Thoughtful Tuesday

Good ol' faithful Facebook informed me 7ish days ago that our Pope Benedict XVI was resigning. When I heard, via a news feed (yes, kind of embarrassing to admit that, but true none the less),
my initial reaction was one of shock and "really? what the heck is going on". 

But after much (I dare say) sporadic reflection, in between diaper changing, nursing Hope, and playing football with the boys, I have found that my real reaction is one of sadness.

This is not because I am scared of who is to replace him; I have complete trust in the Church that all will be well and good. I have always been more of a simpleton when it comes to my faith believing that God is in control at all times.  

The thing that saddens me is the plain fact that I haven't really taken the time to truly get to know Pope Benedict. Of course, I do love him and whole heartily at that. He has been such a great shepherd and leader of our Church. It is just that I haven't taken the time to read or study his writings/documents to any depth that is worth mentioning. My much holier half on the other hand has read every book and document that Pope Benedict has written during and before his Papacy. And believe me I have no qualms admitting, and honestly quite like it, that Matt is completely more holy and smarter than me.

Pope Benedict is so amazingly theological and intellectual. Even though one of my majors was Theology with a concentration in Religious Education (had to put that in there), me being in the sleep deprived, kid induced state of life for the last 6 1/2 years, I find it hard to not fall asleep or turn to my fast gripping novel or easy read, romantic love story after only reading a page of his work.   

Also, I have always felt such a huge bond to Blessed JPII. I was able to see him on 3 different blessed occasions and JPII was the Pope that I was completely taken by during my high school days of "first falling in love with Jesus". 

So with that being said, now that the Pope is leaving I am drawn to him in such a new way. How it works that way with me, I know not.  His complete humility and ability to hear God and do His will has stolen my heart.  It couldn't have been easy to make that decision to step down (after all it is the first time in what? 600 years for a Pope to do this), but in all humility he did. I have a hard enough decision picking out a restaurant and then picking out what I am going to eat, so I can definitely learn from his example. 

Pope Benedict the XVI, Team Boda loves you and thanks you from our big and littles hearts for answering God's call and for being our oh-so-humble servant.