Together on the Journey: A Weekly Word from Archbishop Hebda
At yesterday’s celebration at the Cathedral marking the end of our 175th Jubilee Year, I was privileged to lead the congregation in a prayer consecrating our Archdiocese to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. It was a way of tying our local Church to the action undertaken by the bishops of our country last month in Orlando, consecrating our nation to the Sacred Heart as we celebrated the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence.
The action, however, had special significance for our Archdiocese: Historians tell us that we were the first diocese in the USA to be consecrated to the Sacred Heart, thanks to the vision of Bishop Thomas Langford Grace, OP, the second bishop of St. Paul, who had the practice of writing a letter to the faithful each year in September to encourage their devotion to the Sacred Heart. We sadly don’t hear too much about Bishop Grace, who seems to have been overshadowed by his larger-than-life successor, Archbishop John Ireland. But Bishop Grace, a scholarly Dominican, and his devotion to the Sacred Heart left quite an impact on the life of our Church. Father Marvin O’Connell’s history of the archdiocese describes Bishop Grace as “a portly, round-faced man” with “a permanently startled expression, to which, as the years passed, a corona of frizzled hair around a balding pate added a somewhat Pickwickian flavor to his appearance.” How could I not like him?
In the weeks since the consecration in Orlando, the beautiful Prayer to the Sacred Heart of Jesus has been very much on my own heart. One line of that prayer has been standing out to me: “From your pierced side, you have poured out the wellspring of life, for which we thirst.”
I was inspired yesterday afternoon by the testimonies offered by 12 women from around our archdiocese who had just completed the Cursillo weekend. They each spoke with tenderness about how the Lord had blessed their time and their generosity, reawakening in them a sense of their true thirst for Jesus and for the wellspring that poured forth from his heart. I understand that the testimonies were equally as moving last week as eight men completed the Cursillo.
And that is by no means limited to those making a Cursillo. Talk to our middle schoolers after a week at Extreme Faith Camp this summer or to any of the kids participating in our Totus Tuus camps around the archdiocese, and you will hear them they say much the same thing (with a few more “awesomes” thrown in). God is never outdone when it comes to generosity.
Wouldn’t it be wonderful if we would all make an extra effort this month to recognize the thirst God placed within us all for the wellspring of his love and mercy? If you currently go to Mass on Sundays only, perhaps try adding a daily Mass as you’re able. If you already attend daily Mass, perhaps spend some extra time in adoration. Jesus waits for us in the tabernacle and in our brothers and sisters in need. He thirsts for us and we thirst for him.
Finally, as you contemplate the love that pours forth from the Sacred Heart, don’t forget to pray for Bishop Kenney and for all our brothers and sisters facing health challenges. I know that he will be praying for us as he makes his pilgrimage in the footsteps of St. Olaf.
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