Rising at 2:25 AM, I watched the funeral Mass for B16 (see above video).  In the crowd were banners with two statements:  "Santo Subito" and "Danke Papst Benedikt."  They mean "Sainthood now" and "Thank you, Pope Benedict."

     Causes for canonizations cannot begin for at least five years from the time of death unless the pope makes an exception.  It is wise to wait so that we can ponder. When it comes to the death of Pope Benedict and how he lived, I've been trying to get up to speed.  I'm discovering that there is so much to ponder.

     The funeral began in a fog.  Later, sunlight broke through.  Our world is currently debilitated by a fog of sin.  We need the light of the Son of God to break through this fog so that our Savior may save us.  Jonathan Liedl connected the fog with the shekinah, the holy cloud, the sign of presence of God himself.  See here.

     One area I think commentators have been furthest from the truth is in understanding why Pope Benedict retired.  This, I think, is a great reason for us to take time and ponder.  Of the articles I've read, I like the following two the most:

by Fr. Roger Landry

by Joan Frawley Desmond

     So far, I have not seen enough connecting of the dots.  Cardinal Ratzinger spoke about the papacy and retirement before he became pope, while he was pope, and when he was retired.  If you put his statements together with a few other ideas, you begin to see the pieces of the puzzle coming together.

     Ratzinger/B16 was very close to the Lord.  He listened, prayed, and discerned well.  He saw and understood the state of the church and world better than anyone else on the planet.  When he said he discerned that he lacked the strength to fulfill the responsibilities of pope, we should believe him.  Yet, I think we can ask the question, "Why did he lack the strength?"  The answers should cover at least three areas.  First, B16 was 85, frail, and had medical problems.  Second, the responsibilities of the papacy are enormous.  Third, corruption in the Church on Earth was/is large.  In the future we may suspect that if the corruption was negligible, then B16 could have delegated many responsibilities so that his diminished strength would have been enough for him to remain as pope.

     Besides earthly matters, I think we also need to consider God's will and providence.  B16 discerned that God's will was for him to resign the papacy.  B16 did not have to know or understand how God would providentially use B16's obedience for the good of all.  With JP2, we had a superhero pope.  When he died, the cardinals elected the only one who could bridge the gap between a superhero pope and a normal pope.  If Ratzinger was not elected pope, the shock may have been too much for us.  Some people who considered JP2 a superhero transferred that kind of affection to B16 and thought of him as a superhero.  Some have even done so with Pope Francis.  Yet, what does God want?  God wants us to know that Jesus Christ is our Savior, not the pope.  The pope works for Jesus.  We're all invited to work with Jesus for the salvation of souls.  Jesus is in charge.  Did B16 ponder what God might do upon his resignation?  Consistent with his whole life, I bet B16 wanted more and more people to say yes to Christ.  He must decrease so that Christ may increase in our lives.  Hopefully, with all the trouble in the world, we come to realize we need Jesus.  We can pray that Jesus will send us good shepherds, but need to keep in mind that Jesus is our Savior.

     Fr. Roger Landry reflects on B16's love for St. Augustine in Pope Benedict’s Papal Conversions.  Landry recognizes multiple conversions in the life of St. Augustine and not just his big conversion to Christianity.  He also experienced a conversion when he was invited to leave the monastery to serve as a parish priest and later as Bishop of Hippo.  Similarly, Cardinal Ratzinger experienced a conversion when he was elected pope.  His writing shifted because of his new pastoral responsibilities.  He wrote and preached so that us regular people could understand him and be drawn closer to Christ.

     When Fr. Landry wrote about Augustine and Benedict both needing to leave a quiey life to take on pastoral responsibilities, I thought of two things:

     One was another great theologian pope, Pope St. Gregory the Great, lamented having to leave the monastery but willingly did so to serve the Lord.

     Second, what I have not seen anywhere recently is the truth that religious life is a higher calling than the life of a diocesan priest.  That is, if a diocesan priest discerns a vocation to a religious order, his bishop can't really stop him because becoming a religious priest is a higher calling.  If you read what B16 actually said about his retirement, you'll see that he wasn't abandoning the cross.  Rather, he was responding to a different and possibly higher calling than pope.  He said yes to the life of a monk.  He prayed for the Church every day of his retirement.  So far, I haven't seen any commentator talk about this.  It may serve as a connecting piece to an idea I have seen:  intercessory prayer.  Just think, there may be many people on Earth right now more important than the pope:  people who live a quiet life of prayer.

     Let me add another piece to this puzzle.  Until his death, I did not know that B16 had a great devotion to St. Therese of Liseux.  They died with similar last words:  "My God, I love you" and "Lord, I love you."  St. Therese promised to spend her Heaven interceding for us.  B16 promised to do that in his retirement.  I imagine he's doing so even more now like St. Therese.

     Jonathan Liedl reports on the potential impact of Benedict upon Germany in German Catholics: In Death, Benedict XVI Will Have ‘New Impact’ Upon Church in Their Homeland.  The timing of B16's death may be important for more reasons that we realize.  Hopefully, we'll pay more attention to his teaching so that we more readily say yes to Christ.  Liedl talks about B16 has a heavenly intercessor.  B16 does need a couple miracles before he can be declared a saint.

     In A Millennial Reflects: Why This JPII-Generation Catholic Is Also a Benedict XVI Catholic, Kate Bryan Milligan gives the perspective of an American millennial.  Now that B16 is gone, we may begin to realize how impactful he was.  She also makes me wonder about my perspective of JP2 and B16.  JP2 inspired young people.  B16 teaches us how to mature in our faith.  They make a great dynamic duo.

     It's now time for us to engage in intercessory prayer.  We can ask the saints to intercede for us as well as those who might be saints.  Here are a few intentions to get us started.  You can add your own by clicking on the reply button at the bottom of this message.

1)  For the repose of the soul of Joseph Ratzinger / Benedict XVI.

2)  For all of us to have greater use of our reason so that we might come to know Christ better.

3)  For more childlike hearts that we might come to love Christ more.

4)  For all those who mourn the passing of B16, that they might be consoled.

5)  For all of us to really discern God's will in our lives.

God love you,

Fr. Jim

     You might like "The Way of Benedict XVI" on EWTN at 2 PM, Saturday, January 7th.