Oremus pro invicem! I’ve been concluding this column with this simple Latin phrase for the overwhelming majority of my tenure at Saint Richard. It was a fairly common phrase around the seminary, but out here in the real world, it’s not used as often as it should be. So, as a refresher: it’s translated as, “Let us pray for one another!” As I finish my time here at the parish, it seems to be a phrase worth reflecting on.
In his encyclical letter Novo Millennio Ineunte, Saint John Paul II wrote, “Is it not one of the ‘signs of the times’ that in today’s world, despite widespread secularization, there is a widespread demand for spirituality, a demand which expresses itself in large part as a renewed need for prayer? Other religions, which are now widely present in ancient Christian lands, offer their own responses to this need, and sometimes they do so in appealing ways. But we who have received the grace of believing in Christ, the revealer of the Father and the Savior of the world, have a duty to show to what depths the relationship with Christ can lead.” What can be deeper than praying for one another? It is at once an act of humility, of selflessness, and of love. And, of course, it is certainly Christ-like.
So let us pray for another. Let us pray that we all grow in holiness. Let us pray that we always have the courage to say yes to God’s call. Let us pray that we always have hearts open and ready to forgive those who have wronged us. Let us pray that we have eyes open to see the needs of our brothers and sisters, and hands that are ready to serve them. Let us pray that we all have the wisdom and understanding to navigate the transitions that the On Mission initiative will bring to our parish and our diocese. Let us pray that we all do the work of building up God’s Kingdom here on earth. And let us pray that we all get to heaven.
And in your charity, please pray for me.
Oremus pro invicem!
Fr. Mike
For those wanting to keep in touch, my new mailing address will be:
119 W. Chestnut St., Washington, PA 15301
My email remains
[email protected] And my blog, which I sometimes manage to post my homilies to, is at
http://fathermikeconway.com