The Bishop Writes

(From the February 7, 2002 edition of the Inland Register)

Almost daily, the news media carry stories about the events of Sept. 11 and the impact of those events on our nation and the world. Some of the stories more recently have been about the increased spiritual fervor of people after the tragedy but which, in recent weeks, seems to have reverted back to normal. Often the statistic quoted is church attendance.

In any case, tragedy and trauma always cause us immediately to reflect spiritually in a more intense way until things settle back to normal. In the case of the aftermath of Sept. 11, people seemed to be much more considerate of one another. Even the political scene appeared to be unusually civil and respectful. However, I suspect there will be a long lasting impact in a spiritual way. We as Christians should especially be mindful of this opportune moment to be better - who we are now, what we are called to be.

Another Lenten season will soon be upon us. Once again, in the Catholic Church’s tradition, we are called to a more intense time of prayer and preparation for the celebration of the Triduum and the Easter mysteries. With good reason the Church every year asks us to celebrate this season as an opportune moment to deepen our spirituality and assess honestly and realistically our journey of faith.

We have the opportunity to see how faithful we have been to the Lord and to one another in Church. We are stewards of our lives and our opportunities. We cannot allow ourselves to be wasteful of God’s call and mission for ourselves.

In the tragedy of the events of Sept. 11 - in New York, in Washington, D.C., in Pennsylvania - many stories have surfaced about husbands, wives, family members or just neighbors who lived their lives in an exemplary way. Just before Christmas I saw on a wall at St. Vincent Hospital in lower Manhattan a very large shrine of pictures and messages to loved ones who were missing. They were messages of appreciation and love. Cellular phone calls from or messages left by the passengers of the hijacked airliners spoke of tenderness, love, and yet honestly faced the reality of rapidly approaching death.

Lent is a good time for us to think about our own lives and ask critically how Jesus appears through us on our journey of faith. Would I be seen as someone who gives good witness of love, of sacrifice, of sensitivity to the needs of others?

One of the great themes of the inspiring stories coming out of Sept. 11 has been the willingness to experience danger and readily sacrifice oneself for the good of others. The death of over 300 firefighters and the attempted takeover of the airliner which crashed in Pennsylvania tell us of those who made the supreme sacrifice.

We are disciples of Jesus. Conversion of heart should be part of our natural identity as Catholics. Jesus calls each of us as disciples to be on mission. As Cardinal Danneels of Belgium said recently in an address at John Carroll University in Cleveland, we should be a hopeful people who prayerfully keep watch and who engage ourselves. We prayerfully keep watch in many ways, but I suggest that we might preeminently do so in our reflection and praying with the Church, especially at Sunday Eucharist. We engage ourselves in the life and activity of the Church so that the mission of Jesus might be furthered in our particular moment in history. One of the very visible ways in which we can further the mission of the Church is our engagement and participation in our Annual Catholic Appeal. I ask every parish to take up its share of responsibility in supporting the mission of the Church.

We are together in this common work of mission in the Church, and we support that mission with a sense of hopefulness and shared responsibility. I support the Church not because of what I might receive back from my giving, but because what I do helps support the Church’s work in its many forms. We do far more together than any one of us does alone.

For instance, as I look back over my life, I realize the kind of seminary education I received was due to the generosity of countless people who took this on as part of the mission of the Church. I could never have done it alone. I will be forever grateful, and now it is my turn to help and support.

My prayer for all of you is that Lent 2002 will be a fruitful time of renewal and appreciation in your own life. In addition, as we begin another Annual Catholic Appeal, I ask you to engage yourself through participation in the work of the Church. All of us will be spiritually enriched as we work and serve together. I also want you to know that I am most grateful for your generosity and past participation.

May God’s peace and joy be with you.

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