🕊️ Starting with Prayer (Because, Obviously)
Fr. Simon immediately launches into prayer as soon as the mic’s hot. He’s moved. He leads us through:
-A powerful invocation of the Holy Spirit
-A Hail Mary
-The classic St. Michael Prayer, originally composed after a vision by Pope Leo XIII
There’s a reverent hush to it all, as if the whole world just took a sacred breath.
👤On the Election of Pope Leo XIV: It’s Like a Funeral AND a Birth
Fr. Simon has lived through seven or eight conclaves, and he reflects on the bittersweet symbolism of a new pope:
-The Cardinal goes into the Room of Tears… literally a place of weeping and weight.
-Taking a new name is like a death to the old self and birth into a heavy mission.
“They’ve even taken away my shoes,” Fr. Simon recalls Pope John XXIII joking: a reminder that the papacy isn’t glam. It’s sacrificial.
He puts it bluntly: this is not about power. It’s about responsibility, and it’s eternal-impact kind of responsibility.
Smart AND Holy? Yes, please.
Fr. Simon is genuinely excited about Pope Leo XIV.
-Former Cardinal Robert Prevost
-From the South Side of Chicago (yes, relatable roots!)
-A mathematician and canon lawyer with flawless Latin
🌹Devotion to Mary: The Litmus Test of Catholic Love
Now THIS is where Fr. Simon gets beautifully poetic.
“A person who loves the Blessed Mother loves the Church. A person who disregards her, disregards the Church.”
He reflects on rich theology about Mary:
-She’s the first member of the Church, literally accepting Jesus into her body.
-She was there at the Cross, Resurrection, and Pentecost.
-She is the icon… the living image of the Church.
-Her Immaculate Conception was to ensure that the Church began in holiness.
Fr. Simon reminds us that Mary’s role is essential, not optional. Not background. Central.
❤️🔥Why This Matters Now
Fr. Simon is genuinely hopeful. Pope Leo XIV leading a global Hail Mary in St. Peter’s Square truly matters.
Let’s pray for our new Pope and stay ever close to our Blessed Mama.
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