Our dear Pope Benedict

This morning as we prepared to receive Jesus in a communion service in our chapel (the weather did not permit us to drive safely to Mass) our  Community Sister Servant read to us Pope Benedict XVI's statement of his resignation.  We were in shock as was most of the Church, the nation and the world.  But personally my heart was ready for his resignation and almost glad that he had the courage and humility to step down.  My heart is full of love for him and I know he did not do this lightly. Looking at his face, you know he is not very well.   May God grant him all that he needs at this time.

Musing with one of the Sisters I said that I think he will go down in history as Benedict the Great.  I do not have the words to articulate what I mean by that but in eight years he has left an indelible mark on the Church and on the world.

Here is a link to Pope Benedict's Lenten Message for this year.  For me it is a keepsake:
http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/benedict_xvi/messages/lent/documents/hf_ben-xvi_mes_20121015_lent-2013_en.html

Let us stay in touch with the Catholic media and try to ignore the spin that the secular media will put on this news.  EWTN, Catholic Online, the National Catholic Register, Catholic World Report - all will be good sources in the weeks to come.  And...let us pray for our Holy Father and for the Cardinals who will meet to elect his successor.  Our times are perilous and the man who succeeds our Holy Father will face great challenges.  The Church needs the support of our prayers.