WHEN A POPE COMES TO AMERICA

October 21, 2015

Unless you were living under a rock last month, you know that Pope Francis made his inaugural visit to the United States in September.  Like many Americans, and especially American Catholics, I was intrigued and even excited for his visit.  Yet like many millennials, I wasn’t sure I should get too excited about it, because we millennials spend a lot of energy to try to seem unimpressed.  (We’re hoping this will seem impressive.)

While I’m probably a bit more religious than many of my peers, I too wasn’t quite sure what to make of Pope Francis’s trip to America.  But since it seemed like a big deal, I decided to hop on a plane and see for myself.  And boy, am I glad I did.

I intended the trip to be less of a vacation and more of a pilgrimage.  The practical goal was to see the pope, of course, but in the Christian tradition a pilgrim seeks not merely to enjoy his travels but be transformed along the way.  So instead of trying to make the trip as fun and as comfortable as possible, I tried to set my itinerary at the service of spiritual growth, so as to return a changed man.  (Although I did figure that if I met the woman of my dreams somewhere along the way, that wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world, either…)

For me, traveling as a pilgrim means resisting the temptation to sightsee all the time or even to try to meet up with all of my friends who might be in town.  In other words, simplify my plans so as to minimize distractions and maximize opportunities for prayer and reflection.  I packed all I needed in a modest satchel, small enough to fit under my airplane seat (and, of course, to avoid extra fees), and I booked no formal accommodations ahead of time.

To understand what my pilgrimage was really about, however, I needed to understand what the Pope’s pilgrimage was about.  He was coming to Philadelphia for the World Meeting of Families, an event founded by Pope Saint John Paul II in 1997 in order to “Strengthen the bonds between families and to witness to the crucial importance of marriage and the family to all of society,” according to its official 2015 event website.  Since ‘97, it has been held every three years around the globe on four different continents.

So Pope Francis was coming to the U.S. with a specific, practical purpose.  But his spiritual purpose—and effect—I believe, was much broader.  What he brought to the our country was an all-encompassing message of faith, hope, and love.  From his address to Congress to his visit to a Philadelphia penitentiary to his impromptu interactions with whomever, Pope Francis provided a living witness of joy, mercy, and charity for Christians and non-Christians alike.

Sure, I could have watched his visit from the comfort of my living room in Twin Cities, Minnesota.  But then again, the Pope could have stayed in Rome and sent a video message across the pond and saved a lot of time and hassle, not to mention wear-and-tear on his 78-year-old body.  But he didn’t.  He came, in the flesh, to the United States of America to show how much he loves the people of God, and to invite us to accompany him along the Way.  You know, kind of like what Jesus did.

Any of us who have had family live far away knows that there’s no substitute to being with your loved ones—that is, being present to them, in the same location, breathing the same air and, in a particular way, eating the same food.  I’ve learned that there’s something profoundly important about sitting down for a meal with the people you care about the most.  And while I wasn't able to share a Philly cheesesteak with the Supreme Pontiff (although I did enjoy more than one along the way), I was able to share a much more significant meal with the pope: the Lord’s Supper.

Sure, it was fun to have Mark Wahlberg (one of my favorite actors) emcee the Saturday evening festival with Pope Francis, to see Jim Gaffigan (one of my favorite comedians) perform, and to hear The Fray (one of my favorite bands) and Aretha Franklin (a living legend) and some guy who’s apparently big in South America sing some songs.  It was certainly a moving experience to have Pontifex Maximus (or @Pontifex, as he’s known as on Twitter) speaking words to me and my countrymen in my own language.
But to partake in the holy sacrifice of the mass with the Vicar of Christ himself, with hundreds of thousands of fellow pilgrims?  That was truly the highlight of the trip.  Comfortable, no.  But in a sense that’s what made it all the more profound.

So what now?  Well, I don’t necessarily feel like a changed man.  But I can say that I do feel a closer bond with the Pope, a greater affinity with other American Catholics (especially those who made the trip to Philly), and a greater conviction to follow Christ and live out his call in the world.

Since the very beginning of his pontificate, Pope Francis has really challenged me to step out of my comfort zone when it comes to seeing Christ in others and to treat people with love and mercy, whether I know them or not, whether I like them or not, whether I agree with them or not.

I don’t know about you, but I don’t always particularly like stepping out of my comfort zone.  Maybe that’s a millennial thing, or an American thing, or perhaps it’s just a human thing.  But I do know it’s good for me to step out of my comfort zone, especially when it comes to pursuing the Lord’s will and attempting to love others the way he does.

And I do believe that by stepping out of my comfort zone for this trip to Philadelphia, I’m now better prepared to follow the Lord to where he asks me to go next—wherever that may be.

- Isaac Huss, Communications Manager