Must. Catch. Up. Before. Poland.

Been falling behind on my Ratzinblogging. Here are a few links before the big papal trip to Poland, which is going to be a blast. Starting with a beautiful discourse today on Peter, from the series he's doing on Christ' relationship to his Church. The whole thing's at Zenit, but here's my favorite part --learned something totally new here about Peter's encounter with Christ after the Resurrection (must learn Greek):

Jesus asks Peter the first time: "Simon … do you love me ('agapâs-me')" with this total and unconditional love (cf. John 21:15)? Before the experience of the betrayal, the apostle would certainly have said: "I love you ('agapô-se') unconditionally." Now that he has known the bitter sadness of infidelity, the tragedy of his own weakness, he says with humility: "Lord, I love you ('filô-se')," that is, "I love you with my poor human love." Christ insists: "Simon, do you love me with this total love that I want?" And Peter repeats the answer of his humble human love: "Kyrie, filô-se," "Lord, I love you as I know how to love." The third time Jesus only says to Simon: "Fileîs-me?", "Do you love me?" Simon understood that for Jesus his poor love, the only one he is capable of, is enough, and yet he is saddened that the Lord had to say it to him in this way. Therefore, he answered: "Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you ('filô-se')."

It would seem that Jesus adapted himself to Peter, rather than Peter to Jesus! It is precisely this divine adaptation that gives hope to the disciple, who has known the suffering of infidelity. From here trust is born that makes him able to follow to the end: "This he said to show by what death he was to glorify God. And after this he said to him, 'Follow me'" (John 21:19).

Here's the summary of last week's audience, and you can find the whole thing at Zenit, too. And don't miss his homily on the occasion of the 500th anniversary of the Swiss Guard, from a few week's ago, either. I overlooked it at the time, but it's a little gem.

His address for the Canadian bishops' ad limina visit (Dudes, be courageous. People are looking to you) is good. You may have read, too, that he recently gave the new Spanish ambassador an earful (in a nice way, of course). I'm sure you can find the English on Zenit, but for those who read Spanish, the original is rich.

There, now: on to Poland, where I understand he'll be speaking in Italian, as it's still not diplomatically correct to speak German there.