What a time to be Catholic
The Church, our new pope, and the Holy Spirit
I’m a cradle Catholic. My parents brought me to Mass every single week, without fail — even if we were in a different city (which we often were, due to travel soccer). They introduced me to reading the Bible and praying the rosary. Even though I didn’t know then so many other aspects of our Catholic faith (hello, daily Mass and Eucharistic Adoration), I have always known that faith was important. My prayer life started as a little girl, and I honestly have not gone a day without praying since.
It’s a crazy world out there. Catholics are falling away from the Church. Most don’t believe in the Real Presence. Social media seems to cause divisions in many ways, even among Catholics.
But I sense the power of the Holy Spirit in our Church today, and I am full of hope.
Never before have we had such access to the Sacraments. Every church has confession weekly, and some even daily. My own parish has it at least 3 times a week. Most churches have Mass every single day. Within 10 minutes of my house, there are at least 5 Catholic Churches I could drive to and visit. There are also 2 perpetual adoration chapels within 10 minutes of my house, so I could sit with Jesus literally any time I want. What a time to be Catholic!
My paternal grandmother was a devout Catholic woman (rest in peace, MoMo). But I can’t help but think how different the Church was when she was raising babies. How inaccessible, almost, the truths of the faith were, and how rigid the rules of the Church may have seemed. Even my mother-in-law has shared stories of how, when she was a little girl, all females had to have something on their head to enter a church. If you didn’t have a veil, you better have a kleenex to pin onto your head!
But now, thanks to the Catechism of the Catholic Church, we have a tangible compendium of the teachings of our faith. Thanks to the Internet, we have access to the writings of popes and saints, even ones in different languages from our native tongue. Thanks to publishing companies, we have more books than we'll ever be able to read, to learn more about our faith. If we want to know the truth about the Catholic Church, it is very easy to do so — if we are diligent in seeking out the right sources. What a time to be Catholic!
As a senior in high school, I remember when Pope Benedict XVI became pope. I didn’t really grow in my faith until college, so while I thought getting a new pope was interesting, I didn’t fully grasp the beauty of the process. I do remember my history teacher predicting that Cardinal Ratzinger would be elected, and I remember him being right, as we watched the news in class.
As a new mother, I remember when Pope Francis became pope. My almost-teenage son was a baby, and it was exciting to see the white smoke, surrounded by my stay-at-home mom friends and their babies. But I do remember many people speculating about Pope Francis, which kind of put a damper on it for me. Social media increased my confusion, but thankfully, the Holy Spirit prompted me to actually read the writings of Pope Francis, and I became so grateful for his pontificate and prayed often for him, who seemed to be so misunderstood by many.
It’s been quite the decade of growing in my faith. Even though I’m an avid reader and a frequenter of the Sacraments, I’m still blown away by everything that the Church has given us. And I truly do believe that God works all for good, in both the little occurrences of my personal life and the bigger events like the election of a new pope.
Although I knew some of the potential candidates this time around, I didn’t spend too much time researching them because I knew the Holy Spirit would handle it. It’s the Easter season, after all, which culminates with Pentecost! But I have to be honest and admit that although I knew American cardinals were mentioned, I just really never thought there would be an American pope in my lifetime.
I watched the news unfold in my living room yesterday. And perhaps like many others, my jaw literally dropped when I heard “Prevost”. I knew he was American. I knew his name had been mentioned as someone who was a good candidate, but would likely not be picked due to his young age and, well, the fact that he was American. Yet there I was, standing in my living room, looking at our new American-born pope walk out.
And I cried. I honestly didn’t even know much about this man at that moment, but I knew the Holy Spirit had guided the cardinals to choosing him. What a time to be Catholic!
The more I learn, the more I am just in awe of what the Holy Spirit is doing. Pope Leo XIV was born in America, yes, but he spent much of his ministry in Peru, where he is also a citizen. It also turns out that he has ties to New Orleans (close to where I live) through his grandparents, who lived here before moving to Chicago.
Pope Leo XIV was elected on the historical feast of the apparition of St. Michael, May 8. His predecessor, Leo XIII, actually wrote the St. Michael prayer.
And it was also Pope Leo XIII that wrote an encyclical to the Holy Spirit in 1897, encouraging the Church to grow in our devotion to the Holy Spirit (which, although still a mystery, was even more so at the time). That encyclical came out on May 9.
Although the Church here in the United States is, well, interesting, these days (for lack of a better word)... I can’t help but be fascinated by all of the people who are so intrigued by this man who is now the leader of the Catholic Church. You know, people who probably didn’t really care who the pope was before now. Catholics and non-Catholics alike. Never before have I seen and heard so many people talking about a new pope. The fascination may fade, of course, but maybe it will spark a growth in faith like never before. Anything is possible!
Maybe, just maybe, the Holy Spirit knew (better than us humans) that we needed Pope Leo XIV at this particular time in history. Let us pray fervently for him, for all the leaders of the Church, and for everyone, that we all may be guided by the Holy Spirit to live fervent lives of faith, sharing God’s love with everyone around us. What a time to be Catholic, indeed.
Come Holy Spirit!