A time to focus on prayers

	Bishop Robert J. Banks

First, let me thank all those who helped me to celebrate my 75th birthday. I probably had more people serenade me with "Happy Birthday to You" this year than in all previous years put together. There is no doubt that I received more birthday cakes. Just check the waistlines of the employees who share our coffee break.

Lent
• Lent-related articles  • 2003 Lenten Wish List  • Lenten rules (2/28 issue)

Then there were all the cards, notes, spiritual bouquets and flowers. The students in our schools and religious education programs deluged my office with artwork and greetings. And, of course, I especially appreciate all the prayers that were promised.

The 75th birthday was also the day on which I submitted my resignation to our Holy Father, Pope John Paul II. To make sure the letter made it to the right mailbox, I delivered it myself to the main post office in Green Bay. There were some well wishers who wanted to form a procession of cars for the occasion, but I felt that kind of show could be interpreted in more than one way.

Until accepted

As has already been explained, the resignation does not take effect until I receive a letter of acceptance from the Holy Father or the appropriate office of the Holy See. That could come next week, next month, next fall or next year. I think it best for the Diocese that it come sooner rather than later. While I do not intend to act like a lame duck during this period of time, it is inevitable that I might seem to resemble one.

On Thursday, I was told by a post office official in one of our towns that a response had already been received from the Vatican. It landed in his post office by mistake and was opened by mistake. It said that the Holy Father had decided that the age for resignation should be 80. (Just kidding.)

While I was thoroughly enjoying the celebration of this very special birthday, the world was trying to cope with the specter of war. Whatever side a person might take concerning the justice of a preemptive war in Iraq, I think we all would prefer that the problem of Saddam Hussein's regime be solved in some way other than war. It seems to me that just about everyone agrees war should always be a last resort. So we should all be able to join in prayer for a peaceful way to end the threat posed by Iraq. Our Holy Father asks that we join fasting to our prayers.

I ask all our parishes and institutions to place prayer for a peaceful resolution of the Iraq crisis high up on the prayer list. Special prayer services for peace would be particularly appropriate during the first weeks of the Lenten season.

How good God has been

Which brings me back to the subject on which our Diocesan Stewardship Thrust focuses during this season of Lent: prayer. Just to refresh your memory, Stewardship is about conversion or a change of heart. We are to become more aware of how good God has been to each one of us. In return, we determine to be more generous in giving our lives over to God. Three of the principal ways we can do that are prayer, service to neighbor and sharing. During this season of Lent, we focus on prayer, trying to be more prayerful in our daily lives.

Regular readers of this column know that I have written about this before. One of those regular readers said to me that she would like to get more into prayer, but she just doesn't have the time. Also, the usual prayers really do not appeal that much to her. She is not attracted to being like a sister or priest who has all kinds of time for prayer and who is used to all that kind of praying.

I would say that her reaction is probably shared by many. And it makes me question just what kind of prayer life I should be lifting up as the right kind for this kind of person. I certainly do not think that the ideal for everyone is the prayer life that a priest or sister is supposed to lead. (Let me say here that I know lay persons who have a more intense prayer life than the one we recommend to priests and sisters.)

St. Paul lays down advice for all of us, bishops, religious and laity: we should pray always. Spiritual writers have been trying for centuries to explain how we can do that in practice. I shall just leave St. Paul's words as a challenge, while I offer some much more modest pieces of advice.

Be aware

So in response to that reader who has difficulty fitting prayer into her life, it might be helpful to say that simple awareness of God's presence, with or without any words, is a basic and powerful way of prayer.

For instance, we can be aware of God's presence in the world. Everything that exists is held in existence by God. Whether it is a beautiful sunset or the mystery of a huge jet airplane staying in the air, or any tree, it can remind us of God's existence. Our own body is something wonderful. I know a couple of college students whose anatomy class has involved them in the dissection and study of a human body. They are awed and fascinated by the wonderful complexity. Our body is God's gift to each of us, and available at all times as a visible, tangible reminder of God's goodness.

God's signs

Then there is God's presence in the events and relationships of our daily lives. St. Paul says the signs that God's Spirit is active in our lives are love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Just think of all the times in an average day we experience one of those signs, whether it be controlling our exasperation with someone or enjoying a person's company.

So for this Lent, we simply try to be more aware of God's presence in our lives.