A busy day for the pope

It has been very heartwarming to see how New York City has embraced Pope Benedict XVI during his visit. It is always a daunting task to shut down part of a monster city, and very few people get the treatment the pope gets. Roads were shut down all around St. Patrick Cathedral since last night and by 5 a.m., a large crowd of people were already lined up for the "5,000 on 5th Ave." last-minute gathering that was organized. Herald editorial assistant Esperanza and I each managed to get a ticket to that, which allowed us within a one-block radius of the front of the cathedral.

The police were firm but charitable in dealing with the crowds, and one cop who was not Catholic was highly impressed with everything that was going on and asked us to pray for him. While Esperanza managed to find her way to just near the entrance to the cathedral (photos coming either here or in the Herald ...), I hung back a little farther on 5th Avenue with some friends.

The pope did not arrive in the popemobile, but rather was seated in the far back passenger side of a black limo. The energy around the cathedral was very high, and I could see the top of the pope's head as he made his way up the stairs into the cathedral. I was very moved to be there, as my older sister, Kathleen, is a nun with the Sisters Minor of Mary Immaculate and was present in the cathedral. I had hoped to find a way to get into the cathedral to be with her, but it was not to be. We will share stories over the phone later this weekend. Nevertheless, to see the images of a cathedral full of men and women who have given their lives completely over to Christ was incredibly powerful. I can only imagine how much the vocations of the priests, nuns and deacons were affirmed.

Later, Mark and a friend left for the youth rally at St. Joseph Seminary in Yonkers. I decided to get back a little of sleep that I missed last night after getting three hours of sleep. Watching the seminary visit on television, I have been very moved, particularly by his blessing for the disabled and their caregivers prior to the rally. The pope's message to them was one that all of us should absorb. I loved this part:

God has blessed you with life, and with differing talents and gifts. Through these you are able to serve him and society in various ways. While some people's contributions seem great and others' more modest, the witness value of our efforts is always a sign of hope for everyone.

Sometimes it is challenging to find a reason for what appears only as a difficulty to be overcome or even pain to be endured. Yet our faith helps us to break open the horizon beyond our own selves in order to see life as God does. God's unconditional love, which bathes every human individual, points to a meaning and purpose for all human life. Through his Cross, Jesus in fact draws us into his saving love (cf. Jn 12:32) and in so doing shows us the way ahead - the way of hope which transfigures us all, so that we too, become bearers of that hope and charity for others.

The pope was not singling out the disabled and caregivers with this statement. His love for them was so apparent and one could tell he deeply respected their vocations. His message was meant for everyone, particularly those who sell their lives short and are spiritually disabled. I thought particulary of the diocese's fledgling As For Me and My House program aimed at healing and recovery from lust and pornography. Those evils have left many people disabled. The buzz word for Pope Benedict XVI's visit has been "hope" and you see many signs that say "Pope Hope" and "The Pope of Hope." Benedict's visit is bringing more to life the calls for hope that he has repeatedly brought in his recent writings. Living with a conviction of hope through Christ is something that many people will take away from this visit and back to their parishes.

The pope is currently addressing the youth at the rally. One of my favorte images was seeing some teens scrambling to the tops of some portable toilets to get a glimpse of the popemobile as it passed from the seminary chapel to the rally stage.