"Prayer"

January 19, 2010

Year for the Priest

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

The life of an archbishop is certainly hectic, to say the least.  This past weekend I was in Mishawaka, Indiana for the funeral of a Franciscan sister who passed away at the age of 103.  Sunday, I presided at the 8 a.m. radio Mass at the Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist, Milwaukee, and by noon, I was at Saint Adalbert Parish for a Mass with the Latino congregation.  On Monday afternoon, I presided at the “Blue Mass” for the law enforcement community and by 7:30 p.m., that same day, I was attending a program at All Saints Parish where the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King was honored.

What was the common thread that tied all of these diverse celebrations together?  Simply said, it was prayer.  All of these services were an expression of faith that called out with confidence to God.  A glorious life lived to the full by a 103-year-old sister.  Her soul now entrusted to the Lord whose love she reflected.  The prayer of the community was a prayer of thanksgiving for her life, which was now receiving its reward from God.

The Sunday Mass at the Cathedral was a gathering of people of faith coming to worship God in prayer, to give thanks and to ask Him to assist them in the day-to-day challenges of living in this world.

The Latino congregation celebrated an expression of a faith that is richly embedded in the culture and language of their people.  Their prayer reflected a community that struggles to live the Christian message despite the obstacles experienced in a society often foreign to them.

The “Blue Mass” brought together various law enforcement groups that prayed for strength and courage to face the challenges their profession presents, as well as to remember those who paid the ultimate sacrifice fulfilling their responsibilities as officers of the law.

At the 7:30 p.m. evening service, we reflected on the life of Dr. King and prayed that our own lives might witness that same commitment to the person of Jesus and the cause of justice in our society.

The power of prayer can never be underestimated.  It is the voice of the faithful calling out to God with confidence and listening for His response.  It brings hope to us all.

The archdiocese will be offering a Holy Hour for Life on Thursday, January 21, at 7 p.m., at various locations throughout the archdiocese.  The power of our collective prayer to assist our community to understand the necessity to protect life, demonstrates our confidence in the Lord’s ability to change hearts and minds about this crucial issue.  Please join us and spend an hour in prayer with your best friend.
   
Prayer must be an integral part of our daily lives.  It is this relationship with God that calls us all out of our own small finite world and connects us to the infinite mystery of life.  If you haven’t developed a prayer life, then please start to pray at least once a day.  Begin with just five minutes with the Lord.  It could be reading scripture, saying the rosary or just speaking to God from the heart.  Just pick up your spiritual phone and dial 4U2-PRAY.  You won’t have to wait long for an answer.

God Love you!  See you at Mass!

Sincerely yours in Christ,

Most Reverend Jerome E. Listecki
Archbishop of Milwaukee
 

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