Skip to main content

My Thoughts And Feelings On Yesterday

It's just been a day since Ratzinger relinquished the Chair of Peter. Bob Lozano and I knew we should do something, make an act of faith, hope, and charity, so we planned to do a Holy Hour right when it would happen. So we did. The bells tolled. I cried. Truly, I had no choice in the matter. We love our Pope, and we're supposed to. If St. Paul and the Ephesian elders can cry like babies, so can I, saying a special goodbye to the elder par excellence. And the man Joseph Ratzinger is worthy of no small amount of affection anyway, having written and spoken so well of the Lord and helping so many to understand and love Him.

But in those moments, we know that we aren't guilty of the idolatries with which we are accused. Because the man had left, and yet, Jesus reigns always. I spoke with Him. He's not going anywhere. It pleases Him to leave us a man to govern us, teach us, and protect us, and soon enough that seat will not be empty. And we will rejoice. I thought of that feeling we will have, and it made me happy.

I am praying for the men who will choose the next man to be our shepherd here on Earth. May the Holy Spirit guide them into all truth in a special way; may He give us that special joy we know we will have. Amen and amen.

I am not afraid of what will happen. I know good will come. God Himself said many times, "I will never leave you or forsake you." Jesus, I trust in You.

God, please use this next man to unite all your people, scattered throughout the world. May they be one with us, and we with them, so that there indeed may be one flock and one Shepherd. Amen.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

My Thoughts On The Harrison Butker Commencement Speech

Update: I read the whole thing. I’m sorry, but what a weirdo. I thought you [Tom Darrow, of Denver, CO] made a trenchant case for why lockdowns are bad, and I definitely appreciated it. But a graduation speech is *not* the place for that. Secondly, this is an august event. It always is. I would never address the President of the United States in this manner. Never. Even the previous president, though he deserves it, if anyone does. Thirdly, the affirmations of Catholic identity should be more general. He has no authority to propound with specificity on all matters of great consequence. It has all the hallmarks of a culture war broadside, and again, a layman shouldn’t speak like this. The respect and reverence due the clergy is *always due,* even if they are weak, and outright wrong. We just don’t brush them aside like corrupt Mafia dons, to make a point. Fourthly, I don’t know where anyone gets the idea that the TLM is how God demands to be worshipped. The Church doesn’t teach that. ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Dear Alyse

 Today, you’re 35. Or at least you would be, in this place. You probably know this, but we’re OK. Not great, but OK. We know you wouldn’t want us moping around and weeping all the time. We try not to. Actually, I guess part of the problem is that you didn’t know how much we loved you. And that you didn’t know how to love yourself. I hope you have gotten to Love by now. Not a place, but fills everything in every way. I’m not Him, but he probably said, “Dear daughter/sister, you have been terribly hard on yourself. Rest now, and be at peace.” Anyway, teaching is going well, and I tell the kids all about you. They all say you are pretty. I usually can keep the boys from saying something gross for a few seconds. Mom and I are going to the game tonight. And like 6 more times, before I go back to South Carolina. I have seen Nicky twice, but I myself haven’t seen your younger kids. Bob took pictures of the day we said goodbye, and we did a family picture at the Abbey. I literally almost a...
Post a Comment
Read more

A Friend I Once Had, And The Dogmatic Principle

 I once had a friend, a dear friend, who helped me with personal care needs in college. Reformed Presbyterian to the core. When I was a Reformed Presbyterian, I visited their church many times. We were close. I still consider his siblings my friends. (And siblings in the Lord.) Nevertheless, when I began to consider the claims of the Catholic Church to be the Church Christ founded, he took me out to breakfast. He implied--but never quite stated--that we would not be brothers, if I sought full communion with the Catholic Church. That came true; a couple years later, I called him on his birthday, as I'd done every year for close to ten of them. He didn't recognize my number, and it was the most strained, awkward phone call I have ever had. We haven't spoken since. We were close enough that I attended the rehearsal dinner for his wedding. His wife's uncle is a Catholic priest. I remember reading a blog post of theirs, that early in their relationship, she told him of the p...
Post a Comment
Read more