Yesterday was an amazing day. The weather still left much to be desired, but the cold dampness couldn't take away our joy--or the joy of the 1.5 MILLION people who gathered on Copacabana to greet the Holy Father.
We started the day with Mass in the hotel. Well, it was actually outside on the breakfast terrace. I fear the length of my homily may have exposed the kids to hypothermia, but what can you do? It was the feast of St. James!
Stephen got word that Pope was to arrive on the beach just two blocks from our hotel, so we walked down the street to stake our claim. There we stood for four hours. You have to be ruthless (or even #fearless) when standing your ground at a papal event. People who randomly walk up 2 minutes before the Pope arrives feel they have just as much a right to be up front as you do, you who have stood in the same spot in the cold rain for 4 hours. It's a matter of justice. Throw some bows.
Pope Francis arrived just after 5:30 PM. He drove right by us in the open-air popemobile, just 10 feet from where we stood.
I got no pictures of the moment. Not because I wanted to take it in and enjoy the moment, but because my Canon T2i, as good a camera as it is, failed me by not being able to focus fast enough in the ever dimming light. I'll see if I can get someone else's photo to post here.
The best part was how excited the teens were. It's a special moment when you see the Pope in person for the first time. You can see the seeds of faith begin to bud out from its earthy covering. And it makes perfect sense too; the Pope, as the successor of St. Peter takes on the charge the first pope received from Jesus himself: "Peter, I have prayed for you that your faith may not fail, and once you have turned back, you must strengthen your brothers" (Luke 22:32).
I'll let him say it in his own words: "Looking out to this sea, the beach and all of you gathered here, I am reminded of the moment when Jesus called the first disciples to follow him by the shores of Lake Tiberias. Today Christ asks each of us again: Do you want to be my disciple? Do you want to be my friend? Do you want to be a witness to my Gospel? In the spirit of The Year of Faith, these questions invite us to renew our commitment as Christians. Your families and local communities have passed on to you the great gift of faith, Christ has grown in you. I have come today to confirm you in this faith, faith in the living Christ who dwells within you, but I have also come to be confirmed by the enthusiasm of your faith!"
Full text: http://www.news.va/en/news/pope-francis-prayer-service-with-wyd-pilgrims-full
The Lord is up to something in this Pope Francis!
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