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Dear and beloved diocesans, brothers and sisters,
It has already been five months since my induction as the shepherd of the Archdiocese of Olomouc, and I reach out to you with my first pastoral letter.
As I read the early works of some of my predecessors, often reflecting the times in which they were created, I pondered how I should address you? Should I mention the darker sides of the current events: wars, moral decline, and division in the world and the church, or should I rather adopt an optimistic tone and remind you of the positive impacts of the bishops' synod on synodality, or perhaps speak of the hope that something new and beautiful is born in every moment in both the world and the church?
In the end, I decided to "reflect" in my letter from the feast of the archangels Michael, Gabriel, and Raphael, which falls on today's date. The interpretation of their names can provide us with basic orientation and direction: to perceive God more. Michael indeed means: Who is like God, Gabriel: God has shown His strength, Raphael: God has healed. In today's time, we are saturated with all kinds of comments, and therefore it is good to return to the idea of transcendence – the supremacy of God. To this end, I would like to offer you two impulses based on today’s Word of God.
In the first reading and in the gospel, we heard about how God manifested His power through the action of the Holy Spirit. And God does not remain silent today either. It is important that we do not stay only at opinions and comments, but realize that our God walks with us and manifests Himself in a similar way as in the time of Moses or Jesus, bearing witness that "Whoever is not against us is with us."
The words of the prophet Micah have a strong impact on me: "I look for the Lord, I wait for the God of my salvation; my God will hear me. Do not rejoice over me, my enemy; when I fall, I shall rise; when I sit in darkness, the Lord is my light." For us to be able to emulate such behavior in our own lives, we need to adjust our relationship with prayer. There are many ways to pray, and it is not about choosing one single right way for everyone; what matters much more is our faithfulness in prayer. Some find closeness in attending Mass even on weekdays, others in evening adoration, while another finds peace in praying the rosary or the Divine Mercy chaplet. If you have not yet found your style of prayer, I ask you, brothers and sisters, to attempt to choose one now and be faithful in it, and you will see its fruits. This is my request and advice.
The Word of God for this Sunday can also encourage us to a personal decision: Do not conform to the world! This is how we can perceive Jesus' words in the gospel about the necessity to cut off a hand, or a foot, or an eye if they lead us away from God, and similarly echo the words about the inappropriate lifestyle in the time of the Apostle James, who condemned the accumulation of wealth and the dishonest actions of the rich. We live in a world where many behaviors and actions are considered normal, even though they are not in accordance with God's law and commandments. However, this does not mean that we should focus on the actions of others and start pointing out everything that contradicts the understanding of Christian morality in our world and in the church. It is more useful to focus first on our own lives and try to recognize what is not right in it, what is sinful, what creates an obstacle to God's action in our lives. This needs to be named, changed, and removed so that we do not lose what God offers us and what the world can never give!
As you surely know, brothers and sisters, some decisions are good to express with a visible gesture. Since my inauguration, I have been asked several times whether the circumstances of our time are a challenge to renew the act of consecration of our archdiocese to the Blessed Virgin Mary. After considering this proposal and discussing it with my collaborators, I have decided to heed it. I would be very pleased if you would join me under the guidance of your pastors in your parishes. This act, associated with the desire to renounce what distances us from God, and with the determination to strengthen our relationship with God through the chosen form of prayer, will take place on Sunday, October 13, 2024, at the conclusion of the Holy Mass. We are supported by what was pronounced in 2000 during the interpretation of the Fatima revelation by the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith: "The Blessed Virgin Mary, who appeared in Fatima, draws our attention to these forgotten values, to the future of man in God, in which man plays an active and responsible role. The Fatima message, with its urgent call to conversion and penance, actually leads to the heart of the gospel."
I thank you, dear diocesan members, for receiving these thoughts and your determination to try to bring them into your lives.
With gratitude, in prayerful connection, and with blessings
+Josef Nuzík, Archbishop of Olomouc and Metropolitan of Moravia
