America, despite it’s many sorrows, pitfalls, and hang-ups, is without a doubt the greatest place on Earth to live. America is always fresh. America is made anew every sunrise. When walking down any country road in my part of the world, one gets the impression that that particular road might have been made that particular morning, just before he began down it. Indeed, Uncle Sam is as easily imagined in diapers as he is in a top hat. The Statue of Liberty has grown up right before our eyes. And though George Washington died many years ago, in a sense, he is born again everyday.

In my last post Chesterton and I spoke a little about the undying freshness of Catholicism. How it has all the vigor, excitement, and life of a new religion; a religion that could have been made today. And yet we all know that it is as old as Christianity itself; and that Catholicism IS Christianity itself. None of the other Christian ccommunities can make either of those claims. As we discussed before, no one well ever swap denominations to become a Lutheran or a Quaker because they are moved by the fresh wind of doctrine, or the startling truth of a creed.

It is with the possesion of this “new” and fresh faith that the Holy Father enters this “new” and fresh country. Pope Benedict XVI visits the U.S. this week for the first time as Pope. The theme for this visit is ”Christ Our Hope.” A very fitting title for a very hopeful visit.

I won’t go into details or itineraries for the visit, you can find that stuff anywhere. I just wanted to post a little something to welcome His Holiness on behalf of myself, and this community of giant slayers. The Pope’s message of Christ and hope is needed now more than ever.

Please pray for our Pope and his intentions during this brief visit. May he cast anew the nets that have caught and changed men for 2,000 years. May Our Lord bless His Vicar and use him to bring people home to the Catholic Church. And may Saint Peter, the Big Fisherman and first Pope, pray for his successor and for us all.