The last day of the year marks the anniversary of the death of one of Pope Benedict XVI (d. 2022). He resigned from the chair of Peter on February 28, 2013. I had the unique opportunity to journey across the world and see Pope Benedict XVI close up in Sydney and Madrid. I remember hearing him preach in the majestic cathedrals of those cities, cheering his name among the crowds, and feeling an overwhelming emotion as the faithful stood with the Rock on which Christ promised to build his Church.

This memory seems a lifetime ago, and yet I knew him best not in a crowd, but in the classroom. We read his theological works in graduate school, and through them, he opened the horizon of my heart to Jesus. Just this past summer, I revisited his life through his memoirs.

I remember picking up Milestones in 2018 and it has sat on my bookshelf all this time until this past summer! It goes to show that books on our shelves remind us that there is always something to discover.

Here are two takeaways from the pope’s life:

First, his perseverence. I was struck by his academic struggle in pursing his Doctorate and his Habilitation which is a degree that allows someone to hold a chair in a German university after submitting a weighty thesis for approval. Along the way he made great friends, like Karl Rahner, Saint Bonaventure, and the great Augustine of Hippo.

Second, his hidden life. I was moved by his intimate portrayal of his parents, sister, and brother. They were always in his life, guiding him and supporting him. His family was always a huge consideration at every move in his academic career.

Near the end of his memoirs, he reflected on his life as Archbishop and called to mind the bear on his coat of arms. A bishop’s coat of arms tells a hidden message about the person.

Ratzinger recalled the bear from the legend of Corbinian, the founding bishop of Freising. The bishop witnessed a bear destroy his horse and in his fury, reprimanded the bear and made the bear carry his possessions all the way to Rome. It is a charming story about humility, a virtue evident in Pope Benedict XVI.

Another value to Ratzinger was communion with God. We grow in faith through intimate and continuous conversation with God. He gives the image of what it means to be connected to God. He quotes from the psalms, “When my heart was bewildered … I was stupid and ignorant, I was like a dumb beast before you. And yet I am always with you.” The word used for beast is a draft animal, an animal that worked in the fields. To give us deeper insight, Ratzinger points us to his trusted friend: Saint Augustine.

Saint Augustine saw himself as a draft animal for Christ. Augustine was a scholar who was well versed in his theological studies. Yet, the Lord used Augustine as a good, sturdy ox to pull the Lord’s cart. Augustine knew that in all his struggle, as long as he kept close to Christ and did his will, he would never be far from the Lord’s reach. To remain wholly to God, we must be the Lord’s donkey, doing his work and remaining close to a father who always loves us.

As this year comes to a close, let’s reflect on what we have done for God. Have we made ourselves wholly available to his will or have we been reserved? Filled with immense hope in our loving God, let us renew our trust in God. For we have a loving Father who knows us by name.

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