Mass today at the AI started with Fr. Riley saying, "the almighty iPad says we don't have a pope yet, keep praying." And midway through Mass I was embarrassed when Dad's "knock knock knock" text alert went off, and mortified when it went off again as he received communion. Then at the end of Mass, right before the final blessing, it was announced that we had a pope! No name yet, but Habemus Papam! I felt the Holy Spirit pretty intensely right then. It was like all of our prayers had culminated in a glorious moment to give us a new Vicar of Christ. (And it explained the texts-- kudos to FOCUS for popealarm.com) What a blessing to have been praying during the moments of the election, and knowing that despite claims of politicking and scandal and whatever else, it was really the Holy Spirit who has given us a new Holy Father.
By all accounts, I think that Pope Francis I will be a strong, passionate, gentle, inspired, and humble leader. I am excited about his choice of namesake, about his Jesuit background (all jokes aside), about his presence for the Americas, and about the reaction from the Church thus far. I am excited to see where he takes us. And, if any of the prophecies are true, he better live to 100, one lung and all. May God abundantly bless the Church and her new shepherd!
2 comments:
I know! Crazy that he only has one lung. Also, popealarm failed me. I signed up and got the text and email registration confirmation and neither one told me we had a pope. Good thing there's good Catholics in my clinic who were watching the live feed the whole time.
Of all I've read about him, this is the first I've heard about the "one lung". What gives?
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