[Salvation]

Remembering Pope Benedict XVI

Pastor’s Column

1^st Sunday of Lent

February 17, 2013

 

 

          Having spent this past week recovering from the worst case of flu I have ever had, I was still flabbergasted to hear this morning that Pope Benedict is resigning! Well, by the time this column appears this will be old news, but I have done a bit of reflecting in the meantime.

 

          We meet the Catholic Church at three levels: the global church, symbolized by the Pope; the local church, symbolized by our bishop; and our parish church, symbolized perhaps best by our church building, and all three of these will be changing in 2013! So we at Saint Ed’s have entered into a place of transition and opportunity.

 

          I want to share with you again some of my best memories of Pope Benedict XVI, which are encapsulated by a picture I took in Saint Peter’s Square of the Pope amid 10,000 priests in June 2010: 

 

 

          As you may remember, the diocese sent me and another priest, Fr. Peter Smith, to represent our diocese at the closing ceremonies of the Year of the Priest at the Vatican in June of 2010. Because there were over 10,000 priests in attendance, the largest concelebrated Mass in the history of the Catholic Church, the Mass was held outside in Saint Peter’s Square rather than in Saint Peter’s itself. Prior to the actual Mass, the Pope made his rounds through the vast crowd of priests slowly in his “Pope-Mobile”…..very slowly. And he went through every aisle twice, so that as many of us as possible could connect with him. I noticed he was making eye contact with us.

 

          I took this picture myself the second time the Pope passed by. I thought to myself, “here is an (at that time) 82 year old man, one who never sought to be Pope and would have preferred another choice, who has risen to the occasion and has sought to renew the church by striving to renew her priests.   This is true for us as well: whatever we are asked to do in life, all that God asks of us is that we try our best! It is up to God to make fruitful our humble efforts.

 

          We at Saint Ed’s have begun the physical transition to an exciting new building. The fences are up! And, on April 2, we will be installing a new archbishop for our diocese, Archbishop Alexander King Sample.  Perhaps by April we will have a new Pope as well. But the church continues, not only because Jesus is really present in the Eucharist, not only because he remains eternally in his Word, but also because he remains in you, the people of Saint Edward, as we journey together through these interesting times.

 

   

 

         

 

          This final picture was taken after the conclusion of the Papal Mass. Though the Pope, Bishop, Pastor or Church Building may change, Jesus remains forever in our hearts. He remains with us forever!

                                                                                       Father Gary

[Salvation]

St. Paul Center Blog

Forty Days: Scott Hahn reflects on the 1st Sunday in Lent

Posted by Dr. Scott Hahn on 02.15.13 |

Deuteronomy 26:4-10
Psalm 91:1-2,10-15
Romans 10:8-13
Luke 4:1-13

In today’s epic Gospel scene, Jesus relives in His flesh the history of Israel.

We’ve already seen that like Israel, Jesus has passed through water, been called God’s beloved Son (see Luke 3:22; Exodus 4:22). Now, as Israel was tested for forty years in the wilderness, Jesus is led into the desert to be tested for forty days and nights (see Exodus 15:25).

He faces the temptations put to Israel: Hungry, He’s tempted to grumble against God for food (see Exodus 16:1-13). As Israel quarreled at Massah, He’s tempted to doubt God’s care (see Exodus 17:1-6). When the Devil asks His homage, He’s tempted to do what Israel did in creating the golden calf (see Exodus 32).

Jesus fights the Devil with the Word of God, three times quoting from Moses’ lecture about the lessons Israel was supposed to learn from its wilderness wanderings (see Deuteronomy 8:3; 6:16; 6:12-15).

Why do we read this story on the first Sunday of Lent? Because like the biblical sign of forty (see Genesis 7:12; Exodus 24:18; 34:28; 1 Kings 19:8; Jonah 3:4), the forty days of Lent are a time of trial and purification.

Lent is to teach us what we hear over and over in today’s readings. “Call upon me, and I will answer,” the Lord promises in today’s Psalm. Paul promises the same thing in today’s Epistle (quoting Deuteronomy 30:14; Isaiah 28:16; Joel 2:32).

This was Israel’s experience, as Moses reminds his people in today’s First Reading: “We cried to the Lord…and He heard.” But each of us is tempted, as Israel was, to forget the great deeds He works in our lives, to neglect our birthright as His beloved sons and daughters.

Like the litany of remembrance Moses prescribes for Israel, we should see in the Mass a memorial of our salvation, and “bow down in His presence,” offering ourselves in thanksgiving for all He has given us.