Apr

18

All I Can Say is “Wow”

April 18, 2008 |

I’m sitting down this morning trying to digest what the Holy Father has shared with us over the past two days.  The more I read, the more amazed I am at the depth and clarity of what he has to say.  This guy gets us - he understands us - there is enough in his words over the past two days to revive us and sustain us for generations.  And we still have another four days to go.

Don’t make the mistake of just reading the mainstream media accounts of what the Holy Father has to say.  They are cherry-picking some comments that fit in with their secular view of the Church and ignoring others that should make them feel uncomfortable.  You have to read the speeches/homilies yourself.  It will be time well-spent.

In his Opening Remarks at the White House, he expressed a sense of freedom and American hope that shows he understands our nation’s purpose better than many of us do.

In his Address to the Bishops, he gives an incredible overview of the current challenges facing the American Catholic Church - those coming from the secular world and those coming from within our own Church.  He gives a call to action that should energize all bishops and each member of their flocks.  He takes on the child abuse scandal and encourages the bishops to just to the right thing.

In his Homily at the Nationals Park Mass, he addresses us directly as laity.  He lets us know he understands our challenges.  The growing distance between faith and society, the falling away of too many Catholics, the pain caused by the child abuse scandal, our dire need for true education in the catechesis.  He not only encourages us, but he basically reminds us that we are Americans and need to keep moving forward.

And then he summed up the day with his Address to the Catholic Educators.  He spoke about the need for a true Catholic education in today’s world and the responsibility Catholic educators have in building the faith of the students entrusted to their care.  Most importantly, he  hopefully made some uncomfortable by reminding them that the Catholic faith cannot be discarded for the sake of “academic freedom.”

It’s been a great two days.  Let’s make sure to digest what the Holy Father has to tell us - the charge he is giving us.

And what is that charge?  It is summed up in two passages of his Nationals Park Homily -

“Today let us pray fervently that the Church in America will be renewed in that same Spirit, and sustained in her mission of proclaiming the Gospel to a world that longs for genuine freedom (cf. Jn 8:32), authentic happiness, and the fulfillment of its deepest aspirations!”  

“By your prayers, by the witness of your faith, by the fruitfulness of your charity, may you point the way towards that vast horizon of hope which God is even now opening up to his Church, and indeed to all humanity: the vision of a world reconciled and renewed in Christ Jesus, our Savior.”

It’s a new day - time for us to get to work.


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