward. As is the way of our heavenly Father, when those ripples reach their destination, they do the same on their journey back to their source, growing even more along the way.
I have often contemplated why this Family of ours is so special. I was doing so recently when I was deeply impacted by the kindness and solidarity shown to me by my Cabrini Family. The scripture passage that often comes to mind is Matthew 18:20, “For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them”. Maybe I am a slow learner and you are all saying, “Well, yeah, tell us something we don’t know”. Yet I continue to ponder. Amidst my contemplation, I was still searching for a more complete answer. I know there is more to it than just gathering. I am aware we gather. We gather often and intentionally. Our gathering skills are some of the best around. But what makes them special?
Then it hits me. The difference is all about what we do when we gather. We pray. We are a prayerful, prayer-filled, and praying Family. Everything we do as a Family includes prayer. Our activities together begin and end with prayer. Many of these same gatherings are filled with prayers spoken aloud throughout, as well as countless, silent prayers that only God can hear. Often times Family members are praying behind the scenes in a very deep and intentional way. For us, prayer is more than words born from our faith and hearts. Prayers are us. We are prayers. We are pray-ers. We actively join our lives together through prayer. Life presents a continuum of experiences and emotions. We navigate the highest of highs, the lowest of lows, and everything in between. With our Family of pray-ers. Because of this gift, we can savor the calm seas and weather the strongest of storms. So, whether you have been a pebble here all your life or you are a brand new Cabrini pebble, know that you are loved, you are not alone, you are welcome, and you are Family.
Prayerfully yours,
Gail Klimek