Each of the boys is completing a narration of today’s events, and I want in on the action.  I want to remember.

Seriously!!!  We have a POPE!!!  How I pray that my kids understand the importance of today.  I know that when John Paul II was elected, I didn’t realize how important it was. Lance, who wasn’t even attending mass at that time remembers the white smoke from that election.  You could say I am a bit jealous.  I love JPII, and he wasn’t even a practicing Catholic until he met me and he remembers…But I digress…

Habemus Papem!!!

We have a pope!

Francis!!!!

A great start, I think.

Seriously, Francis?  Could he have chosen someone better for his papal name?  I’ve said before that Saint Francis is beloved by many, he’s the saint that loved animals.  But oh so much more, so, so much more…He loved the helpless, the poor, he loved people…he did so much to help those in need, he is the example of “whenever you helped one in need, you helped me”.  (You know what I’m talking about there, right?  I don’t have to quote from the Bible accurately at 2:30 in the morning.)  Has anyone seen the picture of Pope Francis kissing the feet of a patient?  Humbling.

I am happy, blissful.  Someone sent me a text saying that they knew today was a huge day for me and that they hoped I was pleased with the results.  It’s interesting, I am extremely opinionated on most things, but not with the church.  I said on my last post, I trust in the Holy Spirit.  And I do.  I trust in the Chair of Peter which has continued for 266 Popes.

And because of that trust, I didn’t do any research on the Cardinals who might fill the chair.  Why bother?  This isn’t American politics.  There is no need for the hatred and vitriol that fills the air in this country.  It’s tiresome, regardless of what your politics are.  Besides, I don’t have a vote.  I’m Catholic.  Period.  End of discussion.

One of the common misunderstandings about the pope and Catholicism is that a new one will be elected and all of a sudden things are going to change.  It just doesn’t happen that way.  The Catholic church hasn’t changed at all.  Other religions have.  This one doesn’t.

Back to being happy…

Earlier today, I informed the kids that there had been three votes resulting in black smoke.  This was on the way to the zoo in New Orleans.  I admit I followed PapalSmokeStack on twitter.  While checking I saw it…White smoke…then the text messages started coming.

We were crossing the bridge leading us out of “South America”, (fitting I think as I type this!), and I turned and ran to the kids.  “Habemus Papem”, I shouted over and over.  I pulled all of use together to pray for our new Holy Father.  And that we did, at the edge of the bridge at Audubon Zoo in New Orleans.  We prayed for the pope who had not yet been introduced to us.

And then, we ran to the car.  I knew the Holy Father would go to adoration first, but I didn’t want to miss a second.  And we sat and sat.  And then, the announcement was made.  Watching on EWTN was nice, but they didn’t have translators set up immediately.  So it took a few minutes to realize who they said and that Francis was his name.

And then we sat some more.  And finally…

There he was…our new Holy Father, Pope Francis.  I held Snax’s hand while he spoke and I just liked him.  I did.  And when he asked us to pray for him, I smiled, I love, love, love when priests ask me to pray for them.  And then we were blessed.

Sharing this was pretty overwhelming, and I even had a tear in my eye.

But the best part…I think was all my Catholic friends texting about this.  Not with gossip, but with “Amens” and Habemus Papems”!  Truly, we are a universal church, a communion of Saints…and today, I felt the meaning of being part of that communion of Saints.  A truly wonderful gift.