These were the first reported words of Pope Leo XIV when he emerged as the new head of the Catholic Church. These were also the same words we heard from Jesus in the Gospel reading on Pentecost Sunday (Jn. 20:19-23).
On the day the media world was lighting up over the new pope’s election, I was sitting in a van with a bunch of Capuchin friars and volunteers en route to serve the homeless. The van conversation was less about excitement (the first American-born head of the Catholic Church !) and more about curiosity: which neighborhood in Chicago he was from, if he liked deep dish pizza, if he was a White Sox fan, which nationalities were his parents, etc.
How providential: we were going out to minister to the homeless and to acknowledge the dignity of these men and women who have no home or job. And at the same time, the new pope chose his papal name in honor of Pope Leo XIII who was a champion for Catholic social teaching and the dignity of work. How cool is that?
Cardinal Robert Prevost was largely an unknown to all of us in the Catholic world. But he was well-known and favored by God alone.
In both moments, the full power of the Holy Spirit was at play: God speaks and an unknown / unlikely member of His ordained was chosen and raised up to lead His universal Church on earth. On the day of Pentecost, God breathes courage into His chosen apostles and other followers who were in fear behind locked doors, so that they may become transformed to carry forward His mission into the world.
At every age, the Holy Spirit raises up the lowly and the unknown so that through the people He chooses, He may be glorified. Even when His people suffer turmoil and trials, the risen Lord extends His peace to all.
Many people today search for a peace that never lasts. Christ offers a better solution.
Christ’s peace is not what the world offers nor is it understood by human reason (Phil. 4:7-9). His is an inner harmony and tranquility that comes from being in an intimate, fruitful relationship with Him.
The new pope emerging to greet the world had it written all over his face.
Peace is not the absence of suffering or hardship, but a firm disposition to seek the eternal instead of the temporal. Because peace is a fruit of the Holy Spirit, one who is serene and calm in the midst of suffering relies on the supernatural strength of God and not his own power. What grace!
May God’s peace be with you all.