By Bishop James Conley
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ:
Greetings to all of you! I would like to take this opportunity of the upcoming celebration of the Solemnity of Pentecost to give you a brief update on my personal health and well-being. I would also like to assure you of my solidarity in prayer during these difficult and unprecedented times of the coronavirus pandemic.
First of all, thank you for your steadfast prayers over these past months since I announced my medical leave from the diocese, in order to address issues surrounding anxiety and depression. I am grateful for all of these prayers and the letters of support that I have received.
Additionally, I want to sincerely thank Archbishop Lucas for his support and for stepping in for me as apostolic administrator of the diocese during my absence.
Who could have imagined back in December that we would be facing a global pandemic with the coronavirus? Being away from the diocese during this unforeseen crisis has been particularly painful. I have been praying for the people of the Diocese of Lincoln to have courage, serenity and peace during this time of uncertainty. In a particular way, I have been praying for those who have contracted the virus, those on the front lines of fighting it, and all affected by the virus.
I am happy to say that I’m improving with each new day during this time of rest and recovery. It’s still a slow process, but I think I’m finally headed in the right direction.
For the past two months I’ve been offering Mass every other day for a convent of sisters, alternating with Bishop Thomas Olmsted, Bishop of Phoenix and a priest of the Diocese of Lincoln. Combined with weekly meetings with a Catholic psychological therapist, regular spiritual direction, exercise, rest and plenty of sunshine, I’m beginning to see some light at the end of this long, dark tunnel. While I’m not back to full health and strength, I’m doing better than I was, thanks be to God and to the prayers of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
I congratulate our six new priests and two new deacons, who were ordained last week. While I am saddened that I was not able to be present for these ordinations, I watched via livestream, offering my fervent prayers for these young men, who are generously giving their lives in service to Jesus Christ and his Church.
These ordinations are a needed bright light in the darkness brought about by the pandemic. It is a source of great joy, and a visible example of the work of the Holy Spirit in the Diocese of Lincoln.
The Solemnity of Pentecost reminds us that the Holy Spirit is present in the midst of the world. When Jesus ascends to his heavenly Father, we know that he is not abandoning us. He does not leave us orphaned but remains present in a new way through the Spirit.
We recall that throughout his public ministry, Jesus reminds his disciples that he will send the Holy Spirit. He tells them, “and I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate to be with you always, the Spirit of truth…” (John 14:16). In saying this, the sanctifying work of Jesus, the truths that he taught, and the shepherding of his people, continue in our world today through the power of the Holy Spirit.
The Holy Spirit is ever ancient, ever new. The Spirit transcends the present moment, for he is above all fashions, fads, cultures, and conventions. The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of Christ and his Father. Indeed, he is the personified love between the Father and the Son. He is the God who existed before the wisest men on earth; the God who created our human nature; the God who loves us deeply, and constantly pursues us with his love.
The Book of Acts records the Spirit descending upon the early Church as tongues of fire — setting the world aflame for Jesus Christ. One of the great blessings of a bishop is to administer the Sacrament of Confirmation, where similar graces are bestowed on the confirmands. While we don’t see tongues of fire on those who are confirmed, that is what is taking place interiorly within their souls and they are being equipped with the gifts of missionary discipleship.
The Lord wants us to enjoy a good and fulfilling life. This fulfillment comes when we allow him into our souls to transform us. As the Psalmist says, “Unless the Lord build the house, they labor in vain who build. Unless the Lord guard the city, in vain does the guard keep watch” (Psalm 127).
St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, who was a convert to convert faith like myself and the first native-born saint in the United States, had a beautiful insight into the interior life, the inner activity of the soul. She said that the interior life is “the continuation of our Savior’s life in us; that the great object of all his mysteries is to merit for us the grace of his interior life and communicate it to us, it being the end of his mission to lead us into the sweet land of promise, a life of constant union with himself.”
We are all called to be saints. At the moment of our baptism, we received God’s life in us. God wants this to continue for all eternity. During this upcoming celebration of Pentecost, we remember that Christ sent the Holy Spirit to draw men and women into relationship with him—to move in their hearts, by grace, in order to bring them to the fullness of life in Christ Jesus.
Recently we marked the 100th anniversary of the birth of Saint John Paul II. The clarion call of his pontificate was to ‘be not afraid’ of the future. The antidote to fear is hope. In his own words: “I plead with you—never, ever give up on hope, never doubt, never tire, and never become discouraged. Be not afraid.”
May the Holy Spirit guide you and sustain you throughout your lives. May he give you peace in this life and in the world to come. Be assured of my prayers during these difficult, uncertain, and troublesome times. I ask that you keep me in your prayers as well.
