Nous honorons :
Saint Émile - Martyr à Carthage (+ v. 250)

Une parole de Marie-Eugénie :

Il me semble que Dieu est plus humble que les hommes, si j’ose le dire ainsi, qu’il s’abaisse quelquefois jusqu’à nous, comme un ami.

Newsletter

An Experience of the Church : the Mystical body of Christ

My experience is very much connected with these two events namely the passing away of Jean Paul II and his “going home” and coming to birth of a New Pope Benedict XVI.

My experience was not only connected with the inaugural Mass at St. Peter’s, because we were already living an intense experience of the Church together with Jean Paul II during his last days of suffering among us on this earth. Therefore, my experience is very much connected with these two events namely the passing away of Jean Paul II and his “going home” and coming to birth of a New Pope Benedict XVI.

From the very beginning of our pilgrimage, everything we lived, almost 20 hours in the train, contributed to the experience that we are part of the mystical body of Christ, the Church. First of all we were composed of people of different nationalities, colours and age ; old and young - the youngest one was one month old ; from different walks of life, different states of life : married couples, a bishop, priests, religious, deacons ; two sick people in wheel chairs who needed to be carried at the staircases.
We were nourished by the morning and evening prayers, readings, commentaries, listening to the witnesses of different people about their impressions and reactions about the event we were living. This universality of the church culminated in the well animated Eucharistic Celebrations celebrated twice in the train, once on our way to Rome and again on our return journey.

Reaching there and assisting the Inaugural Mass what I felt was that the whole atmosphere around me was charged with, on the one hand the memories of Jean Paul II and on the other hand the desire and the hope of celebrating the new, surprise gift of God for the Church and through her to the world and humanity. The Litany of Saints, the going back to the words and witness of John Paul II in the homily of the Benedict XVI, his explanation of the meaning of Symbols etc. culminated in the Consecration of the Bread and Wine on the Alter of Sacrifice. It seemed to me as a great moment of the meeting between the finite and the Infinite, earth and Heaven. I was reminded of the words of William Blake
“To see the whole world in a grain of sand
and the heaven in a wild flower
hold infinity in the palm of your hand
and eternity in an hour”

Having already listened to the news of election I was lead once again to enter into the mysterious and active presence and guidance of God in the human history ; shattering all human calculations and speculations that were going on everywhere, while waiting for the new Pope. This has been confirmed at the end of the day as our group got a chance to meet with the French Cardinals who were in the Conclave and listen to the sharing of their experience.

Again I was reminded of the saying of the Lord in Isaiah “My thoughts are not your thoughts nor are your ways my ways”. Again it stopped me to contemplate how the God of light, in the night of uncertainty and search, enlightened the minds and hearts of the Cardinals in the conclave, pointing His finger to the one according to His heart while the whole church was in prayer with them. The fleeting moment of darkness turned into light as assurance for the church : And the humble acceptance by Benedict XVI of this least expected mission as the Pastor of the universal Church.
During the time we spent at St. Peters’ Square many of the Bible quotations were flashing through my memory : quotations like “I tell you Peter, you are a rock and on this rock foundation I will build my church and not even death will ever be able to overcome it”. My imagination flew over the culture of death that creep into our societies all over the word. Yet the words of Jesus to Peter remained with me as an assurance and hope for the church to be a life bearer, as Christ himself came to give life and life in abundance.

Sr. Leela Kottoor, ra

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01/12/2004