Most Reverend Jerome E. Listecki
Archbishop of Milwaukee
Now that the Labor Day weekend is over, it’s like that bumper sticker that says: “I owe, I owe, it’s off to work I go.” One of the troubling realities is that the United States government owes over 19 trillion dollars in debt. In real numbers, that is $19,000,000,000,000.00. It is definitely more than I have in my piggy bank. Imagine the interest that is accumulating every day.
I had a friend who passed away recently. An extremely intelligent doctor, he would argue with me about the national debt and its effect on the general economy. There was a character that the famous Chicago columnist, Mike Royko, would parody. His name was “Slats Grobnick.” Slats represented the common man. He would worry about the deployment of troops, unions and the national debt, just to mention a few, and Slats would fret as if Armageddon was about to occur. I used to tease my friend, explaining that debt is a good thing. It balances the interaction and creates an interdependency of nations upon one another. He would counter that eventually the chickens come home to roost. Well, if my friend were alive today, I would be eating my share of crow, because today I worry about the national debt. It is obvious to me we cannot continue to sustain that building interest. Availability of good paying jobs, lack of confidence in the economy and the loss of credit don’t bode well for the future of the American economy.
You might ask why the Archbishop of Milwaukee would worry about the economy. I worry about everything that affects the people of the archdiocese, as well as the citizens of the United States. The one characteristic that gives me a hopeful sense is that the men and women of the United States have an entrepreneurial spirit. However, it needs to be energized. As a Church, we practice good stewardship by having a proper assessment of the use and ownership of the good entrusted to us by our God. Perhaps I have become “Slats,” and worry too much about honoring my debts and properly using the good entrusted to us for the common good.
This past weekend did produce one great celebration: the canonization of Mother Teresa of Calcutta. I had the privilege of offering Mass for the community that carries her name, Blessed Teresa of Calcutta in North Lake, Wis. If you ask most Catholics who they think was the most saintly person in the last 100 years, without a doubt they would probably say Mother Teresa of Calcutta. The Church officially recognizes this “sensum fidelium” (the sense of the faithful) in elevating her to the title of Saint.
Pope Francis wanted to highlight Mother Teresa, especially in this Year of Mercy. Just think, this Albanian woman who had absolutely nothing, influenced an entire world with her compassion and generosity toward the poorest of the poor. She was even recognized with the Nobel Peace Prize. But most importantly, she allowed God to direct her life, and through it demonstrated His loving presence.
Even Slats Grobnik would have recognized this simple goodness, measured beyond dollars and cents, and would have found comfort in sister’s compassion and fulfillment of the command to LOVE ONE ANOTHER.
Note: This blog originally appeared as the September 6, 2016 "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.