Thoughts Along the Journey

For the first time in 600 years, the pope is retiring.  Today is Pope Benedict XVI's last official day as the leader of the Catholic Church. I don't have words to say what it feels like...all I can say to him is, "Thank you for showing us what true servanthood is all about."

The complete text of his last public homily is below:  Venerable Brothers, Dear Brothers and Sisters! Today, Ash Wednesday, we begin a new Lenten journey, a journey that extends over forty days and leads us towards the joy of Easter, to victory of Life over death. Following the ancient Roman tradition of Lenten stations, we are gathered for the celebration of the Holy Eucharist. The tradition says that the first  statio  took place in the Basilica of Saint Sabina on the Aventine Hill. Circumstances suggested we gather in St. Peter’s Basilica. Tonight there are many of us gathered around the tomb of the Apostle Peter, to also ask him to pray for the path of the Church going forward at this particular moment in time, to renew our faith in the Supreme Pastor, Christ the Lord. For me it is also a good opportunity to thank everyone, especially the faithful of the Diocese of Rome, as I prepare to conclude the Petrine ministry, and I ask you for a special remembrance in you...

Today is Ash Wednesday.  Contrary to what many say, Catholics are not the only ones who observe this day.  But why? From Old Testament times, ashes on the head were a sign of deep grief and contrition over sin.  (Jeremiah 6:26; Isaiah 58:5; Daniel 9:3, Jonah 3:6--to name a few.)  It is a symbol of how sad we are to have sinned against God. Okay, so what in the world is Lent all about anyway?  So you're sorry for your sins.  Why do you spend 40 days of "giving up" something, etc.?  Let God forgive you and get on with life! I have addressed the need for Lent in past posts .  Briefly, let me just say, Lent is so important in the life of any Christian.  It mirrors the time Jesus spent in the desert, prior to His baptism and the beginning of His public ministry.  It is a time of "coming apart" with God--fasting, prayer, and alms giving.  Before becoming Catholic, we did have times of fasting.  And they were powerful times....

As a follow-up to yesterday's post, I thought it would be appropriate to address the topic of the papacy.  Why do Catholics insist they need a pope?  What's the big deal, anyway? I will acknowledge that a blog post is insufficient to cover this topic in its entirety.  I will also admit that I don't have the depth of learning on this topic that others have.  I'm just going to explain this in the most simple terms.  (If you want a more complete explanation, please see this article .  Also, I have found this site to be very helpful, and a little less complex.) Most people know the Catholic Church traces the popes all the way back to St. Peter.  Of course, you wouldn't see that title in the Bible.  The bishop of Rome did not hold that title exclusively until the 4th century.  Prior to that time, the title was used of bishops in general.  However, the "chair of Peter" (bishop of Rome) has been recognized as the "first among equals" s...

I'm sure by now everyone has heard the news:  Pope Benedict XVI has submitted a letter of resignation from his position as the pope.  Some reporters are trying to say, "We knew this was going to happen."  Doubtful.  Even reporters in Rome are in shock. The last time a pope resigned was back in the 1400's.  It is hard to grasp what this means, other than that we will soon have a  new pope.  What I DO know is that we should all be praying with great fervency for the college of cardinals.  They have a great burden of decision on them, that absolutely must be directed by the guidance of the Holy Spirit. In 2005, Pope John Paul II passed away.  At that time, though I was not Catholic, I instinctively knew this was a historical moment for, not just the Catholic Church, but for all Christians throughout the world.  That evening, our family attended Mass at St. Stephen's Catholic Church, just to show our support and prayer for all of our bro...