Letters From Prison

When the Director of the Prison Ministry for the Diocese of Phoenix, Kevin Starrs, gave me the opportunity to join the Prison Ministry as a layman to minister to the inmates incarcerated in the Phoenix, Arizona jails, it was a true blessing in my life. At the close of the Catholic Service that I am assigned to lead in one of the jails in Phoenix, I sometimes ask the inmates if they would like to have their individual intentions prayed for by the Carmelite Missionary Sisters who are assigned to St. Daniel the Prophet Parish. The words of humility and repentance expressed in their personal prayer requests often leave me in awe.

Yes, it is true that sometimes the prisoners ask God to intervene in their legal cases. Those prayer requests are along the lines of something simple like: “I pray that I get out of Jail.” But, in most cases, the prisoners give thanks to God and ask the Carmelite sisters to pray for their family members. More than once, the prayers have brought tears to my eyes, because the words in the letters reveal a true change of direction in their lives. It is striking that these conversions are taking place in the most unlikely of places – a jail cell.

Reading the small sample of heartfelt prayer intentions from prisoners below reveal that they are neither beyond the reach of the Holy Spirit, nor the Mercy of Christ.

From MN: “We ask for God’s guidance once we are out so that we follow His path. For we can’t do this alone, because I need you Jesus.”

From C: “I ask to continue my growth in Christ, so I can continue to be a better husband and father.”

From GC: “Pray for my family and my mom…that I may be home soon with the Lord by my side. Amen”

From NM: “For all the homeless people in the country, may they find warmth and comfort physically and spiritually.”

From DJ: “Please pray and give thanks for the many blessings in our lives.”

From DW: “I would like a prayer for all the good things that God has given me throughout my life. Even though when I get out of jail I’ll be on probation, but I know God will be with me. Thank you.”

From JA: “Please pray for my sins. For my grandparents’ health, my parents and sisters; for everyone away from home in jail and prison.”

Through their letters, ironically, I discover that the prisoners are also ministering to me. They help me experience Luke 18: 13 in a very personal way. In the parable Jesus tells us: “But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even lift up his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying ‘God be merciful to me a sinner.’“

In my initial encounter with new prisoners, I confess that I am speaking to them as a sinner. In addition (since I cannot show them a picture of the all damage I’ve done in my life) I pass around my own “mug shot” photo from one of the two times I was indicted by the Federal Government. Although those cases against me were eventually dismissed, the hard faces of the inmates seem to soften when I reveal to them that God has forgiven me for all my past sins. By sharing stories of my past life with them, they come to understand that nobody – including them - is beyond God’s forgiveness.

Most of the inmates hear for the first time that it is the evil one “the father of all lies” that Jesus spoke of in John 8:44, who whispers to them these deceitful words at their moment of weakness: “You can never go back. God doesn’t want you anymore. You’re mine now. God doesn’t love you. Your sins are too great to turn your life around.” I confide that I know these lies well, because I have heard them all before in my own life.

It is not unusual for these prisoners, these outcasts of society, these so-called “tough guys” with tattooed necks and faces to express deep remorse for their lives when the Holy Spirit does finally touch them. Often times their remorse manifests itself through streaming tears. And, many times I have seen a room full of these “tough guys” cry together when they realize that God really does still love them. Their tears are not only for themselves; they are for the people left in their wake (i.e. wives, mothers, fathers, children and girlfriends) and yes - their victims. I have come to believe that these tears of remorse are the effect of the Holy Spirit cleansing their souls so that Christ can enter. But, as we know, if our remorse is not followed by repentance, then remorse can be as dangerous as it was for Judas, the betrayer of Christ. And so, after decades sometimes, these men and women ask to have a priest from the Prison Ministry hear their Confession. One of our priests, Father Tony, has been hearing the confessions of prisoners and sharing God’s love with them since 1960.

After experiencing this profound demonstration many, many times among prisoners, I have also come to believe that they are tears of thankfulness from those who finally and fully comprehend that all of our debts can be completely forgiven by Jesus. As Jesus expressed in Luke 7:41- 43, the greater the debt that is forgiven, the greater is the love and gratitude shown in response for that forgiveness.

The amazing Divine Mercy of Christ can truly convert lives with His love by unlocking hearts, even when those hearts are locked within the walls of a prison.