I have always been impressed by what is said in the Church's rite of the "Vigil for the Deceased" in the invitation to prayer which says "My brothers and sisters, we believe that all the ties of friendship and affection which knit as one throughout our lives do not unravel with death. Confident that God always remembers the good we have done and forgives our sins, let us pray, asking God to gather (Name) to himself." This statement not only reminds us of our belief in the Communion of Saints and the reality of our faith which assures us of continued connection and affection toward and with them, but it also emphasizes God's focus in life and after our life on earth on the good we do. God is not dwelling on the bad we do or have done, but instead is ready to forgive and forget our faults and bring us to his kingdom of eternal love and peace. Upon the passing of Pope Emeritus, Benedict XVI, on New Year's Eve at the age of 95, there were plenty in the media who spoke critically of his time as our pope. Some (if not many) of those remarks definitely reflected the thoughts and religious and secular views of the person who shared their reflections (which are biased in one direction or another). While I cannot, in one pastor's column, list the many blessings that came to the Church especially during his relatively short reign (about 8 years), I choose to give thanks to God and remember all the good he did in keeping us true to the Catholic Faith Tradition, and serving with great distinction as he followed the long and distinguished pontificate of Pope (now Saint) John Paul II. He had to accept the fact that the media within (and especially outside the Church) would dissect every word he spoke in public, and draw conclusions that were often not true to what he said. He travelled to various countries (including ours) and spoke of the love of God for all people while rightly speaking out for those who were poor and vunerable (in imitation of Jesus Christ)! History will indeed remember and applaud his humility, especially in his decision to resign as pope due to age and deteriorating health. In this time in history, when people are living so long (as he did), he paved the way for future popes who reach an age with declining health of mind and/or body (but not of spirit) to do as he did, and devote the rest of their life in large part to prayer for God's people and the world. Those of us whose heritiage is German are no doubt thankful to God for choosing someone who was proud of being German and more so, a Catholic and disciple of Jesus Christ, and whose younger years reflected a strong faith and courage in rejecting (and even deserting as a forced soldier) the ways of the "Third Reich". I am confident (as I hope all of us are) Jesus said in part when Benedict XVI resigned as pope and completely when he breathed his last breath. "Well done, good and faithful servant...enter the joy of your Master." (Mth 25:23).