THE POPE AND A HOPE

INTRODUCTION

The title of today’s feast is: The Chair of Saint Peter - Apostle.

The title of my homily is, “The Pope and A Hope.”

As Catholics we hope for a good pope.

With a conclave to elect a new pope about to happen next month - our hope and prayer is that the cardinals pick a leader and a saint - to lead us for the next decade or what have you.

I would assume that most of us here have been alive for a whole series of popes in our lifetime: Pius XII, John XXIII, Paul VI, John Paul I, John Paul  II, and Benedict XVI. Did I leave anyone out?

UNITY

It’s nice to know who’s in charge - who’s the leader - who’s a focal point - who represents us to the world - and challenges us to be good Christians.

Please talk to each other about your takes on the different popes you’ve experienced in your lifetime. It’s a good breakfast or lunch or coffee break topic.  Right now a lot of people - not just Catholics - are wondering and taking about popes - and Catholics.

I hope and pray that those Catholics  who have dropped out - will drop into a Catholic Church - light a candle, say a prayer - and I hope a light goes on in their minds and hearts once again.

JAMES O’TOOLE

James O’Toole in his book The Faithful, A History of Catholics in America points out in his introduction that American Catholics define themselves in relation to the pope. In our history we’ve been attacked  for having allegiance to a foreign leader - the Pope - and in general we have not backed down. We have the American flag and the Vatican flag in our churches. Many people have pictures of the pope in their homes.

Around the world - and down through history - this has not always been the story. We’ve had some disasters as popes. We’ve had popes who were prisoners. We’ve had popes who have had no impact on Catholic lives.

MITCH ALBOM’S BOOK: THE 5 PEOPLE YOU MEET IN HEAVEN

Concerning the question of impact, let me go this way for a few moments. I liked Mitch Albom’s book, The 5 People You Meet in Heaven.

I say that because I assume heaven is one big chance to go meet all the people in the world - whom we never met - or had no idea how much they influenced our lives or we theirs - some of whom will have been  popes - but probably nothing like our 2^nd grade teacher or a barber or hair dresser or a buddy who was next to us all through our time in the service or what have you.

I like Mitch Albom’s book The 5 People You Meet in Heaven - because it gives a better take on heaven than mansions and green fields, sheep and goats, ice cream and banquets.

In this book Mitch Albom tells the story of an 83 year old guy named Eddie - who was a maintenance man at an amusement park. When he was young he was optimistic. In his old age he became lonely, bored and filled with too many regrets.  Tragically he dies on his 83^rd birthday trying to save a little girl from a falling cart.

He wakes up in heaven and discovers 5 people who help explain his earthy life and about the impact and change we have on each other.

The book sold over 12 million copies - in 35 languages.

I wonder how many of those 12 million and many more were changed by reading that book.

THE CHAIR

A thought for the day is to think about that. Who have we impacted? Whose life changed our life?

Here’s an exercise. Take a chair. Place it right there empty in front of us - we sitting in our favorite chair.

Put in that chair the different people in our life. Invite them to sit  their one by one. Mom. Dad. Brothers. Sisters. Friends. Teachers. If you have a piece of paper in hand - it would help to make a list - and put them in that chair one by one.

You don’t have to do this all at once. Do one person at a time.

This could lead to prayer. This could lead to gratitude. This could lead to forgiveness. This could lead to peace.

In today’s gospel Jesus asks his disciples and Peter, “Who do you say I am?”

Peter said, “You are the Christ the son of the Living God.”

Make sure you put Jesus in that chair in front of you.  And answer that question that Jesus asked his disciples.

And ask that question of all the people you put in that chair.

As to popes, I wouldn’t put any of them in that chair. I really don’t know any pope. I’ve read biographies of John XXIII, Paul VI, John Paul II, but I’d have to say, “I don’t know them - like I know the priests in the rectory or the people in my family or in my life.

So maybe I’ll get to know them in heaven. I hope so - there’s no time limits to eternity.

CONCLUSION

The title of my homily is, "The Pope and A Hope."

What do I hope to see in a pope?  Being a Redemptorist, I would say what our founder, St. Alphonsus de Liguori, would say: practice loving Jesus Christ. I see that as Job # 1 for the pope.