Sede Vacante!

 

Sede vacante!  We are without a Pope! 

    For today's reflection, I am not going to use my words, I am going to use the  words of Pope Benedict the XVI as he gave his last address of his Pontificate today.  Whether you are Catholic or not, this was a historic day and we all can learn a lot from the words of His Holiness.

“I am no longer the pope but I am still in the church. I’m just a pilgrim who is starting the last part of his pilgrimage on this earth.”     

We are all pilgrims on a journey towards heaven.  Let's live each day, especially during Lent, with that ultimate goal in mind.  Let's not live to get the best title or the biggest house or the most expensive car.....let's live in such a way that we receive the ultimate reward when our journey on this earth ends: eternal life in Heaven.

“With all my heart and prayers and thoughts and strengths, I’d like to work for the common good and for the good of the church and mankind.” 

We are all called to work for the common good of mankind.  It is not all about us.  We have to care about others.  We have to build up His kingdom, not tear it down.  Can you imagine the change this world would see if we all worked for the common good of all?

“Thank you for your love and support. May you always experience the joy that comes from putting Christ at the center of your lives.” 

JOY.  Jesus, Others, Yourself.  By putting Christ first, all else falls into place.  This doesn't mean that life will be easy....but what it does mean is that no matter what comes our way, we can experience joy.  We might not be feeling happy, but we can experience joy in our trials because we realize that our hope lies in Christ not in the situation that we are in.

“I will continue to serve you in prayer, in particular in the coming days." 

We need to constantly be praying for each other.  There are so many forces working against us in the world today.  We need to combat those forces with prayer for each other.  We also need to serve each other.  Like Mother Teresa said, "We can do small things with great love."  Let's do those small things for each other.....let's love each other, serve each other and pray for each other every day. 

 Now, we join in prayer as we wait for a new Pope to be elected.  May the Holy Spirit be with all the Cardinals in the coming days.  Thank you, Pope Benedict.  Thank you.