March 6, 2013 By Sister Ellen Donahue, SA It was a great honor for me and I thank Bishop Cunningham for this privilege. On April 19 at 8:30 am, St. Patrick’s Cathedral was filled to capacity with bishops, priests, deacons and religious waiting in anticipation for the doors to open and the one who represents the unity of our consecrated life in Christ to begin his walk among us down the middle aisle to the main altar to celebrate the Eucharist which makes of the many one. The doors burst open and a radiant Pope Benedict bathed in sunlight entered what seemed a dark edifice before his entrance. Cardinal Egan, Mayor Bloomburg and Senator Schumer entered behind him to a roar of street applause from the 5000 people who had waited in the streets for hours to catch a glimpse of the Pope. Many of the faithful were in the crowd but also many people for whom the pope was not their denominational spiritual leader had gathered to see a world recognized leader who was bringing a message of hope. From the time the pope entered until the doors closed behind him, Pope Benedict exhibited a presence of light and hope. He was addressing 3000 bishops, priests, deacons and members of religious congregations from 195 dioceses and archdioceses in the U.S. These religious have seen large diminishment of members, the reality of aging members who remain in religious congregations, the lack of vocations in the present American culture and the shadow of the sexual abuse in the church. In the midst of all these realities Pope Benedict brought the message “the hope that never disappoints you is Jesus Christ”. “This is the message of hope we are called to proclaim and embody in a world where self-centeredness, greed, violence and cynicism so often seem to choke the fragile growth of grace in people’s hearts,” he said. In his homily, the pope described St. Patrick’s Cathedral, its windows and architecture, as symbols of the Church in relation to the world. He underlined the darkness of the stained glass windows that appear from the outside to be dark and heavy but from the inside reflect the light passing through the edifice. He compared it to the church when one enters it, one can “see the Church as she truly is: flooded with grace, resplendent in beauty, adorned by the manifold gifts of the Spirit.” God has graced this 81-year-old leader with the youth of His eternal grace. He is unafraid of proclaiming the mandate to “Choose Life”. “Perhaps we have lost sight of this: in a society where the Church seems legalistic and ‘institutional’ to many people, our most urgent challenge is to communicate the joy born of faith and the experience of God’s love,” he said. The pope did not forget the need to invite more members to follow the personal call they may have to generously discover the beauty of a life given completely to the Lord and the Church. He addressed an invitation “to the seminarians and young religious present to be generous in responding to the call to carry on, with all the enthusiasm and joy that the Spirit has given you, a work that others have begun, a legacy that one day you too will have to pass on to a new generation.” “The example of the saints invites us, then, to consider four essential aspects of the increase of our faith: personal prayer and silence, liturgical prayer, charity in action, and vocation,” Pope Benedict said. “What matters most is that you develop your personal relationship with God”. “Have we perhaps lost something of the art of listening? Do you leave space to hear God’s whisper, calling you forth in goodness?” “Dear young people, finally I wish to share a word about vocations,” he said. “First of all my thoughts go to your parents, grandparents and godparents. They have been your primary educators in the faith. By presenting you for baptism, they made it possible for you to receive the greatest gift of your life. “On that day you entered into the holiness of God himself,” hesaid. “You became adoptive sons and daughters of the Father. You were incorporated into Christ. You were made a dwelling place of his Spirit. “Let us pray for mothers and fathers throughout the world, particularly those who may be struggling in any way-socially, materially, spiritually,” the pope said. “Let us honor the vocation of matrimony and the dignity of family life. Let us always appreciate that it is in families that vocations are given life.” Pope Benedict embraced his religious family by walking down the middle aisle and circling all within the church by returning up the side aisle to a thunderous applause. The young seminarians chanted “Benedicto” as he passed by their waving hands and prepared to return back to the streets. There he faced the throngs now swelled beyond 5000 as he rode in his popemobile up Fifth Avenue from 50th Street to 72nd Street headed to a youth rally of 25,000 in Yonkers.
Our prayer and gratitude go with you Pope Benedict. CNS photo/Mike Crupi
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Leaving St. Patrick’s Cathedral, we couldn’t help but recall the Pope’s words, “The spires of St. Patrick’s Cathedral are dwarfed by the skyscrapers of the Manhattan skyline, yet in the heart of this busy metropolis, they are a vivid reminder of the constant yearning of the human spirit to rise to God.”