Trusting another means taking one’s stand on some one else’s intelligence and embracing as true what one has not decided for one’s self… it implies a recognition by the mind of its own limits, an acceptance of dependence, a surrender of my absolute sovereignty.
Jean Danielou, The Scandal of the Truth
Reflection - I have very little time indeed to blog today, as I prepare for a parish mission tomorrow. Anyhow, the conclave begins as I write this, and perhaps it is best to be silent and prayerful rather than chattering and nattering on about whatever.
In relation to the conclave, this quote on truth and surrender seems relevant. A bunch of men, most of whom are total strangers to me, are preparing to make a decision in Rome that will affect the whole Church in a radical fashion.
This is daunting, is it not? I certainly find it so. We pray for them. We have various levels of trust in their good judgment, based on our experience and knowledge. We have no control whatsoever in what is going to happen in the next two days.
So... we are all feeling our limits, and this is not a bad thing. We all cast them, the Church, and our own selves on the merciful love of God, or at least that is what we are called to do. And that is a very good thing indeed.
Well, I have to go say Mass now, offering the Mass for the election of the pope. Enough of my words; time for Jesus to have his way with me and with us all. Amen.
The public media has made their list of Church problems especially where the Church is out of step with secular society. We are told what skills need be present in our next pope so he can bring us into the modern age with a more cooperative attitude. The carrot offered is then maybe the one third of cradle Catholics who have left the Church might return. There is a sign at the exit from a church parking lot near us which reads,"You are now entering the mission field". While we trust the Cardinals to come to God's choice for Pope the greater trust is confirmed in our own response validated by our hands on participation in God's plan. The world will be waiting to see what the new Pope can do - Very little without our individual evangelization efforts. Boots on the ground so to speak.
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