February 9-10, 2002

My Dear Friends,

We live in a world of highly developed communications. We are very familiar with e-mail, faxes, and telephone answering machines. We use call waiting, call forwarding, and call identification. We expect immediate news reports from anywhere in the world and immediate replies to the e-mail etters we send. We have become experts in communication. We like to stay in touch.

As we begin this holy season of Lent, I ask you to become expert in spiritual communication. We know how much we like to talk to loved ones and friends. As Christians, we should also be eager to talk frequently to our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, whom we profess to love. This talking, this communication, we call prayer.

Prayer is essential to our spiritual life. Prayer brings us more fully into the presence of God and brings Christ more fully into our lives. As Catholics, we believe that the good which we do is achieved by the grace of God working with and through our natural gifts. Prayer brings to us an increase of this supernatural gift of grace, thus making us ever more effective instruments of achieving good in this world. Our world, which is beset by evils like terrorism and materialism, needs so greatly to see the goodness and charity of Christ. It needs to see the loving, compassionate face of Christ. That face can only be seen when it is reflected in the faces of those who love and serve Him. Is this easy? No, but it is possible, and is made easier by frequent and sincere prayer. It is prayer which makes us more aware of our relationship to Christ and strengthens His grace-filled presence within us.

For Catholics, the Mass is the greatest prayer, "the source and summit" of our Christian life. In the Eucharist we truly meet and receive our Lord. To this great prayer I encourage you to add private prayer in all its forms. Our world today needs peace, spiritual awareness, and social justice. Each Lent we strive to improve ourselves and our world through prayer, fasting and almsgiving. Each of these is good. All are important. This Lent, I urge you to improve your life of prayer. Pray often. Pray well. Keep in touch with our Lord. May God bless you.

Yours sincerely in Christ,

BISHOP OF HAMILTON