August 17, 2021
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
Last Tuesday, a violent, late-night storm raced through southeastern Wisconsin. Of course, I was in bed and as usual I slept through the sounds that were created by the violent winds, thunder, and lightning.
It was around 3 a.m., that I woke from my sleep to perform the normal ritual for an old man. It was then that I reached out to turn on the lights, but the lamp did not light. Half asleep, I thought, great, the light bulb burnt out.
Stumbling my way toward the bathroom, I then tried the overhead lights and again no lights. Looking around I realized the telephone landline light was not on, nor was the cable light indicator.
I proceeded to stub my toe in a feeble attempt to get to the bathroom. This was not the first time that electricity was cut off due to a storm, so I figured the lights would return shortly. Therefore, I returned to the safety of my pillow and covers.
Arising at my normal 5 a.m., power still had not been restored. Again, I thought, well it is just a matter of time. But it was not a matter of time and I encountered one inconvenience after the other interrupting my normal routine. No hot oatmeal, instead cold cereal; no Keurig hot coffee, instead a glass of water; and no ability to read the morning newspaper unless I was near an open window, stealing a few rays from the rising sun.
My cell phone was not charged, the computer was down, and it seemed that all means of social communication had been shut down. So, I could do nothing but wait. It was then that I started to understand how spoiled we are as a people and how much we take for granted.
Most of the populations of the world do not have access to the luxuries that we possess on a daily basis. I, and we, at times are frustrated by the inconveniences created by the loss of the power that provides for our comfortable and supportive life (hot and cold running water, an abundance of fuel for our vehicles, electricity, etc.). You don’t think of your hand until you can’t use it. And then, perhaps you might give thanks.
When the power was returned there was a feeling of a return to a normal life.
There is an ultimate power, one we could never do without and that is Divine Power, the power of God. Understanding the Divine Power, we realize that if God ceases to hold us in his mind, we cease to exist. Yet many go through life without even considering this divine power, without considering God.
God became man. “The incarnation” gives us an ability to embrace a source that unites all of us through the ultimate power of His love. His crucifixion paid the price for our sins, a debt which we can never repay. It returned us to the destiny that God intended for us. Yet gratitude to God is the most neglected of prayers.
There is a way for us not to take for granted the divine power. It is by understanding that God’s loves us and we must LOVE ONE ANOTHER.
Sincerely,
Most Reverend Jerome E. Listecki
Archbishop of Milwaukee
