“Pray always and do not lose heart.”

My brothers,

There was a time, years ago, when I sat across from an armed drug dealer as an undercover Cop. I could sense the danger rising in the living room of a ‘Project Apartment’. He was suspicious of me, his hand on his weapon, and I knew that one wrong word could possibly end my life. In that moment, I didn’t have a speech, I simply prayed, “Holy Spirit, direct my words.” And He did. My words calmed the tension, and I walked away alive, with purchased evidence!

That memory has stayed with me because it taught me what Jesus teaches us in today’s Gospel: to pray always and not lose heart. When life presses hard - when fear, grief, or uncertainty surround us - the Holy Spirit is still there, waiting for us to invite Him in. As you are well aware, prayer is not a last resort; it is our lifeline.

Many of you are carrying heavy crosses right now; illness, aging parents, struggling children, wounds from ministry, or the quiet ache of fatigue. Like Moses on the hill, your arms may feel tired from holding them up in prayer. But remember: Moses did not stand alone. Aaron and Hur came beside him and lifted his arms until the victory was won.

Brothers, that’s what we must be for one another, men who hold up the arms of our brother deacon when he grows weary. That is what fraternity means. It is what the diaconate looks like in the heart of Christ: servants supporting servants, carrying one another toward heaven.

Let us also remember the two supports of prayer: silence and Scripture. In the silence of adoration, and in the living Word of God, our souls are steadied and our hearts strengthened.

So, if your cross feels heavy today, pray - not with perfect words, but with an honest heart. Let the Spirit direct your thoughts, calm your fears, and remind you that you are never alone. God hears. He acts. And through our persistent prayer, He transforms not only our circumstances, but us!

Fratres, semper orate. Nolite deficere animo: Domini est enim victoria. (Pray always, brothers. Do not lose heart: the victory belongs to the Lord).

In Christ the Servant + Ad Majorem Dei Gloriam

Receive + Believe + Teach + Practice