Yesterday was such a great Nebraska day. The sky was a crisp blue with the temperature well into the 60’s. A gentle almost unnoticeable breeze played with the scents of late winter like a sailboat on a still lake. I spent the best part of that day sitting at my desk from time to time daydreaming as I stared out my window. Another part of the day, I’m sorry to say, I didn’t even notice the day. And today, with a brisk chilly wind the sky is hidden behind a growing quilt of clouds. I’ll resist a casual walk on a day like today.
Today is the Feast of the Chair of Saint Peter, Apostle, a rare Lenten feast day in honor of the ministry of the bishop of Rome, the pope. The Second Vatican Council talked about the Pope’s ministry this way: “Just as, in accordance with the Lord’s decree, Saint Peter and the other apostles constitute one apostolic college, so in like fashion the Roman Pontiff, Peter’s successor, and the bishops, the successors of the apostles, are joined together. . . . The Roman Pontiff, as the successor of Peter, is the perpetual and visible source and foundation of the unity both of the bishops and of the whole company of the faithful.” (LG 22/23)
I intend to remember consciously Pope John Paul the second in my prayers with thanksgiving and hope that his witness will call us all to the greater unity that God has planned for us. It is easy for me to forget that I’m part of something bigger than this parish or this diocese or this city, state, and country. I am and we are all, God’s family.
”The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.” (Ps 23:1)