HIM alone shall you serve.

Dear friends,

When I woke up on Monday morning I was greeted by the “breaking news” that Pope Benedict XVI was resigning from being the Vicar of Christ for our Church effective February 28th. Like most of the rest of the Church I am surprised at the news of his resignation. After all, he is the first pope to resign since Pope Gregory XII more than 500 years ago. But I am very inspired by his prayerful decision.


He and Pope John Paul II will go down in history as the two greatest minds of the 20th century. His writings before, during and after the Second Vatican Council have been the intellectual backbone of the Church’s teachings and decisions for about sixty years. Only since he has been our pope have I read any of his spiritual writings though. He inspires me as a very holy man. It is no surprise that he is calling our Church to this Year of Faith. His spiritual writings and this holy year are all about not seeing our faith as a set of creeds or moral doctrines, but developing an intimacy with the God who made us, with His Son and our Savior, and with the Spirit who guides, blesses, and comforts us.

I think his decision to resign shows his humility and his love of God and for the people of God. In the same way that Pope John Paul II was a prophetic witness and parable to us on the value and importance of life from conception to natural death; Pope Benedict XVI will be a witness for us that the ministry and mission of the Church is larger than the person who holds the title of “minister”. Our Pope is showing us all how to be humble and yet brave servants of God.

In the Temptation story from the Gospel of Luke that we hear today on this First Sunday of Lent the Devil tempts Jesus with all the kingdoms in the World. He offers Jesus to be the most powerful man on the face of the Earth. Jesus’ answers him with the First Commandment, “You shall worship the Lord, your God, and Him alone shall you serve.” I believe our Pope has shown us in word and witness how to live that command in this day and time.

Let us all pray in thanksgiving and blessing for Pope Benedict XVI. Let us also pray for our College of Cardinals to be open to the promptings of the Holy Spirit in their extremely difficult decision to elect our new leader. And let us pray for the grace during this Lent to put God’s will always as our guiding force.

paz,
Fr. Chuck