Right On The Papal Mark
I recall that twenty or so years ago I took off work to watch the Papal motorcade of Pope John Paul II in Los Angeles. My Jewish boss, a law partner in an LA firm was bemusedly receptive to my driving to a bad section of downtown LA, parking within a mile of the place and walking for acres on streets strewn with Holy Cards to catch a glimpse of the top of the Popemobile, such that it was in the late 80s.
Pope Benedict, it is hoped will leave a legacy mark that fuses the discontented litigious paranoi of today's church in a way that allows cracks of Christ's light of Hope, Peace and Love to penetrate the political maelstrom of it all. Will it be warm and fuzzy? "He's not a Rock Star" a Pastor admitted. Not the charisma of the other guy. Kind of a Grandpa Munster countenance. But something still etherially respectworthy- something intangibly quietly thoughtfully Holy.
His resume does not read "Could have been in the Bundestaag but instead chose to serve the starving masses" but his intellect tells you already. He could have been a wheeling dealing Bavarian pheasant hunting tycoon or the equivalent boast of a Wall Street lawyer doing instead public interest work for battered women in landlord tenant court. This Pope is a wired brain-heart combination that makes him much more than the "tweener" we feared (meaning just a filler in between the real deals) This guy will make a mark. And he will start making it tomorrow when "Shepherd One" lands on American soil.
It's worth a prayer. In fact, it's worth staying up all night to pray. It's His Story in the making- and you are invited. You can even catch a glimpse of him on Pennsylvania Avenue around noon as the Popemobile travels from the White House on Wednesday. Not kidding. This Wednesday.
Thursday his Mass from the new Nationals Stadium in Washington, DC will be televised and Fr. O'Brien, a lawyer-priest from Holy Trinity in DC will be a featured commentator on Channel 9 or 7.
This stuff doesn't happen every day. I wonder if Oprah will get bumped.
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