My dear brothers and sisters, as always, may the Lord give you peace. We are presented with powerful readings at Mass in today’s Liturgy of the Word. We are also continuing to follow with great excitement everything that is unfolding in preparation for the next conclave, within which the Princes of the Church, the cardinals, will be called upon to select from among their college of brothers, one who will lead us all, as Christ’s Vicar, as the Servant of Servants, who will be anointed by God to speak in his name and guide us all along the paths of righteousness.
In light of this foundational moment, let us reflect on the readings we hear today, particularly from the Acts of the Apostles. The early disciples faced persecution, imprisoned by the authorities who sought to silence the message of our Lord which they were zealously preaching through the power of the Holy Spirit. Yet, as we read, an angel of the Lord intervened, opening the doors of the prison and calling the Apostles to continue their mission. Again, this providentially evokes the image of the cardinals who will be “locked in” the Sistine Chapel together, only to be set free after some time to continue inspiring the faithful, with the new pontiff, to inspire the Church’s three-fold mission: to worship God, evangelize the world, and look after the poor. The origin of the word "conclave" comes from the Latin "conclavis," meaning "locked room." The reason for this is that the Cardinals are not to be influenced by outside forces until a decision is reached.
In this reading, when the apostles were locked into their own confined space, we cannot imagine that they did not deliberate their next moves, for the good of the Church and how they would humanly, with the help of God, make this happen. And sure enough, the help of God arrives through the intervention of the angel that he sent. Let’s pray that our Lord sends specially assigned angels to this conclave to
guide the apostles’ successors. The cardinals, like the Apostles before them, are called to remain steadfast in their mission. They must navigate the challenges of our times, discerning how best to proclaim the message of Christ and how they can best address the way, “The Lord hears the cry of the poor” – which is our response to the Psalm of this day’s mass – Psalm 34.
The Gospel of John resets our attention to the radical love God has for humanity: “God so loved the world that he gave his only-begotten Son” (John 3:16). This love is the impetus for continuing to build God’s kingdom on earth: his one, holy, catholic and apostolic Church throughout the world. As the cardinals gather in prayer, they are guided by this divine love, seeking a leader who will embody and express this love through words and actions and always in fidelity to the teachings of the Christ whom they will be called to represent in the world as his visible head.
As the disciples were emboldened by the message of Christ, so too must we all embrace our role in continuing that mission with vigor and love. We must remember that the election of a visible head is never complete without the visible body. Each of us, shepherd and flock alike, will walk hand in hand to live out the beautiful will of God, for ourselves, our families, our churches and the world.
As we await the outcome of this conclave, let us unite in prayer, asking for God’s guidance and wisdom for the cardinals. May they choose a leader who inspires faith, fosters a renewed sense of mission, and rekindles the flame of hope within the hearts of the faithful. In doing so, we can collectively affirm our commitment to our good Lord, who has suffered and died for us, so that we can rise with him in glory and everlasting joy and beatitude. May God bless you all, and may you find peace and strength in this time of anticipation and renewal. Most Holy Mother, Queen of Hope, pray for us who have recourse to thee. Amen
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