Amazing Catechists

Teaching and learning the faith together

A Downton Abbey Lesson

By

downton abbeyThe French proverb, “The more things change the more they stay the same,” seems to be very appropriate for the hugely popular show on PBS of the post-Edwardian era in England, Downton Abbey.  Something that struck me about a recent episode is that the quest for happiness can often lead one away from the very thing one is searching for.  Lady Edith Crawley allows herself to be swept up into a romance with Michael Gregson, whose wife is considered insane, but British law will not allow him to divorce (presuming he has every right to do so).  He’s going to great lengths to prove his love to Lady Edith by becoming a German citizen so he can divorce his wife and marry her. This example is just one among so many others of how we can distort truth.  The world back then and now too often sees fidelity in marriage to be good so long as your wife is not, as in the case of Mrs. Gregson, insane (or a number of other reasons).

Catechetical Takeaway 

3 catechetical points that are vital to catechesis in the Third Millennium:

1. Proclaiming the truth (whether on the issue of marriage or another aspect of life)  is essential to the freedom of God’s children.  Sometimes the truth is seen as judgmental because it challenges one’s freedom and what is often socially acceptable (although not morally acceptable).

2. Keep in mind that catechesis on “Life in Christ” is not merely “morality” but about life with God.  The Catechism of the Catholic Church, paragraph 1691, says:

“Christian, recognize your dignity and, now that you share in God’s own nature, do not return to your former base condition by sinning. Remember who is your head and of whose body you are a member. Never forget that you have been rescued from the power of darkness and brought into the light of the Kingdom of God.” [St. Leo the Great Sermo 22 in nat. Dom., 3: PL 54, 192C] [790]

3. Let your message be clear.  Paragraph 1697 of the Catechism goes onto say that “Catechesis has to reveal in all clarity the joy and the demands of the way of Christ.”  The demands of being a doctor, a professional sports player, or a renowned scientist are quite high and so also are the demands of the Christian life (which so often we can resist because it is perceived that a loving God should help make our lives good and happy).  The Christian life, although having its challenges, is filled with abundant joy, peace beyond understanding, transforming grace, and total charity, which brings authentic freedom and true happiness.

The life we’ve been given is a true gift even with all it’s demands.  May our eyes and heart always look to Christ for the ultimate answers that allow us to respond according to the truth of the Gospel and all that entails.

Pope Francis – what it means to be a catechist

By

pope-francis-iThe Vatican held a Catechetical Congress at the end of the year of faith. Thousands of catechists attended. Pope Francis said some things worth pondering that I’d like to share:

1. Being a catechist “begins with Christ.”

2. “The first thing, for a disciple, is to be with the Master: to listen to and learn from Him. This is always the case, and it is a way that lasts a lifetime!”

3. “In the heart of the catechist, there always lives this ‘systolic- diastolic’ movement: union with Jesus; encounter with the other, if one of these two movements is no longer beating, then you do not live.”

4. “Be careful. I have not said to do the work of a catechist, but rather to be one, because it involves all your life. It means guiding towards the encounter with Jesus with words and with life, with your witness.”

It would be easy to comment about all these but for now I encourage you to ponder these thoughts from Pope Francis.

What did he say that spoke to you most?

The Sled Before the Turkey?

By

Image

This time it’s not the cart before the horse, but the sled before the turkey.

What happened to preparations for Thanksgiving? According to all that I am seeing and hearing in the media, it’s already about Christmas! So much of what we hear speaks about this being the happiest time of year and about Christmas as the best day of the year. Why does society find it to be such a great time of year? Is it in celebration of Christ’s birth, which is one of the single greatest events in human history? Is it that it is an opportunity to prepare for His second coming, when He will return to judge the living and the dead? Unfortunately, I’m afraid non-Christians and Christians alike tend to “love” this time of year because it raises up in them warm and happy feelings (not that those feelings are bad). For many, it is a magical time of year.  Some factors are that the weather changes, the decorations are different, the music playing is full of delight, and of course we get to engage in one of the most enjoyable activities in our society — we get to buy stuff!

Before we enter into the Advent Season, which is still a half a month away, as followers of Christ, letImage’s not respond to the upcoming holiday season as merely “magical,” but as something deeply spiritual. I like the holiday season as much as anyone, but I believe God is calling me to be rooted in the true reasons why this time of year is special. It’s about what God has done for us and His great care, kindness, and mercy for us – for me.

As disciples, as catechists, as parents, let us seek to be in Christ and with Christ, and ask Him to act through us so that the world may know Jesus, know the goodness of God the Father who provides for his people, and know that presents and annual holiday parties are secondary to celebrating the wonders of God and His infinite blessings!!!

11 Tips for Lesson Planning

By

Catechists2009-2010-round2 006Joe Paprocki from the Catechist Journey shared the following 11 tips for lesson planning from his book The Catechist Toolbox.  I have added my thoughts in blue.  Enjoy!

Planning and preparation are key to the success of any catechist. Here are 11 tips to help you with your lesson planning:

  1. Long-Range Planning—The lesson you are planning is only part of a larger plan for the whole year. Make sure you get a picture of the whole calendar year and see how much time you have to carry out what you hope to accomplish. Get a good “feel” for how this lesson can build off of the previous one and lay the foundation for the next.  The publisher has a scope and sequence of how the lessons are laid out so be sure to take a look at it.
  2. Get to Know Your Text and Your Participants—Get to know your textbook’s philosophy, strategies, approaches, strengths, and weaknesses. Get a sense of the whole book and then zero in on a set of chapters or a unit to see how each lesson fits in with the whole. At the same time, get to know the participants in your group and how capable they are of handling the text as it is written. Make adjustments as needed.  It is worth talking with your DRE about how you can get the most out of your textbook.  It is important to keep in mind that the textbook is only a tool – you as the catechist are the most important in regards to transmitting the faith and helping your students come to know and love Christ more.
  3. Examine the Teacher Notes in the Catechist Manual—A catechist manual is often a catechist’s best friend. Most catechetical texts today have excellent catechist manuals that lay out the lesson much like a blueprint and offer step-by-step instructions. The more you familiarize yourself with the teacher notes, the better you will be able to implement your lesson and still leave room for spontaneity.  Be sure to look up the paragraphs to the Catechism that the catechist manual lists.  The Catechism is a great reference resource and gives the heart of what we believe as Catholics.
  4. Visually Imagine Yourself Teaching the Lesson—Use your imagination to visualize the lesson you are about to teach. Imagine every possible scenario and how you would react. Picture how much time each segment of your lesson is going to take. Keep a notepad nearby to jot down important thoughts or ideas that can now become part of your lesson. Write down a list of materials that you will need for certain situations. Imagine problems that might arise and visualize how you may best handle them. With this visualization complete, you will feel as though you’ve already taught this lesson once and are now building upon it.  These are great tips to keep in mind when planning your lesson.  Consider planning a number of days before teaching it so you have some time to think about the lesson before actually teaching it.
  5. Make Adjustments to Fit the Needs of Your Participants—No lesson plan is ironclad and unchangeable. Once you’ve picked up the main focus of the lesson, think of your participants and their unique needs and make any necessary adjustments. You may have participants that are not very talkative, but the lesson calls for discussion. Perhaps you will need to make an adjustment and allow for some nonverbal form of expression. Whatever the case, the better you know your participants, the better you’ll be able to make adjustments so that the lesson will be as effective as possible.  This does not happen all at once but as the year goes on you’ll continue to improve and become an even stronger catechist.
  6. Know Your Learning Outcomes (Objectives)—Know what your participants are supposed to be able to know and/or do as a result of this lesson. Don’t settle for the old “my objective is to cover chapter four” routine. Learning outcomes (sometimes referred to as “objectives”) are statements found in your lesson plan that state concretely and in measurable terms what it is that your participants should be able to know and do when the session is complete. Without these stated learning outcomes, you would never have any hope of knowing whether you’ve accomplished what you had set out to do.  If your textbook has not already done this you should write out: by the end of the lesson students will be able to…
  7. Follow a Catechetical Process—Think of your lesson as a movement: you want to move your learners from where they are to where Jesus wants them to be. St. Ignatius of Loyola described this as entering through their door but leaving through your door. This movement, called the catechetical process, involves four steps:
    • Engaging the life experience of the participant
    • Exploring the concepts to be taught (Scripture and Tradition
    • Reflecting and integrating the concepts with the lived experience
    • Responding with a new way of living

    It is important to not focus on experience at the expense of what God has revealed.  I’ve seen at times that an emphasis on experience can be at the expense of what the Church teaches – just be sensitive to that.  At the heart of what we as catechists are doing is helping our students to come to know what God has revealed to us through the Scriptures and the Church (Apostolic Tradition) so they can love and encounter Christ more fully.

  8. Get Your Materials Ready—Be sure that you have all the materials you will need to complete the lesson properly. There’s nothing worse than reaching a point in the lesson when you tell participants to cut pictures out of magazines only to find out that you don’t have scissors (or magazines). Visualizing the lesson ahead of time will help you to see what materials you will need that perhaps were not listed in the instructor manual.  This is one of the reasons looking ahead is so important.  Maybe your parish has a resource you can check out in order to prepare for next weeks lesson.
  9. Have Plan B Ready—By visualizing the lesson ahead of time, you may discover that what you’re hoping to accomplish may not work. Always have an option ready in case something falls flat or just isn’t working the way you had hoped.  This can be challenging because you only have so much time to plan to begin with, but consider some simple plan B’s: If the skits you had planned don’t seem like they’ll work and you planned 20 minutes for them what will you do? Maybe have the students answer some questions in small groups and then report to the group at large or maybe they just need to take a little time to pray – pray a decade or two of the Rosary to go to the church for a brief period of time to pray.  Consider having a question box that when things are not going great you pull a few questions out and answer them.
  10. Overplan—When serving dinner, it is always better to have more food than not enough. Likewise, when it comes to your lessons, it is always better to prepare more than you think you’ll need. Until you learn how to effectively gauge your time, it is quite possible that what you think will comprise an entire session will only cover half of the allotted time. When this happens, panic tends to set in. On the other hand, if you have more material than you need, you can relax and decide how to adjust your next session to make room for what you didn’t accomplish in this session.  The textbook gives so many suggestions that it’s difficult to discuss all the possible details and ideas the textbook gives or your DRE shares with you.  Consider what you might do if you have time.  Also, see what the saint of the day is and share about that saint if you have time.
  11. Pray—Before you sit down to plan a lesson, take some time to pause and ask the Holy Spirit to guide you. Do your planning and preparation in a prayerful environment. Light a candle. Put on some instrumental music. Place a Bible on the table next to you. Dim the lights. Ask the Holy Spirit to inspire and guide you and to give you the help you need to be focused, loving, and creative.  Here is a great prayer, but simple to the Holy Spirit: “Come, Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of thy Faithful; and enkindle in them the fire of Thy love. Send forth Thy Spirit and they shall be created, and thou shalt renew the face of the earth.”

Engaging the Faithful for the New Evangelization

By

Where do we go to know how to engage the modern world for the New Evangelization?  What resources can to look to to assist us as evangelizers – those who desire to proclaim the truths of the Gospel message?  At the heart of it is the kerygma, which is the essential proclamation of the Gospel message.  In addition the living sources of the Faith – Liturgy, church fathers, saints, Church documents, ecumenical councils (all a part of the living Tradition of the Church).  The first place to go where all this is systematically and organically presented is the Catechism of the Catholic Church.

During the Synod on the New Evangelisation Pope Benedict XVI gave a message to the world’s catechists for those who transmit the faith and one of my friends was chosen to receive this message personally from the pope.  What did Pope Benedict give her?  cover-catechismofcatholicchurch

First, let me say that just as at the close of the Second Vatican Council when Pope Paul VI delivered special messages to various groups, Pope Benedict XVI concluded the Mass for the 50th anniversary of the opening of Vatican II by giving special messages. These were the same messages given by Paul VI except that an additional one was added for all those who transmit the faith.

This message given by the Holy Father to my friend on behalf of all who transmit the faith were not additional words, but a copy of the Catechism of the Catholic Church – the Catechism was the message.

Dr. Petroc Willey said the following about how the Catechism is a key instrument for the New Evangelization:

“In 1992, the key instrument for the New Evangelization appeared, in the form of the Catechism of the Catholic Church. The Catechism was written with the express intention of communicating to the world the ardour of God’s love for us, communicating on every page the Good News of the love that has no beginning, that ‘never ends’, and that overflows for each one of us in the work of redeeming grace. It is new in its means of expression, and especially in the language of a deep respect of human freedom, as we are each invited to collaborate with God’s grace. And it is from the Catechism that new methods can securely emerge, methods that follow the unique pedagogy of the faith laid out and presented in the pages of this work (The Catechism at the Service of the New Evangelization).”

The Catechism is “the key instrument” because it not only contains the essentials of the faith to be handed on, but it also communicates the Faith with the explicit intention of illustrating how enormously attractive it is.  The Catechism also has the intention of inviting one to encounter the living God – the Father, Son and Holy Spirit and be brought into deeper communion with God.

 

 

How is the heart ever going to know…

By

heartMy friend Dr. Farey (head of Catechetical Formation, Course Director B.Div, and Course Director License in Catechetics at the Maryvale Institute in Birmingham, England) has a wonderful quote that is so pertinent to catechesis today:

“How is the heart ever going to know what is good if we don’t use our mind to inform the heart? Don’t let anyone say to you, ‘don’t worry about all that study, all you need is to get your heart united to Christ’. Yes, we need our hearts plunged in Christ… be led by Christ but let your mind be led by Christ through the Church so that your heart can follow what is actually good, and not just what is an awful lot of opinions of what must be good… The Catechism is there to help us.”

I often speak of formation in Christ (not merely information) needing to be at the heart of catechesis.  However, I could not agree more with the importance of assuring that in our catechesis in the Third Millennium needs to incorporate both the heart and the mind when passing on the deposit of faith.

Too often today people struggle to have their hearts follow what is actually good. At the risk of sounding judgmental,  it appears that individuals allow the messages and ideas given by society to shape their understanding of life, liberty and even the pursuit of Jesus.  Teaching the truths of the Faith, especially the deposit of faith articulated in the Catechism, will help others see how these truths that are Godly point to the good (which is from God).  Too often our society desires to revise what is good or form one’s idea of God based on a more modern application of what is seen as good (because they believe that “they see it more clearly” than what the Bible says or what the Church would say).

catechismThe Catechism is such a gift to help us see the beauty and the unity of the faith articulated, drawing the reader toward the true and ultimate good – God who is Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

What do you think about Dr. Farey’s quote? I’d enjoy your insights and thoughts.

Catechetical Moments from Pope Francis

By

Pope Francis IHistoric Day

Yesterday on the Solemnity of St. Joseph, Pope Francis was inaugurated as the 265th Pope to continue the same mission that Christ gave St. Peter.  Pope Francis has made a huge impression on the world in just a week.  Although, I think all of his gestures and witness are not opposite of Pope Benedict who is a wonderful humble and holy man.  The media is making it look like this Pope is so different than Pope Benedict.  Yes, all are different/unique, but each Pope brings with him rays of the spirit of Christ and seeks to shine it to the world.

Why all the buzz about Pope Francis?  It has been wonderful to see the secular media so interested in what is going on with the Church over the last month.  Pope Francis I’s humility, frequent mention of the poor, his message of carrying one’s cross as a disciple of the Lord and much more all have contributed to the great attention and affection toward the Pope from all around the world.

What is His Secret?

His secret is Christ and it has clearly “gotten out”.  What a gift the Church is experiencing at this moment.  It’s the New Evangelization before our eyes.  Thanks be to God for all the blessings that we are encountering in this Year of Faith!!!

Catechetical Moments

Pope Francis is witnessing more by his actions than even by his inspiring words regarding Gospel of Jesus Christ and His Church.  What can we take away from this and convey to others (inside and outside our classrooms)?  I want to share 3 things:

1. We should encourage a greater simplicity in our own lives.  Pope Francis I is not choosing the modern convenience that he has the privilege to experience but he is modeling simplicity.  We should reflect on this in our own lives as well as encourage our students to reflect on being more simple and less focused on material things or personal recognition.

2. I think the message Pope Francis gave to the Cardinals the day after his election speaks also to each of us who are disciples of the Lord Jesus.  He said:

“When we walk without the cross, when we build without the cross and when we proclaim Christ without the cross, we are not disciples of the Lord. We are worldly.”

He added, “We may be bishops, priests, cardinals, popes, all of this, but we are not disciples of the Lord.”

This message is worth our consideration as well.  We who are members of Christ Body through Baptism and have been made new creatures in Christ must not walk the way of the world (although we live in the world) but we must be first disciples of the Lord which implies that we all have crosses to carry and sacrifices we can make to more fully be, as St. Paul said, “conformed to his death” (Phil.3:10).  It’s important to share this message that following Jesus involves enduring challenges and making sacrifices.

3. Pope Francis said: “Oh, how I would like a poor Church, and for the poor.”  I’m not exactly sure what he was thinking when we said he “would like a poor Church”, but suspect among other thoughts it’s a Church that approaches the Lord in a spirit of poverty not with pride or arrogance of “rights” deserving this or that.  This goes for bishops, priests, Deacons, and the laity.  All are to come with a spirit of poverty.  Also, the constant mention of the poor in our world that we need to serve and to help.  This means giving greater focus in our classrooms to how we can fulfill our mission to take care of the poor, to assist them, to be a source of support for them.  Operation Rice Bowl, Serving at a homeless shelter, giving up some of our clothes (those that are not worn but in good condition) to help those less fortunate have a nice shirt, coat or pair of shoes for themselves.  These are examples of things we could promote in our classrooms.

Pope Francis has certainly made a great impression on us all and he is a living witness of Christ.  Let us continue to pray for Him and for the Church!

I want to share the following comments that Basalian Fr. Rosica made the day after Pope Francis’ election:

“And I close my eyes, and we shouldn’t make comparisons right away, but I couldn’t help but feel the presence of John XXIII, the smile of John Paul I, that courage and firmness of John Paul II and the solid-rootedness in Jesus Christ of Benedict XVI.

So what I found last night, and I thought about a long time when I finally got home at three o’clock this morning, is that the story continues: we have a pope and we have a shepherd and he’s going to build it on a solid foundation.St. Peter“

Quotes on Prayer

By

prayer

During this Lenten Season, I thought it would be fruitful to share some quotes on prayer.

 

“The prayer of listening makes things simple but it also makes us vulnerable, and that is frightening. Listening makes us open to Christ, the Word of God, spoken in all things: in the material world, the Scriptures, the Church, and sacraments and, sometimes most threateningly, in our fellow human beings. To listen at prayer is to take the chance of hearing the voice of Christ in the poor, the weak, those whom we love and those whom we do not love.”  ~ Fr. Benedict Groeschel

“Much more is accomplished by a single word of the Our Father said, now and then, from our heart, than by the whole prayer repeated many times in haste and without attention.”     –Saint Teresa of Avila

‘We must speak to God as a friend speaks to his friend, servant to his master; now asking some favor, now acknowledging our faults, and communicating to Him all that concerns us, our thoughts, our fears, our projects, our desires, and in all things seeking His counsel.’  –St. Ignatius of Loyola

“There are more tears shed over answered prayers than over unanswered prayers.” –St. Teresa of Avila

Virtues are formed by prayer. Prayer preserves temperance. Prayer suppresses anger. Prayer prevents emotions of pride and envy. Prayer draws into the soul the Holy Spirit, and raises man to Heaven.   –Saint Ephraem of Syria

Prayer is the place of refuge for every worry, a foundation for cheerfulness, a source of constant happiness, a protection against sadness.     –St. John Chrysostom

Prayer is an aspiration of the heart, it is a simple glance directed to heaven, it is a cry of gratitude and love in the midst of trail as well as joy; finally, it is something great, supernatural, which expands my soul and unites me to Jesus.  –St.Therese of Lisieux

“To pray is to talk to God, but about what? About Him, about yourself; joys, sorrows, successes, and failures, noble ambitions, daily worries, weaknesses! And acts of thanksgiving and petitions: and Love and reparation. In a word: to get to know Him and to get to know yourself: to get acquainted.”  ~Saint Josemaria Escriva

“Until you are convinced that prayer is the best use of your time, you will not find time for prayer.”  ~Fr. Hilary Ottensmeyer, OSB

 

Lenten Ideas

By

Lent1

 

 

Lent is the perfect catechetical season.  A catechist as well as a parent can find a plethora of ideas about how to practice and live out Lent.  I would like to share ideas in 3 categories (be aware that some ideas will overlap): Family Ideas, Classroom Ideas and Personal Ideas.  I hope the following links will help assist you as a parent or a catechist in assisting your students to grow closer to Christ this Lent.

Family Ideas:

Prayer

~ Pray the Rosary and/or Divine Mercy Chaplet regularly as a family – on the way to/from school, or right after dinner.

~ Read the Bible/pray with your kids before bedtime during Lent.

~ Pray the Station of the Cross at 7pm each Friday at Ascension or at home: http://catholicicing.com/2011/03/printable-stations-of-cross-for/

Fasting

~ Have a day where the TV Stays off (Maybe Fridays during Lent)
~ Fast from Cell phone use, internet, video games from after dinner until bedtime.
~ Fast from going out to eat. Give the extra money to the poor.
~ Fast from gossip or negative thoughts.
~ Fast from eating between meals.
~ Fast from dessert a few times a week.
~ Fast from being lazy (that attitude that says: someone else will do it.
~Listen to Christian Music 97.3 FM or Catholic Radio 1090AM in your car during all of Lent.

Almsgiving

~Sign up for Holy Hero’s daily Lenten email: http://www.holyheroes.com/Holy-Heroes-Lenten-Adventure-s/37.htm

~ Lenten Calendar: http://catholicicing.com/2011/02/printable-lenten-calendar-for-kids/

~ Give money as a family to the poor: Operation Rice Bowl.

~ Spend more time with family.

~ Be positive (maybe charge .25 cents for every negative comment at home and then give the money to a charity).

~ Family Chart:  http://www.catholicculture.org/culture/liturgicalyear/activities/view.cfm?id=1018 

~ Lenten Sacrifice Beans: http://www.catholicculture.org/culture/liturgicalyear/activities/view.cfm?id=295

 

Classroom Ideas

~ Prayer Service: http://www.rtjscreativecatechist.com/articles/activities/seasonal/2012/02-28/lenten-prayer-service

~Puppet Show Scripts: http://catholicmom.com/kids/puppet-ministry/

~ Ideas from Our Sunday Visitor: https://www.osvparish.com/ResourceLibrary/FaithatHome/TeachingCatholicKids.aspx

~ Some Lenten Lesson Plans: http://www.catholicmom.com/2007_lesson_plans/Lent.pdf

~ Stations of the Cross Bingo: http://www.catholicmom.com/2007_lesson_plans/stations_bingo.pdf

~ Lent Lapbooks: http://catholicblogger1.blogspot.com/2010/02/lent-lapbooks.html

~ Printable Lenten Calendar: http://catholicicing.com/2011/02/printable-lenten-calendar-for-kids/

~ NOW Cross: http://www.catholicculture.org/culture/liturgicalyear/activities/view.cfm?id=1019

Personal Ideas:

~ 7 Great Book Recommendations: http://rcspiritualdirection.com/blog/2013/02/06/deeper-in-prayer-during-lent

~ Take time to pray at lunchtime instead of going out with friends or surfing the internet.
~ Read a Psalm each day during Lent.
~ At 3:00pm each day pray the Divine Mercy Chaplet or take a moment to pause in prayer remember the hour that Christ died.
~ Pray the Seven Penitential Psalms – maybe one each day of the week throughout Lent (Psalm 6, 31, 50, 101, 129 and 142).

~ Go out of your way to do one kind deed each day.

~ Do things for people each week without them knowing.

~ Be positive and reflect joy during Lent.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Pope Benedict’s Resignation

By

Pope Benedict XVI gestures at St.Peter'sI think the Universal Church is astonished today at the news of Pope Benedict XVI’s resignation from the See of Peter which will be official next Thursday, February 28th (Feast of Pope St. Hilary).  His letter of resignation is profound:

“Dear Brothers,
I have convoked you to this Consistory, not only for the three canonizations, but also to communicate to you a decision of great importance for the life of the Church. After having repeatedly examined my conscience before God, I have come to the certainty that my strengths, due to an advanced age, are no longer suited to an adequate exercise of the Petrine ministry. I am well aware that this ministry, due to its essential spiritual nature, must be carried out not only with words and deeds, but no less with prayer and suffering. However, in today’s world, subject to so many rapid changes and shaken by questions of deep relevance for the life of faith, in order to govern the bark of Saint Peter and proclaim the Gospel, both strength of mind and body are necessary, strength which in the last few months, has deteriorated in me to the extent that I have had to recognize my incapacity to adequately fulfill the ministry entrusted to me. For this reason, and well aware of the seriousness of this act, with full freedom I declare that I renounce the ministry of Bishop of Rome, Successor of Saint Peter, entrusted to me by the Cardinals on 19 April 2005, in such a way, that as from 28 February 2013, at 20:00 hours, the See of Rome, the See of Saint Peter, will be vacant and a Conclave to elect the new Supreme Pontiff will have to be convoked by those whose competence it is.
Dear Brothers, I thank you most sincerely for all the love and work with which you have supported me in my ministry and I ask pardon for all my defects. And now, let us entrust the Holy Church to the care of Our Supreme Pastor, Our Lord Jesus Christ, and implore his holy Mother Mary, so that she may assist the Cardinal Fathers with her maternal solicitude, in electing a new Supreme Pontiff. With regard to myself, I wish to also devotedly serve the Holy Church of God in the future through a life dedicated to prayer.”

It has been almost 600 years (1415) since a Pope has resigned from the Papacy.  I would like to share a few thoughts about todays announcement:

1) Pope Benedict’s humility is evident in this announcements and he realizes the great significance of his decision.

2) I find his letter filled with courage being in on the heals of Blessed John Paul II who with great suffering and courage himself persevered.  But I wonder if he saw things we didn’t see about the effects of a pope who could not perform the tasks that were necessary of the Office of Peter.  I admire Him for his courage and what I’d call “leadership” to do what he thought best for Christ’s Church.

3) The conclusion was most touching as he spoke of entrusting “the Holy Church to the care of the Supreme Pastor, Our Lord Jesus Christ, and implore his holy Mother Mary…”

4) Let us together seek the guidance, strength and wisdom of the Holy Spirit as the college of Cardinals discern who is to lead Christ’s Church on earth next.  Since Lent is just a couple of days away, let us seek to make small sacrifices for the sake of the Cardinals who will prayerfully choose with God’s help the next vicar of Christ.