Breakfast with a Cardinal

To breakfast is a gift...many do not wake up to corn flakes, coffee or croissants. Just yesterday I had breakfast with one of the many special guests in our seminary, Cardinal Tagle. The Cardinal-Archbishop of Manila (the second youngest member of the College of Cardinals- now aged 56) and the Spiritual Leader of the only "Catholic Country" in Asia - sat down, not with the rest of the 100+ Bishops - but with just ordinary seminarians.

It was out of the blue. I hadn't expected it one bit and it left an impression on me.

 



Greeting Cardinal Ouellet

 

The Cardinal is authentically Asian. He talks like an Asian. He smiles like an Asian and - best of all - he laughs like an Asian. I enjoyed about an hour in which he talked about many things - but most of all - about his vocation and about our faith. He loves them. He speaks about them often. Because you really can't live your vocation if you don't live your faith.

 

 

I don't know if I will have another chance to sit down with a Cardinal over breakfast again but I hope that chance comes again - and I hope it is with Him. I could sum up our meeting in two words:

 

Gaudium et Spes

Joy and Hope



Presiding Mass in the seminary - New Bishops Course in Session
(officially called "Pilgrimage to St. Peter's Tomb")