Where voices unite

One of the realities that stops me in my tracks once in a while was expressed much more eloquently in the words of Saint Peter, the first to be called to shepherd the Church: 'Come to him, a living stone, rejected by human beings but chosen and precious in the sight of God, and, like living stones, let yourselves be built into a spiritual house ...' (1 Peter 2:4-5).

The chief stone upon which the Church is built is therefore the living faith of the living faithful, directed on earth by the pope who is chosen to be the Vicar of Christ - his representative if you will. That's why it's such a big deal to the Church in the US that Benedict will be visiting next week.

One of the stops being planned during this relatively brief sojourn is at the site now known as Ground Zero. This time of prayer is proving to be one of the most anticipated moments during the trip since it will allow Benedict to show his solidarity with all those who, consciously or not, are still vulnerable and grieving over the tragedy that occurred in the heart of New York's financial district six years ago.

Images of the Holy Father's visit to Ground Zero will no doubt be broadcast for all to see, and may very well evoke images of his predecessor John Paul II who prayed at the Wailing Wall in Jerusalem. The fact that the pope prays for the souls of deceased relatives and friends is not uncommon, but somewhat less common are moments when public demonstrations of prayer for the dead are shared with people in a visible and tangible way.

There's something to be said for seeing people at prayer. Such moments unite all people of faith, from pope to pilgrim in the pews. Along the way there are myriads of others, including those who are called to assist with the leadership of the Church, and with the proclamation of the good news. To this end, it seems that our neighbours to the south have made the news quite often this week in ecclesiastical circles. Not only is Benedict XVI in the final days of planning before he travels to the States, but five new appointments of bishops for the Church in the United Sates of America were announced this week in Rome. Now, it happens from time to time that one or two episcopal appointments are made on the same day in the same country, but five?

Whatever the reason for this unusual move, one thing is certain, the Shepherd is united in prayer with the flock which is entrusted to his pastoral care, and we in turn are united with him as he continues to lead us to the heart of Jesus where we continually learn the lessons of love.