O God, shepherd and ruler of all the faithful, look favorably on your servant Francis,
whom you have set at the head of your Church as her shepherd;
grant, we pray, that by word and example he may be of service to those over whom he presides
so that, together with the flock entrusted to his care, he may come to everlasting life.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, forever and ever. Amen.
The prayer for our Holy Father, quoted above, is an “Excerpt from the English translation of The Roman Missal…” and can be found on the website of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB). If you go to the USCCB website there is also an option to pray the Rosary for Pope Francis. For the past two weeks, cardinals of the Church have been leading the faithful in praying the rosary each night, gathered in St. Peter’s Square. Catholics around the world and people of many different faith traditions have been praying for Pope Francis since he entered the hospital almost three weeks ago, on Feb. 14.
I hope that all Catholics have experienced or felt in some way what I have felt in recent days, as we have been receiving or hearing daily updates on the “ups and downs” of the status of Pope Francis’ health. I have felt a real concern and interest from people throughout the world. Even the media (in general), which does not always cover the Church in the most positive way, has been very generous in their concern and coverage of the Holy Father’s current crisis.
As we pray for Pope Francis’ recovery and recuperation, we are aware of his “advanced age” and just as any family who has experienced the sickness and decline of a loved one advanced in age, we learn that there are times when we need to learn to literally, “take things one day at a time.” We can also learn, at times like these, and invite others to learn how helpful prayer can be in moments of uncertainty. Often, when a loved one is sick, we experience an “emotional roller coaster” of good news and optimism, sometimes followed by a setback or a crisis and renewed uncertainty. Prayer can strengthen us during these times and can bring us “closer to God” and closer to one another. When a loved one receives medical care, we should also pray for the doctors, nurses, and medical professionals who are providing that care.
Pope Francis has reflected on this experience, even amid his illness. In a brief written Angelus Message released Sunday, March 2, the Holy Father noted, “It is precisely in these moments that we learn even more to trust in the Lord; at the same time, I thank God for giving me the opportunity to share in body and spirit the condition of so many sick and suffering people.” In his own illness, Pope Francis provides encouragement to anyone sick or suffering. We thank God for the Holy Father’s powerful witness to hope.
The outpouring of prayer and concern for Pope Francis during these past few weeks can help to remind us of and be an opportunity to reflect on what we believe and how we live our faith. One example of this can be found in the words that we profess towards the end of the Nicene Creed: “I believe in one, holy, catholic, and apostolic Church…” During this time of Pope Francis’ illness, we can see and experience these four “marks” or characteristics of the Church in a powerful way. As we pray for Pope Francis at this time, hopefully, we are “united” (one); since we are praying, we are a little more “holy”; we experience our “Catholicity” (universality), as people from “all corners of the earth” are united in prayer; and, as we pray for the “Successor of Peter,” we are aware that Jesus founded the (apostolic) Church on Peter and the apostles.
As I reflect on the experience of being united in prayer for Pope Francis at this time, I also would like to ask for prayers for two additional “special intentions.” On the first weekend of Lent, March 7 to 9, we will have our “second annual” Vocation Discernment Retreat. God willing, more than 20 young men will gather with me, our Vocation director, Father Ed Rama, our assistant Vocation director, Father Charlie Lana, other priests, and seminarians for a weekend Retreat at the Loyola Jesuit Center in Morristown. I am happy to report that, thanks to the efforts of Father Rama, Father Lana, with the support of many pastors, priests, parish leaders, and vocation ministry teams, and thanks to many prayers, we have seen an increase in young men considering a possible vocation to priesthood in our diocese. The Weekend Discernment Retreat is a wonderful opportunity for young men to “get away” from the distractions of the world and daily life, to spend some quality “quiet time” in prayer and reflection, and also to be in conversation with priests, seminarians, and peers. I ask all readers to please pray for all of us who will be part of the Discernment Retreat.
There may be some readers who are thinking or asking, “What about vocations to Religious Life?” and women and men who may be called to consecrated life as Sisters or Brothers? THANK YOU to those who are asking those questions! I encourage you to go to our diocesan website and click on vocations — or on this link — where you can find information about opportunities for those discerning a call to Consecrated (Religious) Life. Let us pray also for an increase in vocations to the priesthood, Religious Life, the Deaconate, Marriage, and single life.
The second special intention is a request to pray for the hundreds of women and men who are preparing to enter the Church by receiving the Sacraments of Initiation at Easter. Those who have never been baptized and will receive Baptism, Communion, and Confirmation we call catechumens. Those who have been baptized but will be “fully initiated” by receiving Communion and Confirmation we call candidates. Most of them have spent close to two years in a process of catechesis, formation, and preparation, called the Order of Christian Initiation for Adults (O.C.I.A.). These catechumens and candidates are an important part of the season of Lent. As a Church, as a diocese, and within parish communities, we pray in a special way for these “new” sisters and brothers, who will become fully initiated members of our community.
An important step on the journey, especially for the catechumens, is the Rite of Election, when they and their sponsors come to the Cathedral and are officially presented to and received by the bishop and, then, instead of being called catechumens, we call them the Elect. The Rite of Election usually takes place on the first Sunday of Lent, which will be this coming Sunday, March 9. On Saturday, March 8, the catechumens and candidates and their sponsors will participate in a Retreat Day at our St. Paul Inside the Walls Evangelization Center in Madison. I ask all readers to please keep all these sisters, brothers, and intentions in your prayers.
We certainly “have a lot to pray for,” but that is very often the case in our lives as disciples of our Lord Jesus, who teaches us “the necessity to pray always without becoming weary”. (Luke 18:1)
