The New Evangelization

As we approach the 50th anniversary of the beginning of the Second Vatican Council, there is a lot of talk and hope for a revitalization of the faith, the personal faith of individuals and the faith-in-practice of the community of the People of God, the Church.  A lot has been said and written about these fifty years but a little known story about Pope Paul VI might shed some light on the goal of The Year Of Faith proposed by Pope Benedict XVI, which begins tomorrow.
 After the closing of the Council in 1965, Pope Paul VI was relaxing one evening with a group of Cardinals who were entuhsiastically reviewing the accomplishments of the council and the work that was ahead to implement its documents and decisions.  They asked the Holy Father what he thought the priorities should be:  the liturgy, ecumenism, collegiality, the "opening of windows" to a new spring?  Without hesitation he replied, "Prayer."  A simple answer, but not one expected by the cardinals.  And perhaps not one expected by us.  Yet, when we think for a moment, it becomes obvious that without prayer, the year ahead might simply be 12 months of words with no roots.  If the Church is to be reborn, then the rebirth must occur in the hearts of its members.  How do we pray...is it  just words, or from the heart;  does it us really transform us into another Jesus?  If we find shorfalls in our own prayer lives, then we can begin a personal renewal, or re-evangelization of ourselves.  From us, the renewal moves to the parish, the diocese, the Church.  Pope Paul's answer applies today as much as it did nearly 50 years ago.
Bro. Rene