This week we hear from Anne and Stephen Kali who are lifelong parishioners at St. Patrick Parish who look forward to celebrating their 70th wedding anniversary in September.
For many years we as Roman Catholic Christians have relied on our parish priest and religious to help guide us and provide direction in our religious faith and beliefs. While acts of stewardship have always been part of our lives, the renewed emphasis on stewardship has many ways and forms of enactment. An example may be our recent St. Patrick Lenten fish frys. The joy and love of providing service was quite evident of one example of stewardship. Other examples may be assisting the poor; acts of kindness; educating and guiding our children; leading and setting Christian examples in our daily lives. At this point I would like to focus on another form of Stewardship and that is, stewardship in prayer that involves a personal matter. About three years ago my wife, Anne, following a routine medical examination was diagnosed with stage four lung cancer and her life’s long-term future looked dim. She immediately began to receive the available treatment for this condition. Due to the seriousness of Anne’s condition the cancer specialist and staff not just prescribed medication with specialized treatment but in their assertive and compassionate manner prescribed power of prayer. As one doctor said, “Pray a lot!” As family and friends learned of Anne’s condition, they too added their prescription of prayer. In the past year Anne’s condition has stabilized and the outlook for the future is positive with caution. The medical staff providing weekly care for Anne has used the term “miracle” for her present condition and now are including the power of prayer as part of her continued treatments. As reflected in Palm Sunday’s readings in Mark 14:1-15:47, the passion for prayer in times of distress certainly holds true in this case. As Anne’s husband, I offer my heartfelt thanks and gratitude for the many expressions of love and the prayer offerings for Anne’s well-being.
Thank you,
Stephen Kali