From the Pastor

by Fr. David Halm, C.S.C.  |  07/23/2023  |  Pastor's Letter

Today’s second reading, Romans 8:26-27, says “The Spirit comes to the aid of our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes with inexpressible groanings.” At first glance that might seem a little disheartening for all of us who have been praying all our lives and think we’ve gotten pretty good at it… “What do you mean we don’t know how to pray as we ought?!”

We priests pray our breviary and its psalms five times a day as well as make time for meditation and liturgy. I know most of us in SJV Parish also make the rosary and scriptural reflection essential daily prayer. Many spend time each day or each week in the Blessed Sacrament Chapel. Yet, here Saint Paul writes that the Holy Spirit comes to help us human beings because, in our human weakness, we don’t know how to pray as we ought… But thanks be to God the Spirit is praying for us and with us in the profoundest way!

Perhaps a helpful image to understand this is that of the little baby who wakes at 3:00am and cries out. She probably does not know what is causing her discomfort: she might need a diaper-change; or feeding; perhaps she’s getting a fever; or perhaps is scared of a noise which woke her up. The little baby cannot verbally express what is her need. Probably she does not even know. So she just cries and trusts that mom and dad will come and take care of her! Isn’t that what God has promised us, His adopted sons and daughters? Why can’t we just cry out - even if we don’t really know or understand why we are feeling like we are - and take God at His Word that He will come and take care of us? (Mt 11:28, 1 Pt 5:7, Lk 12:7)

The Holy Spirit prays for us and with us with groanings so deep and powerful that they are inexpressible. And so we Christians can sing with Isaac Watt’s great British hymn: At the Cross, at the Cross where I first saw the light / And the burden of my heart rolled away / It was there by faith I received my sight / And now I am happy all the day!

There is so much good information in this bulletin - a huge thanks to Karina Rocha in our parish office for her hard work and creative mind in making this all possible. Please take a few minutes to read it and join us for the various reflections, study, and prayer opportunities. Stay cool, hydrated, maybe sneak in a nap, and break open the family Bible. We know that the family that prays together, stays together!

Fr. David Halm, C.S.C.

Pastor