Say a prayer today for His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI, whose birthday it is today.
The Holy Father is 84 years old.
A partial indulgence is granted to the Christian faithful who, in a spirit of filial devotion, devoutly recite any duly approved prayer for the Supreme Pontiff (e.g., the Oremus pro Pontifice):
V. Let us pray for our Pontiff, Pope Benedict.
R. May the Lord preserve him, and give him life, and bless him upon earth, and deliver him not to the will of his enemies.
Our Father. Hail Mary.
Let us pray.
O God, Shepherd and Ruler of all Thy faithful people, look mercifully upon Thy servant Benedict, whom Thou hast chosen as shepherd to preside over Thy Church. Grant him, we beseech Thee, that by his word and example, he may edify those over whom he hath charge, so that together with the flock committed to him, may he attain everlasting life. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.
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Happy Birthday, Holy Father!
I’m ‘half-German’, so I feel a special pride this day!
I remembered him in my Rosary this morning.
Einen fröhlichen Geburtstag, heiliger Vater!
There are only a couple of Germans clinging to our family tree (one, nine generations back, rejoiced in the name of Maria Magdalena Vogelsang). But I lived in Germany years ago. In Bavaria. In the country. Wonderful place. The best way I can describe Bavarians is “good old boys in Lederhosen.” And coming from a Southerner, that is a high compliment. Honest, generous, God-fearing, friendly. Only difference is that good old boys are Southern Baptist, by and large, and I never saw a pickup truck in Bavaria.
I hope that our Holy Father’s birthday is a beautiful one. I credit my reversion to the true faith to him and his words. When he was elected Pope, I admit that at that time I bought into the going propaganda. When I happened to read something he had written I was intrigued and surprised that his words did not square with what I had heard said of him, from many different sources including Catholic ones. But I found nothing in it that matched what had been said of him and in fact found his reflections most encouraging, sensitive to the struggles of our time, humble, gentle, wise, not at all political or condemning, attuned to the words and actions of our Lord. What can I say, I discovered that he is not who he has been made out to be. I continue to struggle with the dissonance, and it is distressing to me that he is portrayed as something he is not which leads to disunity and misunderstandings. But when I read his words it is relief, it is kindness, light.
Happy birthday Holy Father. I e/m him a Happy Birthday: benedictxvi@vatican.va
I also dedicate my third decade of the rosary to him…
Here is a wonderful, hopeful book that you may have never heard of where you are. It is well worth a look. It is inexpensive and it is a collection of readable reflections.
In this book our Holy Father reminds us that when we celebrate the major feasts of the Church, we pray not only with those present at Mass where we are at any particular moment in time, but with believers around the entire world and with the communion of saints, canonized and unknown, though not immediately visible to our senses. My favorite reflection in this book is the one about Portiuncula and the way of all pilgrims.
http://www.ignatius.com/Products/IH-H/images-of-hope.aspx
Happy Birthday Holy Father. I finished my novena for his special day today .
pax et bonum
Me too Benedetta! Exactly the same story…except that he had me at “Seguimi!” (Follow me!).
He is a treasure.
Happy Birthday Holy Father!
Ad multos annos, Sancte Pater!
Thank you, Holy Father, for your fidelity to the Office Christ has entrusted to you.
Here is part of a poem I wrote ….
“A vision came to me last night,
invaded slumber deep:
a German shepherd, lean and slight
began to tend the sheep.
His bark the flock of Peter kept
within the meadow near,
and though it seemed the Shepherd slept,
the sheep had naught to fear.
But then a stranger image came
to tease my thoughts anew:
St. Benedict, with heart aflame,
now from his cloister flew.
The barque of Peter he did steer
for rocks ahead were keen.
So, rightly, did the ship now veer
away from where she’d been.
A missal launched from cannon sure
did safety quick renew,
and set the ship’s course right and pure
that all men know ’tis true.”
I can’t find the other one at the moment, but it’s called
“Wilt thou build a bridge, Sir,”
Ad multos annos!
Nice poem, Chris!
Thanks, “Irishgirl”. It’s part of a larger poem called “Consummatum est”, which begins with reflections on the life and death of Pope John Paul, written in iambic hexameter.
I’ve written another, since, called “Wilt thou build a bridge, sir”, to honor His Holiness’ Anglicanorum Coetibus.