Some thoughts from the author of our current book.

Biography: Fr. Henri Nouwen was born in the Netherlands, where he was ordained to the priesthood and earned his doctorate in psychology. After nearly two decades of teaching at the Menninger Clinic in Kansas and at the Universities of Notre Dame, Yale and Harvard, he left to share his life with mentally handicapped people at the L'Arche community of Daybreak in Toronto, Canada. He is the author of many books on spirituality and psychology, including The Return of the Prodigal Son, In the Name of Jesus, and The Life of the Beloved.

"The Life of the Beloved"I would like to speak to you about the spiritual life as the life of the beloved. As a member of a community of people with mental disabilities, I have learned a lot from people with disabilities about what it means to be the beloved. Let me start by telling you that many of the people that I live with hear voices that tell them that they are no good, that they are a problem, that they are a burden, that they are a failure. They hear a voice that keeps saying, "If you want to be loved, you had better prove that you are worth loving. You must show it."

But what I would like to say is that the spiritual life is a life in which you gradually learn to listen to a voice that says something else, that says, "You are the beloved and on you my favor rests."

You are the beloved and on you my favor rests.

Jesus heard that voice. He heard that voice when He came out of the Jordan River. I want you to hear that voice, too. It is a very important voice that says, "You are my beloved son; you are my beloved daughter. I love you with an everlasting love. I have molded you together in the depths of the earth. I have knitted you in your mother's womb. I've written your name in the palm of my hand and I hold you safe in the shade of my embrace. I hold you. You belong to Me and I belong to you. You are safe where I am. Don't be afraid. Trust that you are the beloved. That is who you truly are."

I want you to hear that voice. It is not a very loud voice because it is an intimate voice. It comes from a very deep place. It is soft and gentle. I want you to gradually hear that voice. We both have to hear that voice and to claim for ourselves that that voice speaks the truth, our truth. It tells us who we are. That is where the spiritual life starts -- by claiming the voice that calls us the beloved.

I would like to talk a little about how to live the life of the beloved. There are four words that I want to use, words that come from the gospels, words that are used in the story of the multiplication of bread, words that are used at the Last Supper, words that are used at Emmaus and words that are used constantly when the community of faith comes together. Those words are: He took, He blessed, He broke, and He gave.

To be taken, to be blessed, to be broken and to be given is the summary of the life of Jesus who was taken, who was blessed by God, broken on the cross, and given to the world. It is also the summary of our life because just as Jesus, we are the beloved.

First, we are taken. Perhaps a better word would be chosen. We are chosen by God. That means we are seen by God in our preciousness, in our individuality. We are seen as precious in God's eyes.

In our world, when one is chosen it means for the others, "Too bad for us, we are not chosen." In God's mystery, being chosen doesn't mean excluding anyone. In fact, the more we know we are chosen, that we are seen in our preciousness, the more we will realize that our friends and all people are seen in their preciousness.

The people I live with sometimes have a very hard time believing they are chosen. They suffer, not so much from their mental handicap, but from the feeling of being not wanted, not desired. They have lost touch with the truth that they are chosen. It is hard for them to be in touch with that, precisely because often the people around them have said, "I don't want you around. I don't want you to be here. Why don't you go away?"

The life of the beloved starts by trusting that we are chosen in our uniqueness, that we are unique in God's eyes, precious.

The second aspect of the quality of the life of the beloved is that we are blessed. It is so important that you and I experience that we are blessed. The word benediction means blessing. Literally, bene means good and diction means saying. To bless someone means to say good things about them. "You are good." We need to know that good things are being said of us. We really have to trust that, otherwise we cannot bless other people. So many people don't feel blessed.

I would like to tell you a little story about our community. There is one of my friends there who is quite handicapped but a wonderful, wonderful lady. She said to me, "Henri, can you bless me?" I remember walking up to her and giving her a little cross on her forehead. She said, "Henri, it doesn't work. No, that is not what I mean." I was embarrassed and said, "I gave you a blessing." She said, "No, I want to be blessed." I kept thinking, "What does she mean?"

We had a little service and all these people were sitting there. After the service I said, "Janet wants a blessing." I had an alb on and a long robe with long sleeves. Janet walked up to me and said, "I want to be blessed." She put her head against my chest and I spontaneously put my arms around her, held her, and looked right into her eyes and said, "Blessed are you, Janet. You know how much we love you. You know how important you are. You know what a good woman you are."

She looked at me and said, "Yes, yes, yes, I know. I suddenly saw all sorts of energy coming back to her. She seemed to be relieved from the feeling of depression because suddenly she realized again that she was blessed. She went back to her place and immediately other people said, "I want that kind of blessing, too."

The people kept walking up to me and I suddenly found myself embracing people. I remember that after that, one of the people in our community who assists the handicapped, a strong guy, a football player, said, "Henri, can I have a blessing, too?" I remember our standing there in front of each other and I said, "John," and I put my hand on his shoulder, "you are blessed. You are a good person. God loves you. We love you. You are important." Can you claim that and live as the blessed one?

I think it is very important that when we are in touch with our blessedness that we can then bless other people. People need our blessing; people need to know that their father, mother, brothers and sisters bless them.

Then we are broken. We are broken people. You and I know that we are broken. A lot of our brokenness has to do with relationships. If you ask me what it is that makes us suffer, it is always because someone couldn't hold onto us or someone hurt us. I know each of us can point to a brokenness in our relationships with our husband, with our wife, with our father, our mother, with our children, with our friends, with our lovers. Wherever there is love, there is also pain. Wherever there are people who really care for us, there is also the pain of sometimes not being cared for enough. That is enormous.

What do we do with our brokenness? As the beloved of God we have to dare to embrace it, to befriend our own brokenness, not to say, "That should not be in my life. Let's just get away from it. Let's get back on track."

No. We should dare to embrace our brokenness, to befriend it and to really look at it. "Yes, I am hurting. Yes, I am wounded. Yes, it's painful."

I don't have to be afraid. I can look at my pain because in a very mysterious way our wounds are often a window on the reality of our lives. If we dare to embrace them, then we can put them under the blessing. That is the great challenge.

Quite often we want to solve people's problems and tell them to do this or to do that, that we will help them out and let's get over it. The main task we have is to put our brokenness and the brokenness of the people with whom we live under the blessing. If you live your brokenness under the curse, even a little brokenness can destroy your life. It is like an affirmation that you are no good and suddenly you say, "You see what has happened? I lost my job. This friend didn't speak to me. He rejected me." We can hold on to it and see it proven that we are no good. We always thought so.

The great call is to put our brokenness under the blessing, to live it as people of whom good things are being said.

If we live our life as people who are taken, blessed and broken, then we can give ourselves. We are taken, blessed and broken to be given. I want to tell you something that may sound a little strange, but I really believe deeply that our greatest human desire is to give ourselves. Quite often we say that we want to have a lot for ourselves then we will give a little bit. No, I think the greatest fulfillment of our heart is in the giving, to give ourselves. It is letting go. The mystery is that as we let go for others our lives start bearing fruit. That is a great mystery.

Jesus says, "It is good for you that I die because when I die I can give you my spirit and you will bear much fruit in your life." I really believe that is the final call, to give ourselves.

Recently I was with a friend whose name is David. He had cancer. He was holding onto his life and he said, "I don't want to die." Gradually, he was able to let go. On the last day of his life he called his wife and children and embraced each of them and said, "I love you. I love you."

It was clear he was ready to let go. When he died, suddenly there was light for his wife and children because somehow David had given himself to them even as he was leaving them. Today they are still able to say, "Thank you for the life of David." The life of David will be more and more fruitful because he gave himself in life and even in death.

When we are people who are chosen by God -- blessed, broken -- we can give ourselves to others. Our life can bear immense fruit. The people who have lived as the beloved, continue to bear fruit generations after they have died. When we think about certain great people in history, they still give us life. They still give us hope because their lives became fruitful, fruitful in the giving.

That is really what I wanted to talk to you about. Maybe I can just remind you of that story of the multiplication of bread. You remember there was a little boy and everybody said that he was not worth anything. But, he had five loaves and five fishes. This little boy was received by Jesus and He took these five loaves and five fishes. He broke the bread after having blessed it, and He gave it, and in giving it multiplied and it was enough for everyone to eat.

That story says something about our lives. We are little people, but if we believe that we are chosen, that we are blessed, that we are broken, to be given, then we can trust that our life will bear fruit. It will multiply. Not only in this life, but beyond it. Many, many people will find strength by knowing that they are being given new life by those who lived as the beloved and they can become the beloved themselves.

From: http://www.csec.org/csec/sermon/nouwen_3502.htm

After the hiatus...

Life has been a little hectic. Let me fill you in. Prior to the start of the new semester at MD, I was approached by my department chair and asked if I would consider changing my teaching schedule and take over a retiring teacher's schedule. After long hours of prayer and discussion with key people, I decided to take the opportunity. Mainly because I have always wanted to formally teach Social Justice. Currently I am teaching two Senior Level classes of Peace and Justice and three New Testament classes. I am very excited about this change. The Seniors have been great! I greatly enjoy the conversations and learning opportunities we share.

The hiatus came as a result of trying to adjust to the new schedule. I now have a "0" block which starts at 7:20-- this means I have to wake up much earlier (5:30AM). I am not a morning person and I am not a night person. I find myself going to bed at 8:30 some nights.

I think i finally got a hold on the new rythm of life. So... look for new stuff and keep reading my friends.

Vocation Reflection on 1 Samuel 3:1-30 for the YM Group

This month the church remembers to celebrate and pray for vocations. Specifically, we pray for vocations to the religious life and to the priesthood. I am sure that each of you, if you come to mass regularly probably hear the same message… How many of you have memory of the priest up here speaking to you about your vocation? My What?!?!?! Vocation?!?! Is that a disease?!?!?!

The word vocation comes from the Latin word VOCARE. It means “call”. In Catholic terms, the word vocation refers to God’s call for each person. There are four ways of living out God’s call in your life, according to Catholic tradition: Married life, priesthood, religious life and single-celibate life. So essentially, when it comes to the question of vocation in your life, the answer is multiple choice. But which choice is the best for you? A. Marriage, B. Priesthood, C. Religious Life, D. Single-celibate Life? Unlike the SAT’s and tests at school you cannot take a guess at the best answer in hopes that you get it right.

Scripture tells us that God speaks to us a specific vocation… and the answer comes when we stop and listen. In Samuel’s case, it was easy… he literally heard the voice of God. Today if anyone claims to hear the voice of God, people may look at you funny… But in essence, God does speak to us—in different ways.

The answer comes as the result of prayer.

I know that each of you have been asked, “What do you want to do when you grow up?” If you got a dollar each time you were asked that question then the world would be broke and you would be rich teens. Culturally, it’s important to ask that question… and sometimes parents answer that question for us. Remember your parents telling you when you were younger that you would be a doctor… a lawyer…

How many of you know what YOU want to do when you grow up? Are you sure? Have you ever considered that the answer may be more than just that? Perhaps the question we are asking is the wrong one. Perhaps we should not ask, what do YOU want to do… rather, we should ask… “What do you believe God is calling you to do with your life?

God longs to be here among us… will you let him be in the world? Will you respond through your life to do the work he wishes to accomplish in this world?

Let me be Eli, let me be the old man who says to you, "If you should hear the word of God, reply,'Here I am Lord'".

Saint Basil the Great & Saint Gregory Nazianzen

In celebrating the feasts of Saint Basil and Saint Gregory Nazianen on the same day, the Church extols a virtue which she has always esteemed, friendship. The friendship between Basil and Gregory was admirable. Born in Cappadocia around 330, they studied together in Athens and then returned to their homeland wehre they led a monastic life for several years. Their temperaments were very different. While Basil had qualities of a leader and a gift for organization that made him a legislator for monks in hte East, Gregory was a contemplative and a poet.

Although both were called to the episcopate, they did not succeed equally well in their charges. In Caessarea, his native city, Basil as an intrepid pastor. By word, in his writtings, and through many interventions, he defended the independence of the Church in the face of temporal power and recalled the dignity of the poor, who were too often ridiculed by the rich. Before all else, he safeguarded faith in Jesus Christ the Son of God. As for Gregory, after he became bishop of a small town, he found himself promoted to the see of Constantinople, then in the throes of the Arian crisis (379). People deligted in his sermons and discourses, and saw in him the father of the poor, but as he was excessively impressionable, he could not cope with factions. In less than a yar and a half he returned to his studious retreat at Nazianzen. He was called, "the Theologian," a man who could speak of God, while Basil received from his contemporaries the title of "the Great". The Orthodox Church has placed Gregory and Basil with John Chrysostom in the first rank of ecumenical doctors. They are the "three Hierarchs". - Magnificat

January 1st: Solemnity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Mother of God

Today, January first, the Church celebrates Mary as the Mother of God. The title of Θεοτοκος - Theotokos in Greek-, Mother of God, was first declared at the Council of Ephesus in 431 AD. The Church fathers gathered to articulate a unified code of beliefs for Catholics in response to the many heresies that were going on (especially the heresy of Arianism which taught that Jesus was more than a man but less than God, and the heresy of Docetism which taught that Jesus was divine and not fully man) . By declaring Mary as the Mater Dei (Latin for Mother of God) the church acknowledged, affirmed, and declared the divinity and humanity of Jesus. This title of course also acknowledges Mary's role in the plan of salvation.

Nestorius, Patriarch of Constantinople, also presented a problem at the Council of Ephesus. He rejected the idea that Jesus' humanity and divinity were inseparable. Instead, he believed that Jesus had two wills, two minds, and two natures. The Council declared him a heretic and condemned his teachings.

Most importantly, the Church fathers declared that although Jesus had two natures-- he is God and he is man- they both existed and are united within him. Nestorius also rejected the title of Theotokos for Mary. He taught and believed that Mary was only mother of the human Jesus, not the divine Jesus. This belief was also condemned and the council fathers declared that because Mary is the mother of God the Son, she is therefore duly entitled Theotokos.

Calling Mary the Theotokos or the Mother of God (Μητηρ Θεου) was never meant to suggest that Mary was coeternal with God, or that she existed before Jesus Christ or God existed. The Church acknowledges the mystery in the words of this ancient hymn: "He whom the entire universe could not contain was contained within your womb, O Theotokos."

The title of Theotokos is best translated as "the Bearer of God" or "the birth-giver of God". Both Theotokos & Mater Dei express the same belief about Mary.

Although Mary is the Mother of God, we hold that Mary is also our Mother. Through divine command from the cross, Jesus entrusted Mary to John and John to Mary. The command "John, behold your Mother" is extended to us to behold Mary as our own mother. By the same token the command to Mary, "Woman, behold [John] your son", is extended to us to be held in the eyes of Mary as her own children.

Mary's role as our mother reverberates through history. Mary is often referred to as the "New Eve" for she is the mother of the new creation that comes forth from the resurrection of Jesus. As children of Mary we are sons and daughters of this new creation in which eternal death is not the constant, but rather, the promise.

In 1531 Guadalupe, under the apparition of Our Lady of Guadalupe, asked the Aztec Juan Diego in response to his worries, "Am I not here who Am your Mother?"

Celebrating Mary as the Mother of God is a great way to begin the year. By remembering her as the Mother of God and Mother of us all we remember that we are united to Christ- as Mary is our common denominator.

My prayer is that this year we can draw closer to God through Mary. May our faith in God mirror her own faith so that in the same way we can also say to God, "Behold your servant, let it be done in accord to your will." Perhaps then, we may also, together with Mary, bear God to the world.

New Year Feast

So this is a total departure from what the usual postings. I just finished a 5 hour cooking marathon. Here's the menu:

• Veal meatloaf wrapped in prosciutto served with fig and Marsala sauce
• Oven roasted baby yukon potatos with rosemary and importated parmessan
• Grilled zuchinni and yellow squash, glazed onions and garlic and topped with prosciutto bits

Everything came out quite delicious. Looking forward to dinner tonight. I think that the best part about the food is that it will be enjoyed with the family over at grandma's house.

Peace to you on this last day of 2007. Ray

On the Feast of Saint John

JOHN

Son of Zebedee. Fisherman. Brother of Saint James the Great, and called one of the Sons of Thunder. Disciple of Saint John the Baptist. Friend of Saint Peter. Called by Jesus during the 1st year of His ministry, and traveled everywhere with Him, becoming so close as to be known as the beloved disciple. Took part in the Last Supper. The only one of the Twelve not to forsake the Savior in the hour of His Passion, standing at the foot of the cross. Made guardian of Our Lady by Jesus, he took her into his home. Upon hearing of the Resurrection, he was the first to reach the tomb; when he met the risen Lord at the lake of Tiberias, he was the first to recognize Him.

During the era of the new Church, he worked in Jerusalem and at Ephesus. During Jesus' ministry, he tried to block a Samaritan from their group, but Jesus explained the open nature of the new Way, and he worked on that principle to found churches in Asia Minor and baptizing converts in Samaria. Imprisoned with Peter for preaching after Pentecost. Responsible for inspiring the author of the fourth Gospel, three Epistles, and possibly the Book of Revelation. Survived all his fellow apostles.

John is perhaps one of apostles we know most about. He is present at pivotal events in the Gospel. He is one of the first to be called, he is present at the transfiguration, he sat at the place of honor at the Last Supper, he is present at the crucifixion, and is the first to arrive at the tomb (yet humbly recognizes his place in the pecking order and let's Peter be the first to enter). John is a well developed Gospel character. Astonishingly, John is also the youngest of the disciples. Tradition puts him at fourteen or fifteen. There is no doubt that he is important!

In speaking about John, Fr. Ron Roheiser remembers John's place at the Last Supper. John is to said to have leaned on the chest of Jesus. Imagine being John at that moment with one's ear listening to the beating heart of love itself! With one's ear in tune to the beat of his heart, one cannot help but be transformed and the only possible outcome is that one's view of the world and of life begins to rhyme with that of Jesus. - R.U.

Merry Christmas!

Long lay the world in sin and error pining,
Till He appear'd and the soul felt its worth.

O Holy Night Lyrics

Pope's Message to the City of Rome and to the World

Today at noon Pope BXVI delivered his Christmas Message from the center balcony of St. Peter's Basilica. His message was addressed to the "city of Rome and to the world"- it is from this phrase that the Pontinff's message takes its name: Urbi et Orbi.

Below is the complete text:

"A holy day has dawned upon us.Come you nations and adore the Lord.Today a great light has come upon the earth."(Day Mass of Christmas, Gospel Acclamation) Dear Brothers and Sisters! "A holy day has dawned upon us." A day of great hope: today the Saviour of mankind is born. The birth of a child normally brings a light of hope to those who are waiting anxiously. When Jesus was born in the stable at Bethlehem, a "great light" appeared on earth; a great hope entered the hearts of those who awaited him: in the words of today’s Christmas liturgy, "lux magna". Admittedly it was not "great" in the manner of this world, because the first to see it were only Mary, Joseph and some shepherds, then the Magi, the old man Simeon, the prophetess Anna: those whom God had chosen. Yet, in the shadows and silence of that holy night, a great and inextinguishable light shone forth for every man; the great hope that brings happiness entered into the world: "the Word was made flesh and we saw his glory" (Jn 1:14)."God is light", says Saint John, "and in him is no darkness at all" (1 Jn 1:5). In the Book of Genesis we read that when the universe was created, "the earth was without form and void, and darkness was upon the face of the deep." "God said, ‘Let there be light’; and there was light." (Gen 1:2-3). The creative
Word of God – Dabar in Hebrew, Verbum in Latin, Logos in Greek – is Light, the source of life. All things were made through the Logos, not one thing had its being but through him (cf. Jn 1:3). That is why all creatures are fundamentally good and bear within themselves the stamp of God, a spark of his light. Nevertheless, when Jesus was born of the Virgin Mary, the Light himself came into the world: in the words of the Creed, "God from God, Light from Light". In Jesus, God assumed what he was not, while remaining what he was: "omnipotence entered an infant’s body and did not cease to govern the universe" (cf. Saint Augustine, Sermo 184, No. 1 on Christmas). The Creator of man became man in order to bring peace to the world. For this reason, during Christmas night, the hosts of angels sing: "Glory to God in the highest, and peace on earth to those whom he loves" (Lk 2:14)."Today a great light has come upon the earth". The Light of Christ is the bearer of peace. At Midnight Mass, the Eucharistic
liturgy begins with this very chant: "Today true peace has come down to us from heaven" (Entrance Antiphon). Indeed, it is only the "great" light manifested in Christ that can give "true" peace to men: that is why every generation is called to welcome it, to welcome the God who in Bethlehem became one of us. This is Christmas – the historical event and the mystery of love, which for more than two thousand years has spoken to men and women of every era and every place. It is the holy day on which the "great light" of Christ shines forth, bearing peace! Certainly, if we are to recognize it, if we are to receive it, faith is needed and humility is needed. The humility of Mary, who believed in the word of the Lord and, bending low over the manger, was the first to adore the fruit of her womb; the humility of Joseph, the just man, who had the courage of faith and preferred to obey God rather than to protect his own reputation; the humility of the shepherds, the poor and anonymous shepherds, who received the proclamation of the heavenly messenger and hastened towards the stable, where they found the new-born child and worshipped him, full of astonishment, praising God (cf. Lk 2:15-20). The little ones, the poor in spirit: they are the key figures of Christmas, in the past and in the present; they have always been the key figures of God’s history, the indefatigable builders of his Kingdom of justice, love and peace.In the silence of that night in Bethlehem, Jesus was born and lovingly welcomed. And now, on this Christmas Day, when the joyful news of his saving birth continues to resound, who is ready to open the doors of his heart to the holy child? Men and women of this modern age, Christ comes also to us
bringing his light, he comes also to us granting peace! But who is watching, in the night of doubt and uncertainty, with a vigilant, praying heart? Who is waiting for the dawn of the new day, keeping alight the flame of faith? Who has time to listen to his word and to become enfolded and entranced by his love? Yes! His message of peace is for everyone; he comes to offer himself to all people as sure hope for salvation. Finally, may the light of Christ, which comes to enlighten every human being, shine forth and bring consolation to those who live in the darkness of poverty, injustice and war; to those who are still denied their legitimate aspirations for a more secure existence, for health, education, stable employment, for fuller participation in civil and political responsibilities, free from oppression and protected from conditions that offend against human dignity. It is the most vulnerable members of society – women, children, the elderly – who are so often the victims of brutal armed conflicts, terrorism and violence of every kind, which inflict such terrible sufferings on entire populations. At the same time, ethnic, religious and political tensions, instability, rivalry, disagreements, and all forms of injustice and discrimination are destroying the internal fabric of many countries and embittering international relations. Throughout the world the number of migrants, refugees and evacuees is also increasing because of frequent natural disasters, often caused by alarming environmental upheavals.

On this day of peace, my thoughts turn especially to those places where the grim sound of arms continues to reverberate; to the tortured regions of Darfur, Somalia, the north of the Democratic Republic of Congo, the border between Eritrea and Ethiopia; to the whole of the Middle East - especially Iraq, Lebanon and the Holy Land; to Afghanistan, Pakistan and Sri Lanka, to the Balkans and to many other crisis situations that unfortunately are frequently forgotten. May the Child Jesus bring relief to those who are suffering and may he bestow upon political leaders the wisdom and courage to seek and find humane, just and lasting solutions. To the thirst for meaning and value so characteristic of today’s world, to the search for prosperity and peace that marks the lives of all mankind, to the hopes of the poor: Christ – true God and true Man – responds with his Nativity. Neither individuals nor nations should be afraid to recognize and welcome him: with Him "a shining light" brightens the horizon of humanity; in him "a holy day" dawns that knows no sunset. May this Christmas truly be for all people a day of joy, hope and peace!"Come you nations and adore the Lord." With Mary, Joseph and the shepherds, with the Magi and the countless host of humble worshippers of the new-born Child, who down the centuries have welcomed the mystery of Christmas, let us too, brothers and sisters from every continent, allow the light of this day to spread everywhere: may it enter our hearts, may it brighten and warm our homes, may it bring serenity and hope to our cities, and may it give peace to the world. This is my earnest wish for you who are listening. A wish that grows into a humble and trustful prayer to the Child Jesus, that his light will dispel all darkness from your lives and fill you with love and peace. May the Lord, who has made his merciful face to shine in Christ, fill you with his happiness and make you messengers of his goodness. Happy Christmas!

Christmas at the Vatican

Below is the full text of Pope Benedict's Homily from the Midnight Mass at the Vatican:

Dear Brothers and Sisters,“The time came for Mary to be delivered. And she gave birth to her first-born son and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn” (Lk 2:6f.). These words touch our hearts every time we hear them. This was the moment that the angel had foretold at Nazareth: “you will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Most High” (Lk 1:31). This was the moment that Israel had been awaiting for centuries, through many dark hours – the moment that all mankind was somehow awaiting, in terms as yet ill-defined: when God would take care of us, when he would step outside his concealment, when the world would be saved and God would renew all things. We can imagine the kind of interior preparation, the kind of love with which Mary approached that hour. The brief phrase: “She wrapped him in swaddling clothes” allows us to glimpse something of the holy joy and the silent zeal of that preparation. The swaddling clothes were ready, so that the child could be given a fitting welcome. Yet there is no room at the inn. In some way, mankind is awaiting God, waiting for him to draw near. But when the moment comes, there is no room for him. Man is so preoccupied with himself, he has such urgent need of all the space and all the time for his own things, that nothing remains for others – for his neighbour, for the poor, for God. And the richer men become, the more they fill up all the space by themselves. And the less room there is for others.Saint John, in his Gospel, went to the heart of the matter, giving added depth to Saint Luke’s brief account of the situation in Bethlehem: “He came to his own home, and his own people received him not” (Jn 1:11). This refers first and foremost to Bethlehem: the Son of David comes to his own city, but has to be born in a stable, because there is no room for him at the inn. Then it refers to Israel: the one who is sent comes among his own, but they do not want him. And truly, it refers to all mankind: he through whom the world was made, the primordial Creator-Word, enters into the world, but he is not listened to, he is not received.These words refer ultimately to us, to each individual and to society as a whole. Do we have time for our neighbour who is in need of a word from us, from me, or in need of my affection? For the sufferer who is in need of help? For the fugitive or the refugee who is seeking asylum? Do we have time and space for God? Can he enter into our lives? Does he find room in us, or have we occupied all the available space in our thoughts, our actions, our lives for ourselves?

Thank God, this negative detail is not the only one, nor the last one that we find in the Gospel. Just as in Luke we encounter the maternal love of Mary and the fidelity of Saint Joseph, the vigilance of the shepherds and their great joy, just as in Matthew we encounter the visit of the wise men, come from afar, so too John says to us: “To all who received him, he gave power to become children of God” (Jn 1:12). There are those who receive him, and thus, beginning with the stable, with the outside, there grows silently the new house, the new city, the new world. The message of Christmas makes us recognize the darkness of a closed world, and thereby no doubt illustrates a reality that we see daily. Yet it also tells us that God does not allow himself to be shut out. He finds a space, even if it means entering through the stable; there are people who see his light and pass it on. Through the word of the Gospel, the angel also speaks to us, and in the sacred liturgy the light of the Redeemer enters our lives. Whether we are shepherds or “wise men” – the light and its message call us to set out, to leave the narrow circle of our desires and interests, to go out to meet the Lord and worship him. We worship him by opening the world to truth, to good, to Christ, to the service of those who are marginalized and in whom he awaits us.In some Christmas scenes from the late Middle Ages and the early modern period, the stable is depicted as a crumbling palace. It is still possible to recognize its former splendour, but now it has become a ruin, the walls are falling down – in fact, it has become a stable. Although it lacks any historical basis, this metaphorical interpretation nevertheless expresses something of the truth that is hidden in the mystery of Christmas. David’s throne, which had been promised to last for ever, stands empty. Others rule over the Holy Land. Joseph, the descendant of David, is a simple artisan; the palace, in fact, has become a hovel. David himself had begun life as a shepherd. When Samuel sought him out in order to anoint him, it seemed impossible and absurd that a shepherd-boy such as he could become the bearer of the promise of Israel. In the stable of Bethlehem, the very town where it had all begun, the Davidic kingship started again in a new way – in that child wrapped in swaddling clothes and laid in a manger. The new throne from which this David will draw the world to himself is the Cross. The new throne – the Cross – corresponds to the new beginning in the stable. Yet this is exactly how the true Davidic palace, the true kingship is being built. This new palace is so different from what people imagine a palace and royal power ought to be like. It is the community of those who allow themselves to be drawn by Christ’s love and so become one body with him, a new humanity. The power that comes from the Cross, the power of self-giving goodness – this is the true kingship. The stable becomes a palace – and setting out from this starting-point, Jesus builds the great new community, whose key-word the angels sing at the hour of his birth: “Glory to God in the highest, and peace on earth to those whom he loves” – those who place their will in his, in this way becoming men of God, new men, a new world.

Gregory of Nyssa, in his Christmas homilies, developed the same vision setting out from the Christmas message in the Gospel of John: "He pitched his tent among us” (Jn 1:14). Gregory applies this passage about the tent to the tent of our body, which has become worn out and weak, exposed everywhere to pain and suffering. And he applies it to the whole universe, torn and disfigured by sin. What would he say if he could see the state of the world today, through the abuse of energy and its selfish and reckless exploitation? Anselm of Canterbury, in an almost prophetic way, once described a vision of what we witness today in a polluted world whose future is at risk: “Everything was as if dead, and had lost its dignity, having been made for the service of those who praise God. The elements of the world were oppressed, they had lost their splendour because of the abuse of those who enslaved them for their idols,
for whom they had not been created” (PL 158, 955f.). Thus, according to Gregory’s vision, the stable in the Christmas message represents the ill-treated world. What Christ rebuilds is no ordinary palace. He came to restore beauty and dignity to creation, to the universe: this is what began at Christmas and makes the angels rejoice. The Earth is restored to good order by virtue of the fact that it is opened up to God, it obtains its true light anew, and in the harmony between human will and divine will, in the unification of height and depth, it regains its beauty and dignity. Thus Christmas is a feast of restored creation. It is in this context that the Fathers interpret the song of the angels on that holy night: it is an expression of joy over the fact that the height and the depth, Heaven and Earth, are once more united; that man is again united to God. According to the Fathers, part of the angels’ Christmas song is the fact that now angels and men can sing together and in this way the beauty of the universe is expressed in the beauty of the song of praise. Liturgical song – still according to the Fathers – possesses its own peculiar dignity through the fact that it is sung together with the celestial choirs. It is the encounter with Jesus Christ that makes us capable of hearing the song of the angels, thus creating the real music that fades away when we lose this singing-with and hearing-with. In the stable at Bethlehem, Heaven and Earth meet. Heaven has come down to Earth. For this reason, a light shines from the stable for all times; for this reason joy is enkindled there; for this reason song is born there. At the end of our Christmas meditation I should like to quote a remarkable passage from Saint Augustine.Interpreting the invocation in the Lord’s Prayer: “Our Father who art in Heaven”, he asks: what is this – Heaven? And where is Heaven? Then comes a surprising response: “… who art in Heaven – that means: in the saints and in the just. Yes, the heavens are the highest bodies in the universe, but they are still bodies, which cannot exist except in a given location. Yet if we believe that God is located in the heavens, meaning in the highest parts of the world, then the birds would be more fortunate than we, since they would live closer to God. Yet it is not written: ‘The Lord is close to those who dwell on the heights or on the mountains’, but rather: ‘the Lord is close to the brokenhearted’ (Ps 34:18[33:19]), an expression which refers to humility. Just as the sinner is called ‘Earth’, so by contrast the just man can be called ‘Heaven’” (Sermo in monte II 5, 17). Heaven does not belong to the geography of space, but to the geography of the heart. And the heart of God, during the Holy Night, stooped down to the stable: the humility of God is Heaven. And if we approach this humility, then we touch Heaven. Then the Earth too is made new. With the humility of the shepherds, let us set out, during this Holy Night, towards the
Child in the stable! Let us touch God’s humility, God’s heart! Then his joy will touch us and will make the world more radiant. Amen.

On the Blessed Sacrament

The Blessed Sacrament is the greatest treasure of the Catholic Church. Because God loved us as he did, He remained with us for all eternity in the form of bread and wine. True food for the soul. As Catholics we are encouraged to spend time with in the presence of the Blessed Sacrament in the form of adoration. Shouldn't we be like the Mary character in the Gospel and spend time contemplating Christ?

In a time of New Year resolutions, perhaps we can all make the effor to visit the Blessed Sacrament at least once a week to spend a few minutes in the presence of Christ himself. The Catechism of the Catholic Church says,

1418 Because Christ himself is present in the sacrament of the altar, he is to be honored with the worship of adoration. "To visit the Blessed Sacrament is . . . a proof of gratitude, an expression of love, and a duty of adoration toward Christ our Lord" (Paul VI, MF 66).

Here are some quotes from some of my favorite writers.

"Out of the darkness of my life, so much frustrated, I put before you the one great thing to love on earth:the Blessed Sacrament.There you will find romance, glory, honour, fidelity, and the true way of all your loves on earth." ~J.R.R. Tolkien

"We adore Thee most holy Lord Jesus Christ, here in all Thy Churches, which are in the whole world, because by Thy holy cross, Thou hast redeemed the world."
~St. Francis of Assisi

Each time we look upon Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament, He raises us up into deeper union with Himself, opens up the floodgates of His merciful love to the whole world, and brings us closer to the day of His final victory "where every knee will bend and proclaim Jesus Christ as Lord". "The reign of God is already in your midst." The coming of Jesus to us in the Eucharist is assurance of His promise of final victory: "BEHOLD, I COME TO MAKE ALL THINGS NEW." ~Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta

"In a world where there is so much noise, so much bewilderment, there is a need for silent adoration of Jesus concealed in the Host. Be assiduous in the prayer of adoration and teach it to the faithful. It is a source of comfort and light, particularly to those who are suffering." - Pope Benedict XVI

"The Church and the world have a great need of Eucharistic worship."~Pope John
Paul II

"When the Sisters are exhausted, up to their eyes in work; when all seems to go awry, they spend an hour in prayer before the Blessed Sacrament. This practice has never failed to bear fruit: they experience peace and strength," ~Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta

Jesus is the Way

"Jesus is the way that leads to the true life, the life that never ends. It is often a steep and narrow way but, if one allows oneself to be attracted by Him, it is always stupendous, like a mountain path: the higher one climbs the easier it becomes to gaze down upon new panoramas, ever more beautiful and vast. The journey is tiring but we are not alone. ... What is important is not to lose our way, not to miss the path, otherwise we risk falling into an abyss or getting lost in the woods."

- From the Holy Father's 12/20 Audience with the Italian Catholic Action

God's Will- Free Will- Predestination

A question about the title of this post was asked at our first meeting. I made reference to this in an earlier post. At the request of a reader, I am posting an answer to this question:

If God knows what we are going to do, then how is that not predestination and what does it do to our free will?

The Catechism of the Catholic Church says the following about free will:

1731 Freedom is the power, rooted in reason and will, to act or not to act, to do this or that, and so to perform deliberate actions on one's own responsibility. By free will one shapes one's own life. Human freedom is a force for growth and maturity in truth and goodness; it attains its perfection when directed toward God, our beatitude.

So then... we are each given the privilege to shape our own life. And out of complete love for his creation, God does not impede in the process of it. So what is God's will? I believe that God has a dream dreamt long before our earthly existence for each one of us. It is a dream of being who God is in the world. And so, every heartbeat of our existence and every decision we make should go toward this end. In the Confessions, Saint Augustine writes, "Our hearts were made for you [God], and they are restless until they find their rest in you." Thomas Aquinas in the Summa Theologica writes, "So, what is the purpose of the universe? God freely created the universe to manifest His goodness as far as possible..."

God's knowledge of our future events does not mean that God has predestined us. Omniscience and predestination are two quite different concepts. God is omniscient because as God, God knows everything in the past, present and future all at once in the presence. But just because God knows what our decisions are going to be, it does not mean that God has planned it that way or that he is responsible for our actions. Consider this analogy. A weatherman can predict the rain, but the weatherman is not responsible for making it rain. Knowledge does not necessarily imply responsibility for the cause.

Do predestination and free will meet? No. We are predestined in so far to love and be loveable, BUT, we have the responsibility and choice to live in that manner or not-- equally important is how we live it out.

I hope this post helps answer or clarify any questions that are lingering about this issue. Comments are welcome and appreciated.

¡Que Viva la Morenita! ¡Que viva la Virgen de Guadalupe! ¡Que Viva la emperatriz de las Americas! ¡Que Viva Cristo Rey!

Today the church rejoices in God's gift to the people of the Americas: Our Lady of Guadalupe. Four hundred seventy-six years ago a pregnant Aztec Mary appeared to the lowly Juan Diego Quauhtlatoatzin. Juan Diego, meek and humble of heart, was a reluctant messenger charged with the task of speaking on behalf of the woman who revealed herself as Coatlaxopeuh (later changed to Guadalupe). Juan Diego's messages were received with skepticism and serious doubt by Fray Zumarraga, the bishop of Mexico at that time. In order to prove himself, Juan Diego was to return to the Bishop's house with red castille roses. The roses would not have been much of a challenge were it in another season, but in the middle of winter the roses are nearly impossible to find. Juan returns to the Lady crestfallen to let her know of Bishop's request. She beckons him to return the following day. When Juan Diego returns home he finds his uncle close to death. First he finds a doctor who does not give hope for survival for the ailing uncle. On December 12, on his way to fetch a priest for his uncle Juan Diego rounds the hill of Tepeyac for fear that the Lady might keep him. To his surprise the Lady catches him. After assuring him that his uncle with be healed, the Lady sends Juan Diego to the hilltop to gather roses that have miraculously grown. After arranging them in his cloak, Juan Diego is sent back to the Bishop. As Juan Diego unravels his tilma, the cloak, roses spill out leaving behind the image of the Lady on the tilma.

The story is a very romantic one. Different elements come into play. But, perhaps, the most important element is faith. The story moves us to appreciate the love of God who concerned himself with the Aztecs. Even more beautiful to the story is that God himself does not reveal himself as mighty and powerful (much like the Spanish had done), but rather, sends the softer edged hand maid to attract and love. --- I am reminded of the Vatican II document that reads, "Our Church should be one of attraction, not of coercion"

Guadalupe said to Juan Diego, "No estoy yo aqui quien soy tu Madre?", "Am I not here who am your mother?" Those same words spoken to Juan Diego reverberate through the ages and are spoken to each of us who resort to Mary... "is she not here who is our Mother?" In Mary we find an advocate and source of maternal love that beckons us to experience God's love through her own love.

May our Lady bring great blessings to you and may you find in her a source of solace, peace, and a model of faith.

Report from the First Meeting

So we had our first meeting. Fourteen people showed up! I was very pleased to see that many there. With time, I hope, the number of members will increase. The evening started with pizza, salad and soda pop. It was great to see the camaraderie in the hall way. Once the meeting began we introduced ourselves, told a little about who we are and what we do and jumped right into business. For the next hour or so I went through the ins and outs of how the club works. I took an opportunity to introduce the different books we will be reading throughout the coming months. After the meeting, at the request of one of the members, there was a time for "random questions". This was a good time because I really got several loaded questions like, "If we have free will, then why do people say that things that happen are 'God's will'?" Other questions about the true presence were discussed briefly.

We wrapped up the meeting at 8:30 PM.

There was a lot of buzz after the meeting and I had some time to thank each person who showed up.

So... reading time... we have Matthew's Gospel ahead of us. Remember, post post post!
Pax et Bonum

Fast Facts about the Gospel of Matthew

WRITING

Audience:

Jews

Author:

Traditionally ascribed to a tax collector,

also named "Levi", although, this is not certain

Date Written:

80-90 AD

CONTENT

Depiction of Jesus:

King of the Jews

Key Words:

Kingdom, Fulfill

Key Verse:

Matthew 27:37

Characteristics:

Evidence to prove that Jesus is the awaited Messiah.

FAST FACTS

29 Miracles

31 Parables

10 Sermons

45 Times the Old Testament is Quoted

Matthew's Gospel is the "Handbook of the teachings about the kingdom of God.

SIZE

28 Chapters
1,071 Verses

3rd longest book in the New Testament

Be Awake, Be Ready

A reflection on Sunday's Gospel, a day late:

Jesus said to those around, "Be prepared, for at an hour you do not expect, the Son of Man will come.”

Since these words were first said, many people have claimed knowledge of the day when Jesus will return. It's safe to conclude that they were wrong... we are all still here. Often times, these predictions and speculations end in tragedy. Doomsday Cult, Branch Davidians in Waco Texas, the Comet Riders, and the Russian Orthodox Apocalyptic Cult to name a few. I know many people who are anxious and scared that the end is near and Jesus' return is eminent because of all we see in the news. But, should we really be afraid or anxious about the promised return? When we survey evil in the world, shouldn't the peaceful reign of Christ be a welcomed return?

If anything, we should look forward to his return with hopeful expectation. Jesus tells us to be ready for it will happen when we least expect it. Am I ready? Are you ready? Are we ready to encounter peace, Justice, and the love that is the imminent coming of God's reign?

Hope has Arrived...

Pope Benedict's second encyclical has arrived. Departing from custom, it was released in several languages on the same day it was presented. It comes at a very busy time for the Pope with so many things in the past few days-- consitory, the Annapolis Middle East Peace Conference, and everyday Vatican on goings. There is a link to the full text of the Encyclical after the introductory paragraph:

ENCYCLICAL LETTER

SPE SALVI OF THE SUPREME PONTIFF BENEDICT XVI

TO THE BISHOPS PRIESTS AND DEACONS

MEN AND WOMEN RELIGIOUS

AND ALL THE LAY FAITHFUL ON CHRISTIAN HOPE

Introduction
1. “SPE SALVI facti sumus”—in hope we were saved, says Saint Paul to the Romans, and likewise to us (Rom 8:24). According to the Christian faith, “redemption”—salvation—is not simply a given. Redemption is offered to us in the sense that we have been given hope, trustworthy hope, by virtue of which we can face our present: the present, even if it is arduous, can be lived and accepted if it leads towards a goal, if we can be sure of this goal, and if this goal is great enough to justify the effort of the journey. Now the question immediately arises: what sort of hope could ever justify the statement that, on the basis of that hope and simply because it exists, we are redeemed? And what sort of certainty is involved here?

FULL TEXT

A Reuters article below on the U.S. Bishop's comments.

WASHINGTON, Nov. 30 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ ---Spe Salvi (Saved by hope), thesecond encyclical of Pope Benedict XVI, offers inspiration to all believers,said Cardinal Francis George of Chicago, president of the United StatesConference of Catholic Bishops.

"Pope Benedict calls us personally and as a community to a hope rootedin Jesus," he said. Cardinal George made his remarks November 30, the day theencyclical was released at the Vatican.

Spe Salvi instructs readers that the Christian message is not only"informative" but also "performative," that is, "the Gospel is not merely acommunication of things that can be known -- it is one that makes things happen and is life-changing," Pope Benedict says. It is in receiving God through Jesus Christ that we receive hope. He illustrates this point narrating the life of the African slave, St. Josephine Bakhita.

The Pope outlines the concept of faith-based hope in the New Testamentand early church and says that Christianity did not bring to the Roman world ahopeful message of social revolution. Jesus, who died on a cross, brought atotally different kind of hope. He made possible an encounter with "the Lordof all lords, an encounter with the living God and thus an encounter with a hope stronger than sufferings of slavery," which therefore transformed life.

This hope exceeds the physical laws of nature and evolution. It is ultimately not these laws that govern the world and mankind and have the final say; a personal God governs the universe -- "reason, will, love -- a Person,"Pope Benedict says.

For the Pope, Christian hope is not individualistic. It is community oriented -- all of us are becoming the people of God -- the body of Christ, he says. Because our hope is a hope that incorporates all men and women, this hope spurs us not only to obtain eternal life, but to also manifest this hopeof eternal life here on earth. We do this by striving to make our life on earth a heavenly life -- a life of productivity, justice, peace, and goodness
-- a positive world order that prospers. -- a positive world order that prospers.

The Holy Father also notes the importance of Christian faith-hope in the modern age. In the encyclical letter, Pope Benedict analyzes the false utopian dreams of the modern age and points out the untold suffering they have caused human beings. From this point of view, redemption is no longer through faith in God's saving action but from what human beings can achieve throughthe application of technical knowledge to all of society's problems. A praxis-oriented science draws on an understanding of progress as the overcoming of all dependency to make room for a "kingdom" in which God is no longer at the center. Pope Benedict reflects that when reason renounces faith in revelation or the moral wisdom of the great religions, it has led to scientific developments which in some cases evoke fear among our contemporaries. Just as man needs God in order to sustain hope, reason needs faith to make the world a more human place. "Reason needs faith to becompletely itself," the pope says.

Pope Benedict also observes that prayer leads to hope. "A first essential setting for learning hope is prayer . . . When I can no longer talk to anyone or call upon anyone, I can always talk to God," he says.

He adds that action and suffering are also settings for learning hope. "We can try to limit suffering, to fight against it, but we cannot eliminate it," he says. "It is not by side stepping or fleeing from suffering that we are healed, but rather by our capacity for accepting it, maturing through it and finding meaning through union with Christ, who suffered with infinite love."

A person "cannot accept another's suffering unless he personally is able to find meaning in suffering, a path of purification and growth inmaturity, a journey of hope. Indeed, to accept the 'other' who suffers, means that I take up his suffering in such a way that it becomes mine also. Because it has now become a shared suffering, though, in which another person is present, this suffering is penetrated by the light of love," he says also.

Pope Benedict highlights the practice of praying for the dead saying it reveals another important element of the Christian concept of hope. "As Christians we should never limit ourselves to asking: how can I save myself? We should also ask: what can I do in order that others may be saved and that for them too the star of hope may rise? Then I will have done my utmost for my own personal salvation as well," he says.

Spe salvi is the second encyclical of Pope Benedict. His first, "Deus Caritas Est," (God is love) explored the meaning of Christian love and how it is expressed in everyday life. He issued it December 25, 2005.

One Last Post About Consistory Weekend

VATICAN CITY (Reuters) - The 23 prelates elevated to the College of Cardinals by Pope Benedict on Saturday join the most exclusive group in the Roman Catholic Church, a kind of hand-picked Senate that elects the next pontiff.

Reflecting the global scope of the world's largest Church, 13 of the new cardinals come from Europe, four from Latin America, two from the United States and two each from Asia and Africa.

Following are some facts about cardinals:

WHO ARE THEY?

Cardinals, the "princes of the Church", are a pope's closest advisers and are personally named by him. They are usually archbishops of major dioceses or heads of influential departments at the Vatican.

They outrank all other clergy besides a pope. "Cardinal" comes from the Latin "cardo" (hinge) and symbolizes the link they assure between the Vatican and major dioceses.

Their trademark red hat stands for their readiness to shed their blood for the Church.

WHAT DO THEY DO?

The cardinals' most important job is electing a new pope from among their own ranks in a conclave after the death of a pontiff. Only those under the age of 80 can participate. As the pope's top advisers, they help him govern by serving on Vatican congregations and councils, the equivalent of government ministries. Those who are archbishops also run large dioceses such as capital cities.

HOW TO GET THE RED HAT

The pope occasionally names a group of new cardinals to replace those who have retired or died and to reward bishops for their achievements, such as running a prominent archdiocese or making other major contributions to the life of the Church.

The last consistory to install new cardinals was held in March 2006, when Pope Benedict named 15 of them.

THE NUMBERS

With the latest intake, the College of Cardinals now counts 201 cardinals from 70 different countries, 120 of whom are under 80 and thus eligible to vote in the next conclave. Church law sets a ceiling of electors at 120.

Sixty electors are from Europe, 21 from Latin America, 16 from North America, 12 from Asia, 9 from Africa and 2 from Oceania. Italy has the most electors with 21, followed by the United States with 13 and Germany, France and Spain with 6 each.

HIGHLIGHTS OF THIS CONSISTORY

Among the new cardinals, the spotlight has been most on Emmanuel III Delly, the Baghdad-based Patriarch of Babylon of the Chaldeans, an Eastern rite church linked to Rome. Pope Benedict singled him out for praise in his consistory sermon calling for peace in Iraq.

The choice of Cardinal Daniel DiNardo, archbishop of Galveston-Houston, drew attention to population shifts within the United States towards the southwest and the growing role of Hispanic Catholics in the U.S. church.

The most prominent in the Church hierarchy is Argentinean Cardinal Leonardo Sandri, now head of the Congregation for Oriental Churches. In the late Pope John Paul's final years, he often stepped in to finish reading a sermon the ailing Pontiff could no longer deliver. (Editing by Peter Millership)

In other news today...

In other news, today's liturgy, marked the first of major liturgical celebrations overseen by recently appointed Master of Pontifical Liturgical Ceremonies, Msgr. Guido Marini. Changes in the approach to liturgy and liturgical environment are already evident. For instance, the altar was adorned with a six candles and an altar crucifix set in the center, similar to the arrangement of candles and altar crucifix in on pre-Vatican II times. In past masses, the cross was placed on the corner of the altar flanked by a candle on either side. Also, worthy of note, was the choice of liturgical vestments for the celebrations of last couple days. Yesterday, Pope Benedict wore a mighty mitre once worn by Pope Pius IX. The cope and stole incorporate orphery said to be over 300 years old. This is quite a departure from the modern, multi colored vestments recently worn in Austria. The Papal Throne used in yesterday's liturgy was also a throwback to Pope Leo XIII's papacy.

I have to admit, I will miss Archbishop Piero Marini, but, as with Benedict's papacy, let's wait and see what comes.