By Fr. Justin Fulton
The Nebraska vs. Wisconsin football came was cancelled last week. Much to the consternation of Husker Nation, another Saturday in Nebraska passed without the Big Red dominating the state’s soul and landscape.
I must admit I feel for those athletes—male and female, especially school-age and college kids—who have to sit on the sidelines while a pandemic takes away their normalcy in youth. It must be sad to work the majority of one’s life, look forward to a season, and then have no power to actually play a game or a season. One has to sit on the sidelines as time—which to the economist is our greatest asset—marches on, gone forever and never to be garnered again.
To be able to play and then have to sit on the sidelines again... sure, there are greater challenges in the world, but I still feel for those kids.
Some of the top questions we get at Catholic Social Services of Southern Nebraska are “How can I get active? What do the poor need right now? How can I help?” We get these questions a lot, especially this time of the year as we head into the Thanksgiving and Christmas seasons. We see the love of Christ in the poor in the hearts of our donors and benefactors and they get active and want to help... and not just sit on the sidelines.
Right now we are seeing a heightened need for mattresses and box springs. We need good, clean, usable queen, full, and twin sized beds. Perhaps this is apropos as we approach the Christmas season as we remember that the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, Jesus Christ, did not have a bed to lay in when He was born. If you have a mattress and box springs that are clean, unstained, free of rips, tears, and sinking in the middle, perhaps you would like to donate one to CSS so we can get someone a better handle on sleep, health, life, and their innate human dignity.
You can check our website at cssisus.org/itemdonation and if you are in Lincoln and want to schedule a pick-up, do so at cssisus.org/donatebeds. If you are able to help in this regard, you are getting active and directly serving Christ who lives in His poor.
We are also collecting store-bought turkeys, ground beef and ham for upcoming Thanksgiving food basket programs throughout the state. Last year, CSS provided full Thanksgiving meals for 120 families (nearly 550 people) throughout the state. If you want to get active and help donate store-bought food, contact Jeremy Sousek in Lincoln/eastern Nebraska at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or Phil Rosno in Hastings/central and western Nebraska at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
As always, let us remember that God is present and active in the world, and He does not ‘sit on the sidelines.’ He is in control.... He cares about you.... He is with us... and He gives us His peace in our relationships with Him. May we seek Him always in Scripture, prayer, and the Sacraments. And let us share our relationship and His love through our thoughts, words, and actions with those who do not know Him.
May God bless us always!
