Signs of Hope

By: Ivonne J. Hernandez

I was sitting on our living room sofa when two separate sounds caught my attention. From his office down the hall, I heard my husband yell, “We got a new phone!” At the same time my phone alerted me with a text from our cell phone provider that read, “You have a free new line!” A bit confused by the commotion I yelled back, “What?” And again I heard, “We got a new phone!” I was really confused. Why was he so excited about that? We didn’t need another cellular line. My skepticism grew and I said, “Are you sure this is not a scam? Why would we both get that text at the same time?” My husband’s voice grew louder as he walked toward the living room, and all I heard was “A new phone! A new phone!” Finally, standing in front of me, he saw a perplexed look on my face and said, “WHITE SMOKE! We have a NEW POPE!”

This will forever be our answer when we are asked, “Where were you when you learned of the election of Pope Leo XIV?” I thought we had a new phone, but thankfully the reality was so much more exciting than that. We turned on the TV and saw the white smoke rising toward the sky. We heard the bells ringing the good news, and our hearts burst with joy. I was surprised at how emotional that moment was. After mourning the death of our beloved Pope Francis, the days that followed felt like an intellectual exercise. Watching news interviews of priests, bishops and laity alike, the speculation, the drama of history unfolding before my eyes felt rather distant. I, like most people, was not expecting the election would happen so quickly, so I was caught off guard. And I think that was a good thing. My heart was allowed the room to feel and celebrate the momentous occasion without expectations of any kind. It was as if my soul was holding the emptiness of the Chair of the Vicar of Christ -- of my PAPA -- in a way that my mind could not understand. I experienced the reality of belonging to the Mystical Body of Christ.

As I was watching the live coverage of our newly elected Holy Father walking out onto the balcony and greeting the crowds, the TV commentator said, “They love him! They do not know him yet, but they know who he is.” And perhaps this is why the whole world has been fascinated by the events happening in Rome these past weeks. Paragraph 882 of the Catechism states that, "The Pope, Bishop of Rome and Peter's successor, is the perpetual and visible source and foundation of the unity both of the bishops and of the whole company of the faithful.” He is the Vicar of Christ – “vicar” means one who stands in for or acts for another. Jesus said, “He who has seen Me has seen the Father” (John 14:9). Yes, the world is watching because they are also seeking Christ.

“Come,” says my heart, “seek his face”; your face, LORD, do I seek! (Psalm 27:8)
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Pope Leo XIV’s first words to the world were words of peace and blessing; they were the words of Jesus. The Pope's blessing was a continuation of the blessing of his predecessor, Pope Francis, and will continue on through the end of time. Before concluding his address, he turned our attention to seek the help of Mary, Mother of God, and our Mother. It is she who will give us the strength and the guidance we need to listen to the Holy Spirit and follow Christ. This reminds me of the words from St. Peter Julian Eymard:

​“See the Apostles, following Jesus, weak in their faith in him, faltering in virtue. Who is it that brings them back to their mission? Who is it that unites and comforts them after the death of Jesus? Is it not her whom he had given to them as a mother? Is it not Mary? And under her direction, they hoped and received their grace. And it was Mary who, in the Cenacle, prepared them to receive the Holy Spirit, and powerfully helped them to become new men.”

As Catholics, it is our duty to pray with and for our Holy Father. We not only pray God guides and strengthens him to fulfill the mission entrusted to him, but we express our unity by praying for his intentions. This is so important that it is one of the requirements for gaining plenary indulgences (INDULGENTIARUM DOCTRINA). We pray for his intentions -- those expressed and those not shared. As the Holy Spirit guided the Cardinals to elect him, we trust the same Spirit will continue to guide him, and through him, guide and govern the Church.
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This is indeed an exciting time to be Catholic. I see the joy and awe in the faces of those who were just baptized this past Easter as we reflect on the events unfolding before us. To get to experience these things in real time has proven to be a better Mystagogia than any curriculum our OCIA program could have hoped for. May we all be renewed in faith and hope as the blessing of Christ (Urbi et Orbi) reaches every heart that seeks the face of God. May we, united through our pastors and bishops with our Pope, continue to be nourished and strengthened by the sacraments to become signs of hope, ministers of love, and -- dare I say -- little vicars of Christ to those around us. Our Lady, Mother of God, pray for us.

Ivonne J. Hernandez

Ivonne is a Catholic wife, mother, Lay Associate of the Blessed Sacrament, and President of Elisheba House. Speaker and writer, author of The Rosary: Eucharistic Meditations. Alongside her husband, Rick Hernandez, she coordinates the OCIA program at their home parish. A lover of choral music, Ivonne is a member of the Master Chorale of Tampa Bay. She and her husband live in Trinity, FL, with two of their young adult sons.