As we await, then, the white smoke that will announce the latest successor to St. Peter, let us pray fervently for the cardinals and for that man known only to God right now. But let us also pray fervently for ourselves, our marriages, our families, our parishes, our dioceses and our apostolates. May the Holy Spirit use us to turn the world upside down, to give hope, to draw others to the only One who can satisfy the ache in us individually and collectively as a human race.

While many in the world and the Church are eagerly awaiting the start of the conclave and the election of the next successor to St. Peter, we are still in what are officially known as the nine days of mourning for Pope Francis. As such, we are called to pray for the repose of his soul in an intentional way. It’s also been a time for me to revisit some of the many things he wrote that deeply inspired and convicted me, both as a disciple and as a priest.

Since the Holy Father’s passing early Easter Monday the media has been filled with commentary on his pontificate and speculation about the next pope. Who that man is only God knows as of right now. It can be tempting to think that, except for the Cardinals who will soon gather for the conclave to elect a new successor of Peter, we’re helpless and can only sit back and wait. I think, however, there is much that you and I can do in these days when the Church commends to almighty God the mortal remains of Pope Francis.

In her masterful book, The Crucifixion: Understanding the Death of Jesus Christ, Fleming Rutledge writes perhaps better than any author I’m aware of on the sheer horror of death in this fashion. What follows are a series of excerpts from her book, and while this may be a longer post than usual, it might be worth taking with us to the celebrations that are about to begin, to help us better understand what’s happening to Him for us.