Mass for the Pope

At today's votive Mass for the Pope from the Masses for Various Needs and Occasions, I used the following readings which support, I think, his humility and closeness to God:
Dt 10:8-9 (option no. 2 from Common of Pastors)
Ps 16:1-2, 5, 7-8, 11 (option no. 1)
Lk 22:24-30 (option no. 9)
The 1st reading highlights how Levi was set apart, his portion was the Lord and attending to Him.
The Psalm proclaimed "You are my inheritance O Lord"
Luke's Gospel admonishes the leader to be the servant. The greater is the one who serves.
I can imagine these three readings ringing from Pope Benedict's heart as he is so close to the Word of God. He reflects their great humility.
Two other virtues that I think characterize his legacy are Gratitude and Unity.
Gratitude especially with regard to the liturgy as he has tirelessly taught us to receive generously the liturgy as a gift from God through the Church rather than trying to claim and craft it as our own. Receiving it generously means receiving it from the bountiful hands of its tradition and organic development from the whole spectrum of history, not just its apostolic age. What was good before is still good today. We express gratitude to God when we receive this with fidelity and care.
The third virtue of the pope's legacy, I think is unity. He is not the divider and conqueror everyone supposed him to be. His work to bring traditional Anglicans back into the fold through canonical and accommodating structures shows his great generosity in working for unity in the Church. His work in maintaining a continuity with tradition by expanding access to the older forms of the Mass and sacraments as well as his patient and persevering work in dialogue with the SSPX shows his desire to help the Church see traditionalist Catholics as part of the same family rather than as fringe relatives. Finally his work in establishing the Year of Faith and official structures for the New Evangelization has brought us all together in a new ardor for the Faith we have all received and share. May he be blessed all the days of his life.
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