First of all happy anniversary to His Holiness, Pope Benedict XVI. Three years ago today he was elected by his brother cardinals to walk in the shoes of the Fisherman from Galilee. I found myself greatly encouraged by the Holy Father who, in the first paragraph of his homily for the Votive Mass for the Universal Church, celebrated with priests, deacons, and religious, at St. Patrick's Cathedral in New York City, said to all priests, deacons, and consecrated religious:"I am happy to celebrate this Mass with you, who have been chosen by the Lord, who have answered his call, and who devote your lives to the pursuit of holiness, the spread of the Gospel and the building up of the Church in faith, hope and love."
These words are both an encouragement and a challenge. The Holy Father reminds me what a privilege it is to serve God's holy people. Indeed, it is a privilege, not an honor. An honor is something earned, a privilege is something granted. First of all, I am grateful to the Lord for the privilege of serving. Second, I am grateful to Bishop Wester for allowing me to serve. Last, but not least, I am grateful to the people I serve for allowing me the privilege and for all their encouragement, love, and understanding.
On a completely unrelated note, we watched Juno last night. Perhaps I will write something on it, but suffice it for now to write that it is a great film. It is moral without being moralistic, which, no doubt, will cause many to mistakenly believe it to be immoral.
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