We Have A Pope!

"And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it." – Matthew 16:18 

Habemus Papam!!! After waiting for a quite and while, watching seagulls taking turns sitting on the Vatican chimney, is was such a relief to see white smoke appear from the tiny smokestack on the night of March 13, 2013. Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio was elected as the 266th Pope of the Roman Catholic Church. He took the name of Pope Francis in honor of St. Francis of Assisi. He is the first Pope to take that name and he is also the first non-European Pope the church has ever seen. Along with that, he made history as the first Jesuit to be elected as the successor of Peter.

Pope Francis is a native of Buenos Aires, Argentina. This is a huge turning point for the Church, since the Holy See is now coming from somewhere other than Europe. I believe this will engage other cultures more-so into the Roman Catholic faith. I'm sure the Latin American countries had a huge fiesta in honor and celebration of their newly elected Pope. As I watched the news that day I saw Cardinal Dolan reflect on the election of the new Pope, stating, "Can you imagine when Pope Francis goes for World Youth Day, which may probably be his first international trip in July to Brazil, can you imagine the welcome he'll get, a Pope from Latin America? You can imagine the joy in our Latin American brothers."

When I heard Cardinal Dolan's response I thought he must have read my mind. I was thinking the exact same thing! This is wonderful news for our Latin American friends who will be hosting Pope Francis in Rio de Janeiro this summer. I am so happy for them and for our Church! Even though Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio was an unlikely choice for the pontificate, I think he was most definitely the best choice—by far. I had never heard of him before he stepped out as Pope. But, he seems like such a sweet, kind, humble, and holy man of God. Our Church needs someone like him to reach out to the young people, which he will be doing this summer. I'm sure he never expected to be the Pope; but here he is, fulfilling the duty God has entrusted to him.

Yesterday, March 14th, the 76-year-old Argentinian celebrated his first Mass as Pope in the Sistine Chapel among his fellow Cardinals. He gave a short homily in Italian, although he is also fluent in Spanish, English, German, French, and Latin. Being very versatile in several languages will also help him to communicate better with the members of the Church.

I personally like that he remains true to himself, being a very simple man, and also has a great devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary, as do many other Latin Americans. Immediately after he was elected as Pope he addressed the crowd in St. Peter's square and said he intends to pray and ask the Madonna "that she may watch over all of Rome."

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Feel free to check out the following links for more news and updates about the Pope:
Fox News: http://www.foxnews.com/world/2013/03/14/world-watches-as-cardinals-convene-for-2nd-day-papal-conclave/
NBC News: http://worldnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/03/14/17307513-pope-francis-celebrates-first-mass-emphasizes-gospels?lite

          

It's Time For You To Shine!

"You are my lamp, O LORD; the LORD turns my darkness into light." – 2 Samuel 22:29

This past weekend, during Sunday morning Mass, I felt a bit sad when I didn't hear our Holy Father's name read aloud after the consecration of the host. The reality has finally settled in that our Church is without a Pope. Although I am supportive of Pope Emeritus' decision, it's hard to imagine what kind of papacy will transpire within the coming days, weeks, or months. We certainly need someone who will be a strong and devout leader in these difficult times for the Church. I pray that whomever God selects, through the Cardinals, they will be a hit with the young people at World Youth Day in Rio de Janeiro this summer. It is with today that we begin to take a step in a new direction for the Catholic Church. Today was the first day the Cardinals met for a pre-conclave meeting. Once the actual conclave begins they will be isolated from the world until a final decision has been made for a new pontiff.

Since the resignation of Benedict XVI there have been a lot of reports and rumors in the media about scandals within the Catholic Church and the Vatican itself. These news sources are not the most trustworthy and should be taken with a grain of salt. There may be some truth to corrupted politics and power within the Vatican, but most of it is twisted and exaggerated to the extreme. Unfortunately, the Church is not perfect because it is run by people. However, Jesus, who founded the Catholic Church, is perfect and will see to it that it becomes perfect at the end of time.

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Meanwhile, we are called to be stewards of faith, hope, and love by shedding light upon the Catholic Church through our own lifestyle. By living in the light of Christ others will see our example and will desire to find that light within themselves. They will feel attracted your interior light, like a moth, and won't cease to look for it as long as they can see it in you. WOW! Wouldn't that be a real statement...if Catholics really lived Catholic!? It seems simple, and yet there are so many Catholics who have fallen away. Some are even embarrassed to be Catholic because of what the media has shaped Catholicism to be. It's a sad reality, which is why we need a good Pope in the coming era.

Whatever the outcome may be for our Holy See we still need to do our best to live the Catholic faith to the fullest and set an example for others. You may not even know how you could touch someone just by being yourself. For example, I had no idea that I genuinely touched my best friend Janelle Sanchez before we became friends. As we became closer friends over the years she wrote a book called Confessions of a Pure Heart and asked me to design the cover. I was pleased with her request, but little did I know that she wrote something so heartfelt about me in her own book! On page 48, she writes,

"People are naturally attracted to things that are good, and through your loving presence, you attract loving people to you. Have you ever heard the phrase, "Birds of a feather flock together?" It means that people who are alike become friends and associate with each other. When you start living a pure lifestyle, and God's love radiates from you like the sun, you will find people who are attracted to this light, no matter where you are. Though your current circle of friends may not appreciate this, some will—and those are the people who will bring you up and not tear you down.

I have a friend named Danielle Duet and she is one of the most cheery people I know. She is always smiling, always happy to see you, and always there with a big hug whenever you see her. Do you want to know how I met her? In the school bathroom. We were both commuters at the time (meaning we drove to college instead of living there). I had noticed she had a rosary hanging in her locker, and I thought about how unique it was to find another Catholic on campus, and decided I wanted to get to know her. I never really had the courage to introduce myself, until we were standing next to each other in front of the sinks. She smiled at me and just looked so friendly I couldn't help but say something, and we became such good friends that she designed the cover of this very book! 

It was her demanor that attracted me, God's love was evident in her life, and she didn't shove her rosary in my face and tell me to pray it. No, simply having it in her locker for her own use was enough for me to gather interest in her. Her very lifestyle attracted me, and now we are close friends."

I honestly had no idea she even wrote that about me until it was published. I was so shocked and amazed that after I read it I almost wanted to cry. Janelle is one of my very best friends! If I hadn't been living my life faithfully and in accordance with God's love on a daily basis I would have never met her. That is why it is ssssooooooo important to live as best you can with God's love pouring out from your heart and soul like a radiant beam of light. You never know who you'll meet or become friends with.

The love of God shown through happiness is contagious! Just smile at someone and see if they smile back. As Blessed Mother Teresa said, "Let no one ever come to you without leaving better and happier. Be the living expression of God's kindness; kindness in your face, kindness in your eyes, kindness in your smile, kindness in your warm greeting."

That is the life we are called to live by God as Catholics in the Roman Catholic Church. If we all lived like that, as practicing Catholics, no one could ever say anything bad about the Church because they would be so overwhelmed with the love they see in it. So while we are in the transitional period between Popes, Sede Vacante, let us continue to pray for the Church and the new pontiff.

Let me leave you with a song by Owl City called Shooting Star. I was inspired to write this blog for you after listening to Adam Young's music. Even though he is a very popular music artist in the secular media I have heard some of his songs on Spirit FM 90.5, my local Catholic radio station. Apparently he writes songs and lyrics based on his faith as Christian. I never looked at his music that way until now. His songs are very good and I encourage you to listen to this one with an open heart and mind—cause' it's time for YOU to SHINE!

           

Welcome to the Desert

"The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel." – Mark 1:15

Hello Catholic friends! Guess what? During the month of February my blog turns a year old. Wow! I can't believe I've been doing this for a year now. I started blogging for Lent last year and never knew it would become more then just a few posts. I'm so happy to continue writing on here and to share my thoughts with each one of you. Thank you for supporting me with your love and prayers over the last year. For this, I am truly grateful!

So as you know today is Ash Wednesday, the beginning of Lent. Today Catholics around the world attend Mass and receive ashes on their forehead in the shape of a cross. This symbol is a reflection of our sinfulness and our willingness to change those sinful ways. During Lent we are given the opportunity to fast and grow in our faith by doing charitable deeds for others. As we enter into the desert we should be open to the Holy Spirit for direction and guidance. With His love we can endure whatever hardships our brought our way.

As we step out into the desert this year Catholics are faced with a shocking surprise. Pope Benedict XVI has stated that he will be resigning from the papacy on February 28, 2013. His announcement on Monday caught everyone off guard. He said his decision to resign was due to the fact that his age has made it hard to adequately fulfill the duties entrusted to him. Although I am sadden by this shocking news, I believe it is a good decision on his part. Since the Holy Father didn't feel he could actively lead the Church anymore I think someone who can should step up and take on those responsibilities.

Pope Benedict realizes that the Church needs someone a bit younger and healthier to fulfill the obligation as Pope. This is a very humble act. Even though Pope John Paul II suffered to the very end during his pontificate, demonstrating loyalty and compassion for the Catholic Church, Pope Benedict has shown us a different approach. Instead of waiting until it gets to that point, he has humbly decided to remove himself so another can lead his beloved Church in the way it should be led. I believe he is showing us a great love for his fellow Catholics by doing this. It is sad to see all of the attacks on him in the media when the Holy See is only trying to do what is best for the Church. So let us continue to pray for Pope Benedict XVI and his future successor with whatever may happen in the days to come.

As we journey our way through Lent, walking alone in the desert, we realize as Catholics that we will soon be heading along that path ahead without a Pope. Until the Cardinal conclave can determine who will fill the seat of St. Peter, we will be living in a transitional period. I can imagine the Catholic Church will be attacked even more in the media during the selection of the new pontiff. That is why we must pray for God's Holy Will in this decision making. Let us lift up our Lenten offering with a loving heart for the new Pope. I just hope and pray we will have a great leader who will serve our Church as best he can in both good and bad times.

Maybe we will even have a new Pope by Easter! Although this decision is crucial and shouldn't be made in a hasty manner, it would be wonderful to celebrate Christ's Resurrection with a new member of the papal household.