Most Reverend Jerome E. Listecki
Archbishop of Milwaukee
 

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

I have often been confronted by past students who have presented me with my own words spoken in class or presentations. They will say to me, “I remember — Fr. Jerry or Bishop Jerry — when you said ...” Funny enough, most of the time I do not remember. Perhaps the reason is because I do not deem my pronouncements worthy of being encased in memory.

There are other times when someone will offer a statement that I made in a homily or as advice, and I will say to myself, “Hey, that’s not bad.” I know one thing for certain — I am always on terra firma (solid ground) when referencing or quoting Scripture or the teachings of the Church.

In the world in which we live, there are many voices that claim authority. But too often, ideologies appear persuasive to many that actually have no true substance; they merely want to influence. At other times, we admire individuals and want to rely upon their testimony, only to find out that their foundation is based on “do what I say, not what I do.”

On a recent trip to Poland, our pilgrimage visited the religious community of St. Faustina Kowalska. This is the religious sister who offered to us and to the world the Divine Mercy devotion. St. Faustina had a profound effect on St. John Paul II, who declared the Sunday after Easter for the entire Church to be Divine Mercy Sunday.

While in Poland, the mother superior of the religious community offered to me an envelope with several slips of paper in it that had various sayings collected from St. Faustina. She told me that St. Faustina had a message for all of us, and that I should offer these slips of paper to members of our group and have them select at random a message from the saint, which was meant for them to ponder and mediate upon. She first offered the envelope to me for my selection. As I read the message, I was shocked, then I totally understood. It read, “Trust no one, place your trust only in the Lord.”

In a world with conflicting voices, there is only one voice that supplies an absolute truth, and that is the Lord. We live in a time in the history of our country when contentious factions vie for our attention and our support. Everything seems to be politicized, and every position claims virtue. Yet objective truth is denied by our secular society, and when one scratches the surface of the clamoring voices demanding our attention, what is often exposed is personal gain or deception.

With all sides claiming absolute truth, the voices become loud, and the louder the voice, the more the attention it gains. The actual truth is ignored in favor of manipulation. Many have told me of their own confused feelings and anxiety, and I have offered this advice to them: turn off the radio, television and internet. Open the Scriptures, especially the New Testament, and read a passage. Meditate on that passage using the Lectio Divina encouraged by Pope Benedict XVI and pray the words offered by St. Faustina: “Jesus, I trust in you.”

Many of our saints refused to deny the truth and paid the ultimate price. Their strength rested in the Lord and the Church. The Holy Spirit filled them with an abiding confidence that the world could not shake. That same Holy Spirit is available to us. So, be at peace, and like St. John Paul II would often say, “be not afraid.”

Hear the words of Jesus who tells us, I give you a new commandment: LOVE ONE ANOTHER.     

Sincerely,

Most Reverend Jerome E. Listecki

Archbishop of Milwaukee          

Note: This blog originally appeared as the June 4, 2024, "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.