~ Cappella Sistina ~

Soon all eyes will be looking towards the little chimney...

Who?

Who will the Holy Spirit call to lead the Church?

I'm recalling standing here with my husband and children, thinking about whose footsteps have crossed these floors and whose eyes have gazed upward towards the magnificent masterpiece of Michelangelo...and yes; this IS where the conclave takes place.  This is where the pope is elected.  This is the place.

We will certainly be praying...having total faith in our Lord's greater plan.  No need to fret; right?  Right.  The Holy Spirit is in charge. 

And so we continue to pray...

Pro Papa!

O God, eternal shepherd,

who govern your flock with unfailing care,

grant in Your boundless Fatherly love

a Pastor for your Church

who will please you by his holiness

and to us show watchful care.

Through our Lord Jesus Christ, Your son,

who lives and reigns with you

in the unity of the Holy Spirit,

one God, for ever and ever.  Amen.

 

 

As we were working on our little wooden cardinal craft, I was wondering whose pictures we should choose to use...since we don't have enough wooden pins & pegs for all the cardinals.  We decided to do all of the United States cardinals, because then we could continue to pray for them (as we sure can use the prayers here in the U.S). 
As we were looking up several of the cardinals I made a comment about wanting to pick the "good" ones (therefore implying the other exists).  I immediately commented that we should probably pray for the "not so good" ones too, and maybe more so...here was Little Lambs response:

Little Lamb:  "Mom,  God did not come down to save the healthy sheep; He came down to heal the sick sheep..."  Explaining her comment further:  "It's a combination of what I've heard."

With excitement & hope...we wait.

UPDATE:  Adding these two fun and educational links:

For an update on the election of the pope via e-mail or text  Pope alarm

For an illustrated guide to the Conclave - excellent!