A Day with the Cardinal

I didn't exactly spend the day with Cardinal George, but the Cardinal was around most of the day while I was running a book table for the Catholic Lawyers Guild retreat--so I did have an ear to the wall. Plus, I was there for his Mass (and excellent homily). I noticed that the Cardinal's first talk was really a retreat talk: rather than take advantage of the occasion to fire the attorneys up about the issues of the day and the concerns he has in the practical sphere, the Cardinal focused on the spiritual life of the legal professional. In the afternoon, he did his favorite thing, responding to a series of questions that had been submitted by the assembly. This is something the Cardinal does quite often, even at the big gatherings of religious ed teachers (hundreds of them). It's when he's at his best, just taking the questions that are out there where faith is seeking understanding and puzzling over how it might apply to life. I think I mentioned a while ago that when I had a chance to speak to the Cardinal he said that his dream job after retirement would be to come to our Pauline center "a couple of times a week" and be available for questions. (We're going to hold him to that!)