Most Reverend Jerome E. Listecki
Archbishop of Milwaukee
 

If my father were alive today, there is no doubt in my mind that he would love the Game Show Network. He enjoyed the competitions, and especially the word puzzles. It was fascinating for him to watch the contestants as they struggled to find answers to sometimes simple questions, and amazed when they responded correctly to some extremely difficult questions. Games have a way of equalizing what appears to be disadvantages, and even humbling the most talented among us.
 
Games are fun, and during my younger days as a priest, I would often find myself engaged in a competitive round of Charades or Trivial Pursuit with friends or parish family members. One particular game was Pictionary. It’s a seemingly simple game where you divide sides, and using an easel with paper, are given an item or a phrase to describe. You were challenged to draw the item or the phrase, and then wait for your teammates to decipher your descriptive images.
 
One evening, a close priest friend, Fr. Joe Jackson, and I enjoyed a dinner at the home of one of our mutual friends. At the end of the evening, the kids said, “Let’s play Pictionary.” Out came the easel, and the teams were divided up. The game continued at its normal pace. When it was Fr. Joe’s turn, he received the challenge of drawing an “inner tube.” Fr. Joe started to make all sorts of figures on the white paper of the easel. Answers were tossed out, but nothing was even close to the object he was given. As the time ended, he announced that the object he had attempted to convey was “inner tube.” He asked with exasperation,“How would you ever do this?” Little Maggie, the youngest member of the family and a member of his team, announced, “Oh, Fr. Joe, that’s easy.” Then, she took the magic marker and proceeded to draw, with accuracy, the perfect picture of an inner tube, complete with the air nozzle.
 
Now, Fr. Joe has a Ph.D. from the University of Chicago, and is one of the brightest priests I know. He possesses one of those rare degrees in the areas of social thought. However, in Pictionary, he was bested by a little girl who viewed his task as simple.
 
In my life of “gamesmanship,” I have often been bested by individuals, even when I supposedly had an advantage. This includes board, court and field games. But, with every opportunity to compete, I learned a little about myself and the individuals who I competed with and against. I can’t remember how many games of Monopoly I won or lost, how many kings I received in Checkers, or the number of interminable card games of War that I played with my grandmother. However, I do remember the joy of being with family and friends, and the arguments and laughs that deepened our relationship in the moments we spent together.
 
When playing games, we often become children. In fact, I believe that a key to enjoying any game is to allow oneself to be childlike. It’s that wonder that permits us to suspend advantages or differences, and capture the moment.
 
Jesus said to his disciples, “... unless you turn and become like children, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven” (Mt 18:3). So, I am ready with the wonder of a child to play the game that leads to eternal happiness. So, follow the directions that plainly state: LOVE ONE ANOTHER.
 

Note: This blog originally appeared as the February 5, 2019 "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.