Well, I can't admit I'm not more than a bit anxious. It's going to be hard to shift from saying "Ratzinger" in a disparaging tone to "Pope Benedict XVI" with the respect the position deserves. Some thoughts, in no particular order:
*The Holy Spirit is with us. God is in charge. All will be well.
*This isn't really much of a shift … Ratzinger was really the bad cop to PJPII's good cop, but they were of one mind on most of the more controversial issues.
*The Holy Spirit is with us. God is in charge. All will be well.
*Benedict XVI will not have the cult of personality PJPII had. Young Catholics will be forced to think a bit more, consider their positions.
*The Holy Spirit is with us. God is in charge. All will be well.
*We know what we're getting. Any surprises will be on the positive side. I'm expecting dogma and teachings that are anti-woman. I'm not expecting a focus on justice and peace. I won't be surprised if we see a push for a return to orthodoxy. A smack down on thoughful questions. So if it's better than that, I'll be thankful.
*The Holy Spirit is with us. God is in charge. All will be well.
*Although I've been joking that I'll need to reevaluate my future if Ratzinger became Pope, that's not really true. I love the Church. I love Jesus Christ and know in my heart that this is the right path, to follow him. Maybe there's a synergy to my considering religious life at this time. With this Pope. Life is mystery. The groovy sister charism is to promote justice and peace in our families, our society, and our Church. The Church certainly needs that.
*The Holy Spirit is with us. God is in charge. All will be well.
In case you haven't noticed, that's my mantra. My friend Jackie & I are going to head to the Downtown Chapel for mass at lunch time. We're feeling a need to be with the homeless and dispossessed. I'll admit I'm feeling a little dispossessed. But know that the Holy Spirit is with us, God is in charge, and All will be Well.
I'll end with a short prayer. May the heart and mind of Pope Benedict XVI be opened to the love, peace, and strength of our God in heaven, the Lord Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit. May his time leading our church be fruitful. May our church grow in faith, deepen in relationship, and continue as a driving force to building the kingdom of God. And may the hearts of all those who are worried and anxious at what his leadership might mean be calmed. May we too be opened to the love, peace and strength of our God in heaven, as we are reconciled and accept him as our new shepherd. Our good shepherd. Amen.
11 comments:
I like your mantra. I'll be saying it myself.
No matter how it all pans out, God is good. God has a plan. We'll press on.
Nicole-7 Mountains
Susan, thanks so much for posting this. It has helped to calm my heart. As you know, these last couple of days my mantra has been, "I pray that I will welcome everything that comes my way today." It helps.
See you soon.
Jackie
It is good to hear your willingness to stay with the church and love it regardless of whether or not you agree with the decisions being made.
I'm a Lutheran and, although we don't have to worry about a Pope, we do have issues that are threatening to split our church. I just wish there were more people with your faith and attitude, in ALL denominations!
blessings on your journey,
mark
Amen to your prayer, just what I needed to read! I am reminded that God writes straight with crooked lines...but I can't seem to get the song Benny and Jets out of my mind...
;)
I promise to give your mantra a whirl. But, you are a much more centered person than me right now. Bad. Bad. Bad.
You know, Susan...the more I sit here and read and think about this, the more hopeful I feel. Benedict the 15th was a peace maker, and maybe Benny the 16th wants to follow in that role.
Maybe I'm nutty, but I'm beginning to feel like we'll be pleasantly surprised by Benny the 16th.
Nicole-7Mountains
Glad to be of help. Of course I keep having to say my own mantra.
Nicole ... let's hope there's reason to be hopeful. Ben XV's thing was indeed making peace in the church, but the quote I read was to "stop infighting" in the church. Reading that led to some fears that Ben XVI's method of stopping infighting (based on Ratzinger's record and rep) would be more the "I'm right and you're wrong" approach than one of finding common ground.
Here's one to hoping & praying that he does work towards the common ground and that we are all pleasantly suprised.
Ok, back to my mantra.
I love the mantra. It makes me feel hopeful!
I feel more hopeful because of a quote I read from another Catholic Blogger I quoted on my site:
"Take heart, Benedict XVI is more liberal than many Catholic bloggers."
It was the laugh I needed.
Nicole-7Mountains
Nice mantra - good for all occassions, I'd say.
Mine's more like
"Be Still and know that I am God"
"Be Still and Know That I Am"
"Be Still and Know That I"
"Be Still and Know That"
"Be Still and Know"
"Be Still and"
"Be Still"
"Be"
Ratzinger. Interesting choice. "Be Still and Know that I am God."
All will be well and all things will be well and all matter of things will be well.
I could not be more happy with the new Pope, and I know a lot of young people who are just as attracted to B16 as they were to JP2, I am even more attracted to him. He can bring the Church out of the confusion it has suffered since VC2 (not that VC2 was bad, just misunderstood)
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