2,600 students watch St. Joseph Day Mass from their classrooms

In homily, Bishop Kulick teaches them how to pray

By the Catholic Accent

GREENSBURG – During his homily at Blessed Sacrament Cathedral on the Feast of St. Joseph, Bishop Larry J. Kulick spoke directly to the 2,600 students in Catholic schools of the Diocese of Greensburg, watching through a livestream in their classrooms.

Bishop Kulick wanted to answer the request that he heard most often from young people during his synodal listening sessions: instruction on prayer.
“What a beautiful request,” Bishop Kulick said.

In formulating his answer, he thought back to his own childhood, through his young adult life and into the priesthood and now as Bishop, how he would answer the question for his younger self. 

Bishop Kulick said we need to look toward St. Joseph, the foster father of Jesus, as a model because of his quiet and humble way of conforming to God’s will through prayer and through a deep relationship with Christ. The bishop has entrusted the Diocese to the protection and guardianship of St. Joseph for the next three years.

Bishop Kulick offered the young Church three recommendations to achieve a vibrant prayer life.

“Pray regularly so that you make a habit of prayer,” he advised, saying that prayer should become something considered ordinary like breathing or eating.

“Prayer is communication, talking with and listening to God. We become better in communicating with God that same way we get better at sports or at dance or playing a musical instrument. We get better with practice.”

Bishop Kulick also encouraged young people to pray with family and friends, because praying together connects us with the people we love.

“I know that is not always easy,” he said, “especially in our culture today, where we intend to be independent and private. When we pray with others, we are able to learn from each other and hold each other accountable to pray. It’s just like having a coach when you’re playing sports or a teacher when you’re learning to play the piano.” 

Bishop Kulick reminded the faithful that St. Joseph taught Jesus to pray in their home in Nazareth. 

“When we pray together as a family, we become more like a holy family,” he said.

The bishop told young people to pray with the Church by attending Mass, recognizing that the Mass is the most perfect prayer that we have.

“When we pray with the Church, we are reminded that we are larger than ourselves. We are united to the living body of Christ,” Bishop Kulick said. “We not only strengthen our prayer life when we participate in Mass, but we also learn how to pray when we pay attention at Mass because as we engage in the prayer of the Church. The Church is teaching us how to pray.”

He reminded those at the Mass and watching online that St. Joseph brought Jesus to the temple regularly. His family would have participated in the life of the synagogue just as we  participate in the life of our parishes.

Bishop Kulick reminded the students that he prays them daily and asked them to do the same for him.

“If we continue to pray, we will continue to grow, not only as faith-filled people, but as people with a generous and kind heart, and we will grow in a beautiful relationship with our Lord.”