Just last Sunday, in light of the passing of dear Pope
Francis we considered the words of our Lord to St. Peter, “Peter, if you love
me, feed my sheep”. Those words rang true for a Pope who no doubt loved the
Lord and the flock he had been chosen to watch over. And now, a week later,
Habemus Papam, we have a new Pope.
Late Thursday morning, we saw images of the white smoke
billowing from the chimney of the Sistine Chapel where the Cardinals gathered
to vote. And within about an hour and a half, we saw the new Pope emerge , the
first Pope born in this great nation—Robert Francis Cardinal Prevost had been
elected as Supreme Pontiff and took the name, Leo, as had thirteen popes before
him, the most recent being Pope Leo XIII , the fourth longest reigning Pope who
was elected in 1878.
What a delightful surprise to see the American Pope emerge
onto the loggia of St. Peter’s and repeat the same words our blessed Lord spoke
when entering the upper room after his resurrection: “Peace be with you”.
“Dearest brothers and sisters, this is the first greeting of
the risen Christ, the good shepherd who laid down his life for the flock of
God. I too would like this greeting of peace to enter your hearts, to reach
your families, to all people, wherever they may be, to all nations, to the
whole earth. Peace be with you!”
Back here in West Blvd, about 10 minutes after the Pope
concluded his blessing, we had the school children coming over to church to
light candles as part of our Light for Love program. They must have been one of
the first catholic schools on the planet to gather together in church to pray
following the election of the Pope. And pray we did, lighting candles for
family and for the world and for the church.
And then the next day, Friday, came another surprise. Friday
morning, Holy Father Pope Leo gathered with the cardinals in the Sistine chapel
to celebrate the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. And when it came time for his
homily, he began to speak, not in Italian, but in english. He had given his
opening address in Italian of course, he then spoke in Spanish, a special word
particularly for the faithful in the diocese of Chiclayo in Peru, where he
served as bishop. Apparently, he is fluent in Spanish, Italian, French, german,
and Portuguese. He can read latin, of course. But, to hear him speaking in
unbroken english, was another delightful surprise.
But then came another surprise. In the course of his homily,
he expounded upon the question the Lord poses to the apostles in the Gospel of
Matthew, Chapter 16: “who do you say the son of man is”. We know how Peter
answered, “You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God”. The holy Father
reflected upon how that is a question posed to every single person, and there
are really only two ways you can answer it. There is the way of the world:
finding the presence of the Lord irksome and challenging the world does not
hesitate to reject Christ, to silence him, to eliminate him. That’s one answer:
to oppose Him.
But the other way, the answer of Peter—is that of
discipleship—to recognize Jesus as the Christ—the one worth listening to,
heeding, and following, as challenging as that might be—to trust that he has
the words of everlasting life.
And if that’s how we answer, the Holy Father explained then
our commitment to Jesus is not a once in
a lifetime commitment we make at baptism, but a commitment we must make every
day.
And then here comes the surprise. The Pope, claiming that
discipleship is a commitment we must make every day, then said, “I say this
first of all to myself, as the Successor of Peter, as I begin my mission as
Bishop of Rome and, according to the well-known expression of Saint Ignatius of
Antioch, am called to preside in charity over the universal Church.”
What a delightful surprise to find the words of our patron
saint on the lips of the newly elected Holy Father, on his first full day on
the job. Of all the saints he could have quoted, he drew the world’s attention
to St. Ignatius of Antioch.
“Saint Ignatius” the Pope said, “who was led in chains to
this city (meaning Rome), the place of his impending sacrifice, wrote to the Christians there:
“Then I will truly be a disciple of Jesus Christ, when the world no longer sees
my body”. Ignatius was speaking about being devoured by wild beasts in the
arena (traditionally the wild beasts are depicted as Lions, and what does the name Leo mean?) — and so it happened — but his words apply more generally to an
indispensable commitment for all those in the Church who exercise a ministry of
authority. It is to move aside so that Christ may remain, to make oneself small
so that he may be known and glorified (cf. John 3:30), to spend oneself to the
utmost so that all may have the opportunity to know and love him.
What a powerful reflection for all of us to consider: how even the Pope
recognizes the importance of decreasing so that Christ may increase in us, of
learning to push aside our own will that the will of God might take priority,
so that God may be known and loved by others.
In the Gospel today, Jesus says, my sheep hear my voice, I
know them, and they follow me. And here is Pope Leo saying, I’m one of the
sheep too. I need to listen to the voice of the Good Shepherd, so that I may
follow him faithfully. And we look to the saints, like St. Ignatius of Antioch,
to see marvelous examples of ordinary men and women like us, following Christ
in heroic ways.
How are you, how am I, called to listen to the voice of the
Lord and follow Him faithfully every day? No doubt this involves prayer. We
cannot hear his voice unless we incline our ear in his direction. Prayerfully read
some scripture every day—listen to God’s Word which pierces the heart. Consider
how God’s word applies in the concrete details of your life: in your
challenges, in your sorrows, in your joys, in your loneliness, in the confusing
details. What does it mean to follow Jesus more faithfully in all of the chaos?
Not just faithfully, but more faithfully. We can always be more faithful, more
patient, more gentle, more joyful, more self-controlled, more forgiving.
In the first reading, “The Gentiles were delighted when they
heard the Word of the Lord preached to them, and they glorified the word of the
Lord.” Having heard the Word of God speaking to you in your daily prayer, thank
God, glorify God by allowing God’s word to transform your mind and your heart
and your attitudes and behaviors. Bring that word into your decisions, your
conversations, how you treat people, and when you, like Ignatius, are called to
suffer—patiently, trustingly, and with faith, that You may decrease so that
Christ may increase, for the glory of God and the salvation of souls.
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