BISHOP O’CONNELL HAS SHARED THIS MESSAGE ON ORDINARY TIME from Santo Spirito Hospital in Rome.
Ordinary Time: Anything but ordinary
For the last several days, I have looked out my window in the cardiac care wing of Santo Spirito Hospital in Rome – the oldest hospital in Europe – only to see the dome of St. Peter's Basilica close by. For those who live here, this is an "ordinary" although still spectacular view. For me it is a powerful reminder of the faith of the Roman Catholic Church at its center. St. Peter's Basilica contains the tomb of St. Peter himself, the very vicar of Christ, and those of so many of his successors who steadfastly handed on and defended that faith.
A bishop is referred to as a "successor to the apostles," a title that is as humbling as it is instructive. It is amazing for me to consider the fact that I almost lost my life during the past few days in the same city and burial place of the apostles, although without any act of apostolic heroism or spiritual determination. I simply had a heart attack while visiting the eternal city, nothing more profound than that, an experience some might call commonplace or "ordinary" among men my age. I can assure you, however, that my thoughts in these days – and the incredible response of so many wonderfully concerned people to my experience –have been anything but "ordinary."