Encountering Holiness in His Holiness

As many of you know, this past Thursday January 26th, I had the great privilege of meeting the Holy Father, Pope Benedict XVI.  This encounter was more than an opportunity for wonderful pictures (though it was that too).  In this blog, I hope to share some of my experience with you.

First, the reason for the visit.  Every five years (ish), every bishop in the world must meet with the Holy Father for what is called their Ad Limina Apostolorum visit.  This literally translates as "to the threshold of the Apostles" (Peter and Paul).  The purpose of this visit is for the bishops to make a pilgrimage to Rome in order to be renewed through prayer at various holy sites, including the Tombs of Sts. Peter and Paul, to gain a renewed sense of their mission as the successors of the Apostles, and to renew their union with the Successor of Peter, the Bishop of Rome, the pope.  One of the highlights of this trip is the bishops meeting with the Holy Father.  In this meeting, the bishops are allowed to bring one priest or seminarian.  Though my bishop had a priest who was traveling with him, he arranged for me to go in with another bishop who did not bring anyone with him.

As soon as I learned that the American bishops would be making their visits this year, I was hoping for the chance to meet the Holy Father (actually I was hoping for this before I even came to Rome, but the visits made it more of a possibility).  I remembered seeing a picture from another priest of the diocese who was able to meet Blessed Pope John Paul II during the last Ad Limina visits for the US Bishops.  The bishop arrived to Rome on Sunday January 22nd and after an opening Mass with all of the bishops here at the College that evening I found him to tell him hello.  It was then that he informed me that I would in fact be going to meet the pope...it made for a rather long week of finals waiting for Thursday!

After being brought through a back gate into rarely seen areas of the Vatican, up an elevator, through room after room, waiting in one, moving to another and waiting there and then another, we were finally given instructions and told it wouldn't be long.  One group went in before us and we were brought to the final small waiting room after they finished.  We were arranged in a line with the bishops of New Orleans first, then the rest of us in alphabetical order by diocese.  Since I was with the bishop of Shreveport we were the last in line.  This was great as I was able to be in the room for about 15 minutes and I was able to watch all of the other bishops and priests great the Holy Father.  It was wonderful watching the others interact with the Holy Father, especially my bishop, the priest from our diocese and another priest who was my spiritual director at St. Ben's.  I particularly enjoyed watching the Holy Father perk up and his voice get louder when my former spiritual director was introduced by his bishop as the Vocations Director for his diocese.  Afterwards, I asked him what the Holy Father told him to which he responded, you have a very difficult but very important job (or something close to that!).

Finally, it was my turn.  The bishop of Shreveport was up there speaking to the Holy Father, they posed for their pictures, then the Msgr. turns to me to signal for me to come over.  To be honest, the first thought in my mind as I began walking over was "pick up your feet...it would be really bad to trip on the carpet".  After making it over to the pope, I bent down and gave the traditional sign of respect by kissing his "fisherman's ring".  After this I remembered only a few of the words that I had been rehearsing in my mind for days now.  I was able to utter "Holy Father, thank you for your faithfulness and service to the Church".  He thanked me and said four simple words which I will never forget:  "PLEASE PRAY FOR ME"!  These words may not seem too inspiring to some, but they struck deep in my heart.

After the visit, I recalled my meeting Cardinal Burke the night after he had been raised to the College of Cardinals.  I recalled how before I could ask for his blessing, he uttered those same words, "please pray for me".  Why are these words so amazing to me?  It's simple.  These are men who I look up to and greatly respect because of their holiness, faithfulness to the Church and untiring service on behalf of the Church and the People of God.  To hear them utter these words reminds me that we, that I can do nothing without God.  I know this in my head, but these holy men live it every moment of their lives.  I think that this realization was accentuated because of something I recently read.  In doing research for a practice homily, I came across a quote from an article reporting on one of Pope Benedict's first audiences which he had with a group of German pilgrims.  In that audience, he said how he prayed that he would not become pope.  When he saw that it was likely that he would be elected, he had to come to accept this decision.  He told them of the lesson he learned during the conclave.  The lesson was that “The ways of the Lord are not comfortable, but we were not created for comfort, but for greatness, for good.”  The humility I have witnessed in these two leaders of our Church and in many others, is truly inspiring.  They realize that they are in no way worthy of the great task that has been entrusted to them.  It is only by lives of constant prayer and reliance on God that they are able to carry out the duties their offices require.

I am receiving a rosary before
leaving as a way to remember the visit.

Looking through the pictures from my brief meeting with the Holy Father, I am ever more convinced of his holiness, joy and saintliness.  As I look through the pictures, I see a man doing something that he never wanted to do, but doing it with joy and doing it with love.  His love for God is infectious.  I can see this by the look on my face.  While I was in the room with him, I remember being so joyful, so inspired.  This joy and love shows on my face...I could not stop smiling.  I pray that I will continue to allow this experience to spur me on to a greater love for God and His people.


Having encounters with men of such heroic virtue gives me great hope.  I realize that I am not worthy for the great calling which God has for me, but if I allow myself to rely on Him for strength, I too will be able to do what it is He is asking of me.  Each day at every Mass we pray for Pope Benedict.  Every time I pray the rosary I offer prayers for him too.  Since meeting him and hearing him utter these simple humble words, praying for the Holy Father has taken on a whole new dynamic.  Please join me in praying for him that he may continue to do God's will and lead souls to heaven.  I also ask that you pray for me, that I too will grow ever closer to our God and be more able to carry out His will in my life.  Please be assured of my prayers for all of you.


In Christ,
Patrick


P.S. - Not that anyone is counting, but it is only about 4 1/2 months until I return home for the summer!