Consistory Weekend

Hello Again Gang,

As you can see from the frequency of my posts, things are getting a bit hectic around here these days.  This weekend was the consistory where Pope Benedict elevated 24 new cardinals to the Sacred College of Cardinals.  Their most well known task is electing the pope, but they also perform many varied important roles for the Church.

Of course, looking forward to this weekend I was excited to see the inner workings of the Church and the "Church Celebrities", but I never knew how fruitful of a weekend it would be spiritually.  I had a ticket for the consistory on Saturday, but due to large crowds, I was not able to get into St. Peter's for the event.  I came back to the college and relaxed for a while as I had to work the reception afterwards here at the college for the two new American cardinals, Cardinal Wuerl and Cardinal Burke.  My job was to serve drinks and this lasted from about 12:15pm - 3:15pm.  It was amazing that in such a simple task, I had so much fun and was unusually joyful.  I really felt like St. Theresa was watching over me helping me to do a simple job with great love.  I had many opportunities to visit with people who had come to witness the event because they knew one of the two cardinals.  It was so humbling hearing them thank me and my brother seminarians over and over again, offering us words of encouragement and most importantly assuring us of their prayers for us.  Recently I have been praying about being more focused on what I am doing at any given moment.  I feel called to do this especially when talking to people.  Maybe they are keeping me from what I "should" be doing (according to my plan), but perhaps God has put me there to talk to them for a reason.  This was especially insightful when related to my desires to do something great for God, to be the saint I am called to be.  Typically, when I think of the saints, I think of the great things they did and wonder how I could ever do these grand works.  Through prayer, I have realized that most of the actions of the saints, taken individually would not be too grand, but their constant normal acts inspired by the love of Christ have changed the world.  This is what we are all called to do.

After serving for the reception, I made my way over to St. Peter's where we took part in the traditional greeting of the new cardinals.  Certain areas of the Apostolic Palace were opened up that are closed to the public except for this event and the new cardinals were spread throughout receiving anyone and everyone.  I made my way to about 7 of the new cardinals.  I first greeted and congratulated them then asked them for a blessing and for them to pray for me, usually after they had already requested for my prayers for them.  This was so humbling.  Here were men who have faithfully served the Church and have been called to be Princes of the Church asking me to pray for them.  It was a great witness to their humility and it showed me that they are truly no longer living their own lives, but Christ is living in them (in the words of St. Paul).  It was such a powerful experience for me to get to meet them and see that they are people just like me.  The only reason that they have been so successful in their ministry is because they realize (as indicated by their requests for prayers) that it is not about them, but it is about Jesus Christ and the Kingdom of Heaven and that they need a personal relationship with him if they want anything they do to bear fruit!

The Holy Father, Pope Benedict XVI,
processing out after mass.

Cardinal Koch blessing another seminarian and me.

To round out the weekend I was able to attend mass in St. Peter's which the Holy Father celebrating and all of the new cardinals attendanced along with several other cardinals (including Cardinal Arinze!!), bishops, priests and deacons.  Mass with our Holy Father never ceases to amaze me.  It is so wonderful being able to attend mass celebrated by the head of the Church here on earth.  The awesomeness of the experience was even that much greater since this was my first time being at mass with him in St. Peter's where the altar upon which the holy sacrifice of the mass takes place is directly over the tomb of St. Peter, the Prince of the Apostles.  St. Peter's successor celebrating mass on an altar resting on the tomb of St. Peter...it doesn't get much better than that.   As Pope Benedict was processing out after mass, I was able to make my way near the railing and was no more than 10 feet from him as he passed.  What a great opportunity it was to be there.  I heard a quote when I first got here, that "the pope of your time here in Rome, is the pope of your heart".  Pope Benedict truly has been the pope of my heart from the time he was elected.  I look up to him as a role model of a good priestly life and hope that I can follow his faithfulness to God's call.  Thank you for keeping me in your prayers and please know that you are all in my prayers. 


In Christ,
Patrick