杏MAP导航

By Lisa Zengarini

Cardinal Blase Cupich celebrated a special Mass in memory of 杏MAP导航 Emeritus Benedict XVI on Monday.

In his homily, the Archbishop of Chicago focused on the late Pontiff鈥檚 humility, describing him as a 鈥渂rilliant mind鈥� who 鈥渕ade witnessing to the Gospel鈥檚 call to-live-in-humble-service-to-all his priority.鈥�

He remarked that he offered that witness of humility in three ways: 鈥渢hrough his dedication to scholarship, his unwavering conviction that belonging to a community defines our lives, and his radical dependence on the person of Jesus Christ.鈥�

A humble scholar

Cardinal Cupich noted that humility is a quality often overlooked in people who dedicate their lives to scholarship.

However, it is this very humility that allows 鈥測our mind to be formed, not by your own musings and opinions, but by others as you interact and dialogue with them.鈥�

The late 杏MAP导航 Emeritus testified to this in his academic life, as he confirmed in his spiritual testament, where among other things he warmly thanks God for the teachers and pupils He had given to him.

Humility of living in community

Cardinal Cupich further highlighted his 鈥渉umility of living in community鈥� which, he noted, he had learnt from his loving family, as he pointed out in his spiritual testament.

鈥淚t is no wonder then,鈥� said Cardinal Cupich, 鈥渢hat when he called the Church to take up works of charity in his first Encyclical he reminded us that 鈥楲ove needs to be organized鈥�. 鈥淭hese words have their root in all that he learned at home, that for love to be authentic it must connect us to one another, make demands on us but also comfort us as we discover an interdependence that binds us together.鈥�

Deep love for Jesus

Most importantly, Benedict XVI offered his witness of humility in his deep relationship with Jesus.

鈥淲ith his keen intelligence,鈥� noted Cardinal Cupich, 鈥淛oseph Ratzinger could have remained comfortable in the world of ideas and theories, but he made himself vulnerable to the point that his encounter with Jesus, rather than the safe world of ideas, gave decisive direction to his life.鈥�

鈥淭his profound sense of being ever close to the Lord," he further pointed out, "marked his life to the end鈥�, as testified by the last words he uttered before dying : 鈥淛esus, I love you鈥�.

鈥淢ay the promise of the Gospel that 鈥榳hoever humbles himself will be exalted鈥� be fulfilled in him鈥�, the Cardinal concluded. May he rest in peace knowing of our gratitude and prayers for him.鈥�