PROVIDENCE – It isn’t uncommon for a priest to open his mailbox and discover amidst the flyers and the bills a letter from his bishop.
Financial matters.
Diocesan programs.
Church policies.
They’re all important – even vital – issues, and focusing on them is necessary for governance.
Last week, however, priests in the Diocese of Providence found a different kind of missive from Bishop Thomas J. Tobin: a four-page letter contemplating “the primacy of grace.”
In an interview last Friday, the Bishop explained that the letter was inspired “relatively recently, prompted by some individual conversations with priests, and conversations at a recent meeting of the Priests Council.”
Approaching Holy Thursday, the commemoration of the gift of the ministerial priesthood, Bishop Tobin felt, “It’s good, it’s important, to do something a little more personal, a little more spiritual, for the Bishop to try to set the spiritual tone for his priests.”
The letter, dated Holy Thursday, was sent March 10 in order to give priests ample time for contemplation during Holy Week.
Addressed “Dear Brothers in Christ,” the Bishop begins with Scripture:
“I am the vine, you are the branches. Whoever remains in me and I in him will bear much fruit, because without me you can do nothing.” (Jn. 15:5)
“Reflecting on the challenging problems that priests deal with every day,” the Bishop explained, “[the letter] is an attempt to say that we cannot forget the presence of God, and the primacy of grace in our lives.”
“Without Christ we can do nothing” is a thread woven throughout the letter, whether it be quotes from Scripture, the wisdom of Pope John Paul II, or the thoughtful interpretations of the Bishop.
“Our late Holy Father, Pope John Paul II, wrote of the ‘primacy of grace’ in his 2001 Apostolic Letter...with words that seem to address our situation perfectly,” wrote Bishop Tobin, going on to quote the Holy Father:
“Thee is a temptation which perennially besets every spiritual journey and pastoral work: that of thinking that the results depend on our ability to act and to plan. God of course asks us to really cooperate with his grace, and therefore invites us to invest all our resources of intelligence and energy in serving the cause of the Kingdom. But it is fatal to forget that ‘without Christ we can do nothing.’”
Prayer, the Bishop advises, is central to the spiritual journey. “In fact, prayer is the foundation of our ministry – deep, personal, intimate prayer. Since we don’t live in a monastic world, though, the discipline of prayer can be challenging. But even when we’re busy, tired or discouraged, we should try to pray, though we might hear the words of Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane gently spoken to us: “Could you not keep watch for one hour?....The spirit is willing but the flesh is weak.”
Indeed, virtually every paragraph in the letter invites contemplation.
The Bishop tells his pastors: “My dear brothers, as I have said to you so often, I am filled with affection for you and with admiration and gratitude for your generous service to the Lord.”
And in that spirit, Bishop Tobin told RI Catholic, “I hope to do something similar on an occasional basis in the future.”
The letter may be viewed here: http://ricatholic.sprintout.com/static/story_images/1205868650.pdf
