I would hope to be that way… and I’ll continue to work at that… I believe I have much to learn and much room to grow… I’m certainly not where I was at 5-7 years ago. But I’m sad to say, that I need to grow much more…
I saw a magazine cover (Time) in the grocery store today on my way home from work. It had a photo of JPII on it. I felt like I was going to cry. Maybe that is part of the reason I am so full of joy over Benedict: because God knew what a sacrifice it was for me to be obedient and give up JPII this time.
Thanks and God Bless.
I felt exactly the same way my friend. I felt genuinely heartbroken when our wise holy Father passed away and I thought “how can we replace a man who was a real father to us?” then Pope Benedict appeared and I felt that I and the Church were in safe hands. God bless the Pope and may he have long life to do his work in the vineyard. As for being profoundly catholic I am a sinner with little will power but I do accept the Church so is a sense yes I am.
No, I am not. I believe and hold dearly to everything the Church teaches; however, my actions many times say otherwise. The temptations the accompany a 20 year are to great sometimes. Hopefully through grace, prayer, and my own will, ill be able to overcome many obstacles and be able to call myself a “profound Catholic.”
i like to think i am!
I think I understand your point (and please don’t take this the wrong way), but God made this world for us to enjoy and take delight in. Try to find the good in all that God made. Even in others who rub us the wrong way (I’m really trying to convince myself here).
I feel exactly the same way. JPII was very much a father figure to me, and his death affected me greatly. The strange thing is that, initially, Cardinal Ratzinger was the potential successor about whom I had the most reservations. Much of that changed, after I did a lot of reading about him, but not all of it. But when he came out on that balcony, I immediately had the biggest smile on my face, and a tremendous sense of peace, and thought “He will make a wonderful ‘Papa’ in every sense of the word.” I had not anticipated that reaction, at all. That was a gift from God, I think.
Yeah…which surprised me as well. I was thrilled when he was announced as Pope, and if I hadn’t been sitting at home alone in front of the TV shoving stir-fry into my mouth (I was already late to work thanks to the distracting announcement of “Habemus Papam” on my way home from the grocery store and had to eat lunch in about 5 min.) I would have been cheering. Odd reaction for someone who, a few years ago, used to refer to him as “Ratzy the Inquisitor”. Now I can’t imagine anyone better to lead the Church here on earth.
