Dear brothers and sisters who form the Church of Arlington: the much-awaited
time is upon us! In just a few short days, His Holiness Pope Benedict
XVI will land at Andrews Air Force Base and begin his first Apostolic
Journey to the United States. The theme of his visit is: “Christ
our Hope.”
Through his eloquent words, purposeful actions and very presence, Pope
Benedict will strengthen our faith and illuminate the many ways in which
Christ is our true and lasting hope.
The Church in the United States embodies the words of the Holy Father
at his Papal inauguration, “The Church is alive and we are seeing
it: we are experiencing the joy that the Risen Lord promised his followers” (Pope
Benedict XVI, Homily at Mass for the Inauguration of the Pontificate
of Pope Benedict XVI, April 24, 2005). She is alive in many ways — through
various ministries and apostolates and through the devout worship of
parishioners who answer the call to holiness. “Yes, dear Holy Father,
we are alive and we rejoice in the knowledge that you, the successor
of St. Peter, soon will be among us!”
How should we welcome Pope Benedict XVI? Our attitude must be one of
eager anticipation and attentive listening, for we are going to hear
and see so much in the coming week about the Holy Father, the papacy
and the Church in America.
We will hear from Pope Benedict himself, from the media and also from
fellow Catholics. First, and most importantly, we must listen to the
message that the Holy Father has traveled here to proclaim in our hearing.
We must hear his words with an open heart and make them our own. The
Holy Father will call us, as he did in his inauguration homily, to “bring
men and women out of the sea that is salted with so many forms of alienation
and onto the land of life, into the light of God” (Ibid).
In a particular way, Catholic Americans must persevere in bringing souls
out of the rough sea of secular culture and onto the land of holiness
and love that we so dearly desire. To do so, we must approach this visit
with an authentic willingness to put Pope Benedict’s message into
practical use. Our hearts and minds should be open to hear the truth
which he will speak.
We have also seen, and will continue to see, the media’s interpretation
of the arrival of the pope. This attention may have prompted a coworker
or friend to ask you about Catholicism. Yes, this is a unique opportunity
to take part in discussions about our beloved faith and to communicate
its beauty and truth to a wide audience. Embrace these occasions to speak
openly about the richness of the Catholic faith. This is also an opportunity
to educate ourselves about Pope Benedict and the papacy. The Arlington
Catholic Herald has published an 8-part series of articles to help us
prepare for this visit. There is also catechetical information available
at arlingtondiocese.org.
During his time in the United States, Pope Benedict will celebrate his
81st birthday and also the third anniversary of his election as the Vicar
of Christ. It is truly a blessing that he is in our country during these
special occasions and that we have the good fortune to celebrate these
milestones with him. While we offer our constant prayers and loyalty
to our beloved Holy Father, during this time let us make our prayer even
more intense. Let us pray together, “may the Lord preserve him,
give him a long life and make him blessed upon the earth…with
the flock entrusted to him, may he arrive at length unto life everlasting” (Prayers
for the Pope).
Undoubtedly, the Holy Father will offer us much wisdom and be the instrument
of countless blessings; we will be spiritually nourished by his presence.
It is my sincere hope that his visit will confirm us Catholics in our
faith in the Lord Jesus; in our loyalty to His Vicar on earth, our Holy
Father; and in our love for the Church which He founded on the Rock of
St. Peter’s faith. This diocesan Church of Arlington truly rejoices
at the arrival of the Successor of St. Peter!
