Most Reverend Jerome E. Listecki Archbishop of Milwaukee
Remember when you were a kid? There were certain actions that just sent shivers through your body. The dragging of fingernails across a blackboard, sandpaper rubbing against sandpaper, or a nail scraping against a metal car door. It would just cause you to cringe. In a couple of weeks, we will hear individuals give commencement addresses to our graduates. They will encourage graduates to succeed in life and offer them some type of sage advice. One statement that causes me to cringe like the scraping of metal against metal is, “you must believe in yourselves.” I know that most speakers are merely trying to bolster the confidence of the graduates, but there is something shortsighted and just plain wrong in saying, “believe in yourself.” Have confidence, yes. Dare to risk, of course. Be bold in your dreams, definitely. However, when it comes to belief, believe in God. We are sinners and our human nature will, at times fail us, but God will not. The solid foundation of our belief in God, gives us the opportunity to see beyond this world, to understand that there is a greater plan and that we are not alone. If we fail, there is someone who will offer us forgiveness and strengthen us to begin again. I’ve read that this will be the first generation of young people who thinks they will not have a better life than their parents. The American dream has been compromised. Perhaps, if we refocus our attention on what made us great, we will once again possess the vision that generated our greatness as a people. I would offer to you that one aspect of our greatness is the belief in God and the willingness to defend our freedoms, which come from Him. Believing in God does not create a dead end, but will instead assist us to become the person God intends us to be – one that recognizes our need to LOVE ONE ANOTHER.
Note: This blog originally appeared as the April 28, 2015 "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.
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