White Smoke

I am so thankful and feel so blessed to be Catholic.  I love our faith and I love the Church.

Watching the coverage as our new Pope is about to be revealed, I am in tears.  It's such a beautiful moment in history.  Not only that, but it's a huge relief to me.  It's unnerving to be "popeless".  It felt confusing to me.  We were sheep without a shepherd for a short time. 

I have felt very attacked and very annoyed by the secular media the last few weeks.  The focus on the politics of electing a new Pope and a focus on Church scandal and problems has made me a little crazy.  However, at this moment, watching the zillions of people in St. Peter's Square and remembering my time there, I am so full of hope and faith. I love that I've been there.  I've been inside the Sistine Chapel where the Cardinals gathered to elect the new Pope.  I've been inside St. Peter's.  I've stood in that very square, I recognize the fountains and statues.  I have pictures in front of many of them, standing with my husband, feeling so very connected to the universal Church.  I feel so very connected now as I watch it on TV.

This morning, especially, I was having a rough time.  I felt like my head was in a fog, I was lazy and grumpy and Anna and I fought all morning.  I prayed multiple times to my guardian angel, asking that I be protected from Satan's lies.  However, right around 11:30, when white smoke went up (I didn't know it at the time), I felt a tremendous peace.   I scooped up my kids and I gave them big, long hugs.  We prayed a Hail Mary together and I felt a tremendous sense of hope.  I now now why.

The Holy Spirit is definitely at work.  And that is what I've continued to remind myself as we waited for a new Pope and as we listened to the secular media attack the Catholic Church and bring negativity upon it.  Ultimately God Himself appoints Peter's successor.  The Holy Spirit has guided the Cardinals in their decision.  And knowing that Church dogma cannot and will not every change, because of the Holy Spirit, makes me feel so grateful to be Catholic.

St. Peter, pray for us!


Hooray!  Pope Francis!

And I find it so neat that he chose the name, Francis, one of the saints that we named our son after!

I keep adding to this, I'm just so darn excited!

I find it completely amazing that March 12 (the day the Conclave began) is the anniversay of the ordination of St. Ignatius and St. Francis Xavier (founding fathers of the Jesuits) and now a Jesuit as our new Pope.  Seriously, the Holy Spirit constantly amazes me!  St. Ignatius and St. Francis, pray for us!