What Is God Whispering To You?

Now that's a provocative question. The Holy Father asked this and other probing questions to his audience at St. Joseph's Seminary. It was certainly inspirational to those poised to meet the Church's future. At that moment they experienced the presence of the Holy Spirit and his gifts being poured out in superabundance. Too rich a fare to be digested quickly, the pontiff's remarks were something which needed to be captured and pondered. I was fully amazed at the scope of his speech which surveyed quite a bit of ground; it was a lavish display of the good shepherd's loving guidance for his young flock. Shepherd, father, professor, and prayer director: he was all of these in a spectacular display of the Holy Spirit's power.

And the Holy Spirit did in fact put wind in Pope Benedict's sails as you could see the acuity in his eyes, hear the confidence in his voice, and easily discern the true love for Jesus in his heart. He warned us of evil, but assured us of our triumph. He mapped out the various pitfalls we must overcome and gave us the guidance in rough terrain. He directed us to pray and revealed the need for silence: to listen and be touched by God.

Can a few pages be a catechism? It seems so. This document demands attention, prayerful reflection, and application. As these young people will eventually discover; what takes only a few minutes to read will involve a lifetime of transformation. Guided by the Holy Spirit, they will realize that an address that took only a short time to deliver, required the better part of eighty-one years to compose.

['A Penitent Blogger' has the Pope's entire address presented in blog format with accompanying photos to add a visual dimension. Thank you, Penitens.]