{"id":48241,"date":"2022-12-31T14:08:16","date_gmt":"2022-12-31T20:08:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/?p=48241"},"modified":"2022-12-31T15:06:47","modified_gmt":"2022-12-31T21:06:47","slug":"you-were-loved","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/you-were-loved\/","title":{"rendered":"You Were Loved","gt_translate_keys":[{"key":"rendered","format":"text"}]},"content":{"rendered":"<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-48242 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/POPE-EMERITUS-PASSES2.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"589\" height=\"783\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/POPE-EMERITUS-PASSES2.jpg 1280w, https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/POPE-EMERITUS-PASSES2-226x300.jpg 226w, https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/POPE-EMERITUS-PASSES2-771x1024.jpg 771w, https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/POPE-EMERITUS-PASSES2-768x1020.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/POPE-EMERITUS-PASSES2-1157x1536.jpg 1157w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 589px) 100vw, 589px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong>IN<\/strong> the wake of the outgoing, affectionate, and even revolutionary pontificate of St. John Paul II, Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger was cast under a long shadow when he assumed the throne of Peter. But what would soon mark the pontificate of Benedict XVI would not be his charisma or humor, his personality or vigor \u2014 indeed, he was quiet, serene, almost awkward in public. Rather, it would be his unswerving and pragmatic theology at a time when the Barque of Peter was being assailed from both within and without. It would be his lucid and prophetic perception of our times that seemed to clear the fog before the bow of this Great Ship; and it would be an orthodoxy that proved time and again, after 2000 years of often stormy waters, that the words of Jesus are an unshakeable promise:<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\"><span style=\"font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'trebuchet ms', geneva, sans-serif;\">I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the powers of death shall not prevail against it. (Matt 16:18)<\/span><\/p>\n<p><!--more--><\/p>\n<p>Benedict&#8217;s papacy did not shake the world perhaps like his predecessor. Rather, his papacy will be remembered for the fact the world <em>did not shake it<\/em>.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>In fact, the faithfulness and reliability of Cardinal Ratzinger were legendary by the time he became pope in 2005. I remember my wife bounding into the bedroom where I was still sleeping, waking me up with unexpected news that April morning: <em>\u201cCardinal Ratzinger has just been elected Pope!\u201d<\/em>\u00a0I turned my face into the pillow and wept for joy \u2014 an\u00a0<em>inexplicable<\/em>\u00a0joy that lasted for three days. The overwhelming feeling was that the Church was being given an extension of grace and protection. Indeed, we were treated to eight years of beautiful depth, evangelism and prophecy from Benedict XVI.<\/p>\n<p>In 2006, I was invited to sing\u00a0<em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=VJ7eF_cn8wM\">Song for Karol<\/a>\u00a0<\/em>at the Vatican in celebration of John Paul II&#8217;s life. Benedict XVI was supposed to be in attendance, but his remarks regarding Islam rattled sabres around the world potentially putting his life in danger. He didn&#8217;t come. <img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignleft  wp-image-28154\" style=\"margin: 2px 5px 2px 5px;\" src=\"https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2006\/09\/Pope-Mark-2.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"333\" height=\"224\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2006\/09\/Pope-Mark-2.jpg 799w, https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2006\/09\/Pope-Mark-2-300x202.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2006\/09\/Pope-Mark-2-768x516.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2006\/09\/Pope-Mark-2-272x182.jpg 272w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 333px) 100vw, 333px\" \/>But that affair resulted in an unexpected encounter with Benedict XVI the very next day where I was able to place my song into his hands. His response suggested that he must have watched the evening&#8217;s celebration on closed-circuit television. How surreal and overwhelming to be in the presence of the successor to St. Peter&#8230; and yet, the unexpected exchange was thoroughly human (read <a href=\"https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/a-day-of-grace-and-friends\/\"><em>A Day of Grace<\/em><\/a>).<\/p>\n<p>Moments before, I had watched as he entered the hall to the singing of pilgrims and, almost impervious to the rock star welcome, wandered up the aisle with an unforgettable humility and serenity \u2014 and that legendary awkwardness that spoke of a man more comfortable in between philosophical books than bubbling admirers. But his love and devotion for either has <em>never<\/em> been in question.<\/p>\n<p>On February 10, 2013, however, I sat in stunned silence as I listened to Pope Benedict announce his resignation from the papacy. For the next two weeks, the Lord spoke an unusually strong and persistent &#8220;now word&#8221; in my heart (weeks before I\u2019d hear the name Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio for the first time):<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p><em>You are now entering into dangerous and confusing times.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>That word has come true on so many levels, that I have written literally the equivalent of several books here in order to navigate the increasingly treacherous waters of a Great Storm that has been unleashed upon the entire world. But here again, the very words and teachings of Benedict have served as a lighthouse in the Storm, a sure prophetic beacon and anchor to the Now Word and countless other Catholic apostolates around the world (eg. <em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/missing-the-message-of-a-prophet\/\">Missing the Message&#8230; of a Papal Prophet<\/a>\u00a0<\/em>and<em>\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/on-the-eve-2\/\">On the Eve<\/a><\/em>).<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p align=\"left\"><span style=\"font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'trebuchet ms', geneva, sans-serif;\"><strong>The first priority for the Successor of Peter was laid down by the Lord in the Upper Room in the clearest of terms: &#8220;You\u2026 strengthen your brothers&#8221; (<i>Lk<\/i>\u00a022:32). Peter himself formulated this priority anew in his first Letter: &#8220;Always be prepared to make a defence to anyone who calls you to account for the hope that is in you&#8221; (<i>1 Pet<\/i> 3:15). In our days, when in vast areas of the world the faith is in<img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignright  wp-image-48246\" style=\"margin: 1px 2px 1px 2px;\" src=\"https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/BenedictFlame2.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"304\" height=\"255\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/BenedictFlame2.jpg 901w, https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/BenedictFlame2-300x251.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/BenedictFlame2-768x644.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 304px) 100vw, 304px\" \/> danger of dying out like a flame which no longer has fuel, the overriding priority is to make God present in this world and to show men\u00a0and women the way to God. Not just any god, but the God who spoke on Sinai; to that God whose face we recognize in a love which presses &#8220;to the end&#8221; (cf.\u00a0<i>Jn<\/i> 13:1) \u2013 in Jesus Christ, crucified and risen. The real problem at this moment of our history is that God is disappearing from the human horizon, and, with the dimming of the light which comes from God, humanity is losing its bearings, with increasingly evident destructive effects.Leading men and women to God, to the God who speaks in the Bible: this is the supreme and fundamental priority of the Church and of the Successor of Peter at the present time.<\/strong> \u2014<em>Letter of His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI to All the Bishops of the World<\/em>, March 10, 2009; <a href=\"https:\/\/www.vatican.va\/content\/benedict-xvi\/en\/letters\/2009\/documents\/hf_ben-xvi_let_20090310_remissione-scomunica.html\">vatican.va<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p align=\"left\">Still, even moments of profound gratitude, and grief, for such a faithful pope \u2014 or a future of uncertainty \u2014 should never undermine our faith in Jesus. It is He who builds the Church, &#8220;My church&#8221;, He said.\u00a0<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'trebuchet ms', geneva, sans-serif;\"><strong>When we see this in the facts of history, we are not celebrating men but praising the Lord, who does not abandon the Church and who desired to manifest that he is the rock through Peter, the little stumbling stone: \u201cflesh and blood\u201d do not save, but the Lord saves through those who are flesh and blood. To deny this truth is not a plus of faith, not a plus of humility, but is to shrink from the humility that recognizes God as he is. Therefore the Petrine promise and its historical embodiment in Rome remain at the deepest level an ever-renewed motive for joy; the powers of hell<em>\u00a0will not prevail against it<\/em>\u2026<\/strong>\u00a0\u2014Cardinal Ratzinger (POPE BENEDICT XVI),<em>\u00a0Called to Communion, Understanding the Church Today<\/em>, Ignatius Press, p. 73-74<\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>This was echoed in Benedict&#8217;s successor:<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'trebuchet ms', geneva, sans-serif;\"><b>Many forces have tried, and still do, to destroy the Church, from without as well as within, but they themselves are destroyed and the Church remains alive and fruitful\u2026\u00a0She remains inexplicably solid\u2026\u00a0<\/b><b>kingdoms, peoples, cultures, nations, ideologies, powers have passed, but the Church, founded on Christ, notwithstanding the many storms and our many sins, remains ever faithful to the deposit of faith shown in service; for the Church does not belong to popes, bishops, priests, nor the lay faithful; the Church in every moment belongs solely to Christ.\u00a0<\/b>\u2014POPE FRANCIS, Homily, June\u00a029th, 2015\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/www.americamagazine.org\/content\/dispatches\/pope-francis-those-who-have-tried-destroy-church-throughout-history-are\">www.americamagazine.org<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>I am certain that this is the enduring message that Benedict would have us cling to, no matter how stormy our days will become. <img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignleft  wp-image-18488\" style=\"margin: 2px 5px 2px 5px;\" src=\"https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/03\/BenedictCap_Fotor.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"325\" height=\"275\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/03\/BenedictCap_Fotor.jpg 1818w, https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/03\/BenedictCap_Fotor-1536x1298.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/03\/BenedictCap_Fotor-300x253.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/03\/BenedictCap_Fotor-768x649.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/03\/BenedictCap_Fotor-1024x865.jpg 1024w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 325px) 100vw, 325px\" \/>Popes and parents, our children and spouses, our friends and familiarities will come and go&#8230; but Jesus is with me now, beside me, and that is as sure a promise as anything He said to Peter.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\"><span style=\"font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'trebuchet ms', geneva, sans-serif;\">Behold I am with you all days, even to the consummation of the world. (Matt 28:20)<\/span><\/p>\n<p>When my mother passed away several years ago, I was only 35, she was 62. The sudden feeling of being abandoned was palpable, disorienting. Perhaps some of you may feel this way today \u2014 a bit abandoned in Mother Church with the extinguishing of one of the century&#8217;s brightest flames. But here, too, Jesus responds:<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\"><span style=\"font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'trebuchet ms', geneva, sans-serif;\">Can a mother forget her infant, be without tenderness for the child of her womb? Even should she forget, I will never forget you. See, upon the palms of my hands I have engraved you&#8230; (Isaiah 49:15-16)<\/span><\/p>\n<p>After all, Benedict XVI is not gone. He is nearer to us now than ever in the One, mystical Body of Christ.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'trebuchet ms', geneva, sans-serif;\"><strong>We cannot hide the fact that <br \/>\nmany threatening clouds are gathering on the horizon. <br \/>\nWe must not, however, lose heart, <br \/>\nrather, we must keep the flame of hope <br \/>\nalive in our hearts\u2026<\/strong>\u00a0<\/span><br \/>\n<span style=\"font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'trebuchet ms', geneva, sans-serif;\">\u2014POPE BENEDICT XVI, Catholic News Agency,<\/span><br \/>\n<span style=\"font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'trebuchet ms', geneva, sans-serif;\">January 15th, 2009<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p align=\"center\">\u00a0<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/donations\/\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/07\/Donateovalbtnonbeige.gif\" alt=\"\" width=\"112\" height=\"48\" border=\"0\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/the-final-confrontation-the-book\/\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter  wp-image-12567\" src=\"https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/12\/TheFinalConfrontationBook-1.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"244\u201d height=\u201c324\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/12\/TheFinalConfrontationBook-1.png 400w, https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/12\/TheFinalConfrontationBook-1-226x300.png 226w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px\" \/><\/a><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\">with <em>Nihil Obstat<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;\">To journey with Mark in\u00a0<strong><em>The <\/em><\/strong><em><strong>Now Word<\/strong><\/em>,<em><br \/>\n<\/em>click on the banner below to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/subscribe\/\">subscribe<\/a>. <br \/>\nYour email will not be shared with anyone.<br \/>\n<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/subscribe\/\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter  wp-image-25916\" src=\"https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/02\/now-word-banner.jpeg\" alt=\"\" width=\"469\" height=\"153\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/02\/now-word-banner.jpeg 850w, https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/02\/now-word-banner-300x98.jpeg 300w, https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/02\/now-word-banner-768x250.jpeg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 469px) 100vw, 469px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong><span style=\"font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif;\">Now on Telegram. Click:<\/p>\n<p><\/span><\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/t.me\/thenowword\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter  wp-image-46727\" src=\"https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/Telegram-.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"55\" height=\"56\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/Telegram-.png 500w, https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/Telegram--300x300.png 300w, https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/Telegram--150x150.png 150w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 55px) 100vw, 55px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><strong><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\">Follow Mark and the daily &#8220;signs of the times&#8221; on MeWe:<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong><span style=\"font-size: 12pt; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/mewe.com\/group\/6001b664d73c61322e27a39c\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter  wp-image-44298\" src=\"https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Signs-Banner22.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"587\" height=\"243\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Signs-Banner22.jpg 2000w, https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Signs-Banner22-300x124.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Signs-Banner22-1024x424.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Signs-Banner22-768x318.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Signs-Banner22-1536x636.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Signs-Banner22-640x265.jpg 640w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 587px) 100vw, 587px\" \/><\/a><br \/>\nFollow Mark\u2019s writings here:<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/mewe.com\/p\/thenowword\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter  wp-image-47176\" src=\"https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/MeWe-Page-Banner.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"588\" height=\"198\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/MeWe-Page-Banner.jpg 1886w, https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/MeWe-Page-Banner-300x101.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/MeWe-Page-Banner-1024x345.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/MeWe-Page-Banner-768x259.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/MeWe-Page-Banner-1536x518.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 588px) 100vw, 588px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\" align=\"center\"><strong><span style=\"font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;\">Listen on the following:<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<p align=\"center\"><a href=\"https:\/\/thenoword.buzzsprout.com\"><br \/>\n<\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/thenoword.buzzsprout.com\/\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/buzzsprout3-cutout.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"165\" height=\"43\" \/><\/a>\u00a0 <a href=\"https:\/\/podcasts.apple.com\/us\/podcast\/the-now-word\/id1519573192?uo=4\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/apple-podcasts2-cutout.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"162\" height=\"42\" \/><\/a><br \/>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/open.spotify.com\/show\/6sXnpNwaMtd5ja4MyA1YgX\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter  wp-image-43899\" src=\"https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/spotifyPodcasts.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"164\" height=\"42\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/spotifyPodcasts.png 740w, https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/spotifyPodcasts-300x77.png 300w, https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/spotifyPodcasts-640x163.png 640w, https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/spotifyPodcasts-720x189.png 720w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 164px) 100vw, 164px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<div class=\"\" data-block=\"true\" data-editor=\"f6hij\" data-offset-key=\"7ormq-0-0\">\n<div class=\"_1mf _1mj\" data-offset-key=\"7ormq-0-0\">\u00a0<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false,"gt_translate_keys":[{"key":"rendered","format":"html"}]},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&nbsp; IN the wake of the outgoing, affectionate, and even revolutionary pontificate of St. John Paul II, Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger was cast under a long shadow when he assumed the throne of Peter. But what would soon mark the pontificate of Benedict XVI would not be his charisma or humor, his personality or vigor \u2014 [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false,"gt_translate_keys":[{"key":"rendered","format":"html"}]},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[2,41],"tags":[91],"class_list":["post-48241","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-daily-journal","category-faith-and-morals","tag-benedict"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.4 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>You Were Loved - The Now Word<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.markmallett.com\/blog\/you-were-loved\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"You Were Loved - The Now Word\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"&nbsp; IN the wake of the outgoing, affectionate, and even revolutionary pontificate of St. John Paul II, Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger was cast under a long shadow when he assumed the throne of Peter. 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