As Robert Burns put it, “The best laid plans of mice and men often go astray.” As the coronavirus pandemic caused us to cancel our Catholic Campus Ministry spring retreat, my students and I decided to adapt to the circumstances. The theme of the retreat, which was originally to take place over Palm Sunday weekend, was “Holy Week with the Saints.”
Emily, one of our parish’s cantors, and her husband Matt had a baby on Easter Sunday. She sent an email with pictures. Perhaps because of that, I was struck by this Sunday’s entrance antiphon: “Like newborn infants, you must long for the pure, spiritual milk, that in Christ you may grow to salvation, alleluia.” As every new mother knows, newborns have tiny stomachs, stomachs that need to be refilled every few hours. No wonder new moms and dads get so little sleep.