Episode 3064: The Next Conclave: Paschaltide Guided by the Holy Ghost by Nancy - Part 2

Hello, this is Nancy, and I am hosting my second episode around the Conclave. As I returned to the rhythm of everyday life following the beauty of Easter Sunday, as well as the Easter break I enjoyed, I returned back to the academy for work, but I was struck by a deeper
realization. We are not only celebrating the Resurrection
of Our Lord, we are living in the most spiritually charged
season of the Church’s year. And this year, something
extraordinary is unfolding. A Conclave!

But as always let me begin with prayer.
Introductory Prayer
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy
Ghost. Amen.
O risen Lord Jesus Christ, we thank Thee for Thy glorious
triumph over death and the grave. In this sacred Paschal
season, may our hearts be set afire with the joy of Thy
Resurrection. As Holy Church prepares to choose a new
Supreme Pontiff, send forth Thy Holy Ghost with power
and clarity. Guide the electors to act in fidelity to the
Apostolic Tradition. Let Thy will, not man’s, be done. And
may the Immaculate Heart of Mary intercede, that the
Church be renewed in holiness and truth. Amen.

I would like to thank Walt for pointing me in this direction for this episode. He made me dig a little deeper and for this I am grateful. This episode has a spiritual focus, rather than cultural - which is what we need for today.

So why is this the most “spiritually charged” time of the year? Because it is Paschaltide or Eastertide, which is the 50-day season of the liturgical year that begins with Easter Sunday and culminates on Pentecost Sunday, this year it is Sunday, June 8.

Now, I won’t go down the rabbit hole about the Liturgical Calendar, what we learned and didn’t learn in school, but will instead focus on what I know NOW about Paschaltide and how this time of year has great spiritual significance for Catholics. It is the high point of the Church year as we focus on the Paschal Mystery, the death, resurrection and ascension of Jesus Christ. And that phrase “spiritually charged” means this is a time of heightened spiritual awareness and reflection on these core beliefs. We celebrate the joy of being alive in Christ.

We know that we heighten our spiritual awareness through reflection and renewal AND

at this very moment, while the Church is still basking in the light of the empty tomb and awaiting the fire of Pentecost, the College of Cardinals is set to gather in Conclave. It is as though the Holy Spirit Himself, in divine providence, arranged this overlap so that the next successor of Peter might be chosen not in a moment of human ambition, but during the holiest of times, when the Church most intensely reflects on Her identity and mission.
This convergence of Paschaltide and Conclave is not a coincidence - it is a reminder that the Mystical Body of Christ is alive, guided, and protected, even in these uncertain days. And that’s why I wanted to do this particular episode: Paschaltide: A Conclave Guided by the Holy Spirit with a rather renewed urgency, with the Church’s current state in mind, and with firm trust that the Holy Spirit remains the soul of the Church.

Paschaltide and the Church’s Liturgical Joy
As I mentioned, Paschaltide, stretching from Easter Sunday to Pentecost, is the most radiant and triumphant season of the liturgical year. The traditional liturgy reminds us daily: Christ is truly risen. Alleluia!
And how fitting it is that the Church finds herself in this
season while preparing to elect her next Pope.
The Resurrection is the foundation of our hope, and the
Church is now living her own passage from suffering and
confusion, into light, renewal, and divine mission.

Our Roman Missal beautifully marks this time through the beautiful rituals of:
The repeated chanting of Alleluia, affirming Christ’s
victory;
The replacement of the Angelus with the joyful
Regina Caeli;
The omission of kneeling during Mass, reflecting the
dignity of the risen soul.

St. Athanasius said:
“The fifty days from Easter to Pentecost are like one great
Sunday.”
Now, as the Church awaits not only Pentecost but also a
new Vicar of Christ, we must see these days not just as a
celebration but as a spiritual crucible, where Christ
prepares His people for renewal.

From the Empty Tomb to the Conclave: A Spiritual
Journey
During Paschaltide, the Church walks the road from the
empty tomb to the Upper Room, from Resurrection to
Mission. And in the middle of that journey, Christ spends
forty days teaching His Apostles.
“To whom also he showed himself alive after his passion,
by many proofs, for forty days appearing to them, and
speaking of the kingdom of God” — Acts 1:3

This was not idle conversation, it was formation. In the
same way, we pray now that the Cardinals, many of
whom have wandered in doctrinal ambiguity or pastoral
confusion, might be enlightened by the same Spirit that
Christ breathed upon His Apostles.

After the Ascension, Christ commands the Apostles to
wait in Jerusalem and they obey, entering into the first
novena, ten days of silent prayer with Our Lady, awaiting
the fire of Pentecost.

And is this not a mirror of what the Church needs now? A
Pope not formed in ideology, but formed by silence, truth,
and the Holy Spirit?

Five Spiritual Priorities for Paschaltide and the
Conclave
So what can WE do? As we prepare for Pentecost and this monumental Conclave, here are five spiritual priorities for all of us faithful Catholics:
1. Deepen Your Faith in the Resurrection
We must reaffirm our belief in the bodily Resurrection of
Christ because the Church cannot endure unless we
believe that death has been conquered.
“If Christ be not risen, then our faith is in vain.” – 1 Cor.
15:14
Let this faith strengthen your hope that Christ will also
raise up His Church even after scandal, betrayal, and
Crisis.

2. Renew Your Baptismal Promises
In a time when many in the hierarchy have compromised,
we must say with clarity:
“I renounce Satan, and all his works, and all his empty
promises.”

The next Pope must be a man who also renounces Satan’s seductions; globalism, humanism, modernism and instead proclaim the Kingship of Christ.

3. Turn to the Gifts of the Holy Spirit
Now is the time to pray for:
Fortitude to stand against error;
Wisdom to see with the eyes of eternity;
Fear of the Lord to lead in humility and truth.
Pray that these same gifts descend upon the Conclave,
guiding it not by politics, but by Providence.

4. Live Paschal Joy in Recollection or in God’s presence
Our joy must not be shallow. Paschal joy is rooted in
doctrine and purity of conscience.
“Christian joy is a gift from God flowing from a clean
conscience.” – St. Philip Neri

Now is the time to live recollected lives, lives in the presence of God, in preparation for the Holy Spirit’s movement in the Church.

5. Stay Close to Our Lady
She alone remained without confusion at the Cross. She
alone guided the Apostles in prayer.

“The Holy Ghost gives Himself most abundantly to souls
united to Mary.” – St. Louis de Montfort

When we pray the Rosary, let us also pray to Our Lady for her intercession for the cardinals individually and for the conclave.

If we look at the Liturgical Signs and the Church’s Mission we can see how every liturgical element in the Traditional Mass during Paschaltide is catechesis, our re-learning, through beauty:
For example, the Paschal Candle, like a pillar of fire, reminds us that Christ leads us still.

The Te Deum, often sung in traditional communities, is a hymn of victory and gratitude.

The white and gold vestments proclaim joy but not naïveté. They point to the crown beyond the cross.

In the same way, the Church now stands between sorrow and splendor; between Good Friday’s wounds and Pentecost’s fire. The new pope must not merely be a bureaucrat; he must be a witness of the Resurrection and a father formed in the fire of tradition.

Let’s look at Paschaltide as an Apostolic Mission, to spread the Gospel, as we await the Next Pope

Paschaltide ends not in comfort but in mission. And so
must this Conclave.
We must pray. We must pray for a Pontiff who:
Restores Tradition, not novelty;
Defends the Deposit of Faith, not reinvents it;
Unites Catholics not by slogans, but by the
unchanging truth of Christ.
A pope who can live this quote by St. Joan of Arc:
“I am not afraid… God is with me. I was born for this.”

May this new pope be a man who knows he was born for
this hour and may we, the faithful, be ready to support
him with prayer, sacrifice, and fidelity.

So let me end this in prayer.

Conclusionary Prayer
O Holy Ghost, Divine Spirit of Truth, descend upon Thy
Church as Thou didst at Pentecost. In this sacred
Paschaltide, prepare our hearts for Thy coming and guide
the sacred Conclave with clarity and grace.

Raise up for us a holy shepherd after Thine own Heart,
who will confirm the brethren, uphold tradition, and
proclaim the Kingship of Christ without fear.
Through the intercession of the Immaculate Heart of
Mary, keep us faithful, keep us joyful, and keep us ready
for mission.
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy
Ghost. Amen.

Thank you for joining me and in the words of the Venerable Archbishop Fulton Sheen, “God love you.”
Until next time.