Pope Leo XIV - A Sign of Love and Our Response

Habemus Papem!

First of all, I want to say that it's a symbol of great hope when the Church elects a new Pope. It means that God has not yet given up on us, and that his Holy Church remains as a sign and source of his grace, love, and salvation. Whether we realize it or not, we're living in momentous times, and I sense that God is on the move doing something truly regenerative in the world, as he has so often done throughout history.

First Appearance of Pope Leo XIV

As I was watching the events unfold yesterday, I found myself feeling a bit trepidatious and overwhelmed with emotion. There is always going to be a temptation to fear when change takes place, especially within the Church. There is a temptation to not trust God or rely on the Holy Spirit. There is a temptation towards wanting to control outcomes --or even control understanding of outcomes. There is a desire to explain, convince, or converse on the topic; to become an armchair expert on why God does what he does.

Allow me to say that there is only one reason that God does or allows anything, whether in your individual life or in the Catholic Church at large: His incomprehensible Divine Love. Outside of that, I have no reasoning or rationale for anything else.

And so, we must take the election of Cardinal Robert Prevost as a gift and a sign of God's love, mercy, and patience with us. Jesus Christ has promised that the Church would be an everlasting institution meant to stand until he comes again, and every single time a change in the Papacy occurs, it is a fulfillment of that promise. It is a demonstration of the reality that Christ constantly renews us, feeds, us, takes care of us, guides us, and leads us. While He himself is the Good Shepherd, in his perfect will he gives us good shepherds to guide us.

We are on the cusp of the great adventure that is a new day in the Church Christ left. We don't yet know the legacy Pope Leo XIV will leave behind. We don't know how he will instruct and guide. We don't know what demands or tragedies culture and the times will place on him. We don't know anything about what the future holds. So what should our attitude be?

First of all --Joy! Rely on the truth that God is good and that everything He does or allows is in accordance with his Divine Will, and trust him. When we trust in God, the only response that can effuse from us is joy. Joy in the goodness and mercy of God.

Secondly --Prayer. We must keep a prayerful disposition about us. We must pray that our new Pope, who has taken the name Leo, does in fact possess the heart of the Lion of Judah, that he may stand against the wiles of the enemy, that he may take refuge in Christ who is our strength.

We should also be prayerful because God is indeed doing something new in selecting an American Pope. I can't help but imagine how many people in my country, gripped by curiosity about Pope Leo XIV, will begin looking into Catholicism and will come face to face with the fulness of Truth. God is truly merciful, and we should cover those future brothers and sisters with our prayers, so that they may come to know the Truth and the Truth will set them free.

God bless you.