Most Reverend Jerome E. Listecki
Archbishop of Milwaukee
 

It was hard to believe that there was that “white stuff” covering the ground when I woke up Sunday morning. As I addressed the congregation at the 8 a.m. Mass at the Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist, I announced that I wanted to see the person who ordered snow, after Mass, so that I could impose a penance on him or her. Come on, it’s only mid-November (winter begins Dec. 21) which means we could be seeing this white stuff into April!

Perhaps I am overreacting, but our last winter was so long and brutal, that this early taste of winter is a reminder of what might be in store for us. Now, I don’t believe I am “soft.” However, the combination of extreme cold and snow can wear on the psyche of a person.

I think of the missionaries who brought the faith to this community hundreds of years ago; no indoor heating, hot water tanks or insulation. They put up with the elements because they had a message introducing people to Jesus Christ, which was more important than any personal suffering they had to endure. Still, Père Marquette breaking through the ice in the morning that he might retrieve some water to drink is an image that makes me shiver.

We often talk about the need for evangelization of the faith. There is no one who would deny the mission or its importance. The obstacles we face today to spread The Word, are a bit of personal inconvenience compared to what the missionaries endured. The spread of the Gospel for the missionaries was life threatening. Our most common obstacle is motivation.

Our faith was secured for us generations ago. Now, we must claim the faith for ourselves anew. I believe that it is similar to wealth or privilege handed down from prior generations. We must learn to be as worthy of the wealth or privilege that we possess as our ancestors who earned it.

We are a community that is rich in its commitment to the faith. We live on the shoulders of trailblazing missionaries and pioneers of faith. They carved a life for the Catholic Church in this Midwestern territory, despite the seasonal obstacles that confronted them. Let us be worthy to receive their gift by our willingness to share the faith and proclaim it even when it’s inconvenient.

As the snow falls and the temperature drops, we accept the challenge to live the faith and profess it through all obstacles. Let it snow. Let it snow. Let it snow and let us LOVE ONE ANOTHER.

Note: This blog originally appeared as the November 18, 2014 "Love One Another" email sent to Catholics throughout the Archdiocese of Milwaukee by Archbishop Jerome E. Listecki. If you are interested in signing up for these email messages, please click here.