I like today's Gospel . . .

because it teaches up that you can be an absolute fuck-up and still become Pope!

Jesus began to show his disciples
that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer greatly
from the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes,
and be killed and on the third day be raised.
Then Peter took Jesus aside and began to rebuke him,
"God forbid, Lord! No such thing shall ever happen to you."
He turned and said to Peter,
"Get behind me, Satan! You are an obstacle to me.
You are thinking not as God does, but as human beings do."

No, I do not mean this post to be a criticsm against the pope, be it Benedict XVI, John Paull II (whom my father always called "J.P. the Deuce"), or any Pope.  I just think today St. Peter shows us that no matter how stupid you can be, there is still hope for sainthood.

I mean, it's Jesus yelling at him.  Not some other Apostle taking him aside, after Peter, oh, tries to convince the Lord to completely forgo that whole "salvation for the world thang, and says, "Pete . . . I think you really stepped in it this time."  Which I am sure happened quite often.  Not to disparage Peter, but he sort of was the Joe Biden of the Twelve, you know?  Only, unlike Obama (and Jesus is really, really, really, really unlike Obama), the Christ gives it to him.  Look, when God's only Son calls you "Satan" . . . it's bad. 

And yet . . . Peter remains in charge.  He remains the rock.  And brings our Church into its post-Resurrection work, even surrending himself to martyrdom.

There is hope for us all.  As Fr. Leonel Vargas once said at Mass, "I hope to see you in Heaven."  Me too - and I hope you'll be wearing a crown.