4th Sunday of Easter 2025 - Pope Leo XIV and St. Ignatius of Antioch

 

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.

3rd Sunday of Easter 2025 - Papal Funeral - "Feed my Sheep"

 

In this week’s bulletin, I included excerpts from the funeral homily for Pope Francis, delivered by Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, the dean of the College of Cardinals. His homily was a touching, reverent, and insightful reflection on the late pontiff’s life and legacy.

It began by acknowledging our sorrow. It is indeed sad when a Pope dies—the Church mourns the loss of Pope Francis’ leadership, his kindness, and his Christian witness. But, as with all good Christian funeral homilies, Cardinal Re quickly reframed that grief through the lens of our hope in Christ. We grieve, yes—but we do not grieve as those without hope. We are sustained by the certainty of faith: that death is not the end, but that, through the Resurrection of Christ, eternal life awaits all who place their trust in Him. That hope is for the Pope—and for each one of us.

You can find the full text of the homily online, but I want to share with you a powerful image that I did not include in the bulletin.

In his homily, Cardinal Re invoked the powerful image of the last time the world saw Pope Francis. Despite his serious ailments, and doctors telling him it was not a good idea, Pope Francis insisted on blessing the pilgrims in St. Peter’s Square on Easter Sunday.

What a powerful image of the Paschal Mystery—the Pope, imitating Christ in both his suffering and his service. And. what a fitting final image of Pope Francis: still serving, still giving, still loving the Church to the very end.

Cardinal Re then communicated the following, referencing the Gospel we just proclaimed today. He said, “We are enlightened and guided by the passage of the Gospel in which the very voice of Christ resounded, asking the first of the apostles: “Peter, do you love me more than these?” Peter’s answer was prompt and sincere: “Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you!” Jesus then entrusted him with the great mission: “Feed my sheep.” This will be the constant task of Peter and his successors, a service of love in the footsteps of Christ, our master and lord, who “came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life a ransom for many”.

Notice how Cardinal Re gave a beautiful job description for Popes: the Pontificate is a service of love—a love of Christ’s flock, the Church, rooted in what must be the Pope’s personal love of Christ.

What a beautiful and fitting description of the papal office. The Pope does not Lord his authority over the Church. Rather, he is, as tradition calls him, the servant of the servants of God. The Pope serves the Church so that all people may come to know Christ and the salvation He won for us.

This coming Wednesday, the College of Cardinals will gather in the Sistine Chapel for the Papal Conclave. They will elect a new Pope, and we must pray for them—that the Holy Spirit will guide their deliberations and raise up a shepherd who will love and serve the Church with the heart of Christ.

From Peter to Pope Francis, every pope has faced unique challenges throughout the centuries—times of persecution, division, war, and scandal. By the end of the week, we will likely have a new Pope, and he too will face great challenges. That’s why we must pray for him—daily.

The Church prays for the Pope at every Mass, but we should also remember him in our personal prayers. One beautiful tradition is to offer the three extra Hail Marys at the end of the Rosary for the Pope and his intentions. 

Praying for the Pope is important because of the enormous responsibility he bears: the visible sign of unity in the Church, the guardian of the apostolic faith, and the supreme shepherd of God’s people. As Christ said to Peter, “Feed my sheep,” the Pope is called to help the Church live out her mission in this unique moment in history—to give the Church what is truly good: the nourishment of God’s Word, the truth of the Gospel, and the visible witness of Christ’s love in the world. 

So we pray pray for the Pope—that he may love and feed the flock of Christ with courage, clarity, and compassion—and not flee in the face of wolves.

But let us not forget: we too have heard the voice of Christ in the Gospel today. We too are asked, “Do you love me?” And if we dare to answer like Peter, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you,” then the command that follows is for us also: “Feed my sheep.”.

That command is not reserved only for popes and priests. It belongs to all of us—parents, teachers, workers, students, retirees, young and old alike. Each of us, through baptism, has been entrusted with a share in Christ’s mission. And so we are called, like Peter, to “put out into deep waters”—to go beyond what is safe or comfortable, and to live our faith with purpose.

What does that look like in daily life?

If you’re a parent, “feed my sheep” means teaching your children to pray, bringing them to Mass, and showing them what Christian love looks like in how you treat one another at home.

If you’re elderly, it might mean using your wisdom to encourage the younger generation, offering your suffering as intercession for the Church, or simply being a faithful presence at daily Mass and in prayer.

If you work in the world, it may mean acting with integrity in your business dealings, bringing compassion into conversations, or witnessing to your faith in subtle but sincere ways—making Christ known by how you carry yourself.

And for all of us, putting out into the deep might mean volunteering in the parish, reaching out to a lapsed Catholic, helping at the food pantry, or forgiving someone we’ve been reluctant to forgive.

The Church is not nourished by professionals alone. It is nourished by ordinary believers doing ordinary things with great love. That is how we "feed the sheep"—by making the Gospel visible in the way we live, love, and serve.

So yes, pray for the Pope—daily. But also ask the Lord: “How do you want me to love and feed today?”

Let our lives become a kind of blessing—like that final image of Pope Francis on Easter Sunday: frail perhaps, but faithful; worn, perhaps, but willing; quietly proclaiming by our actions that Christ is alive and still feeding His people through us.

“Do you love me?” Then feed my sheep. And put out into the deep for the glory of God and the salvation of souls.