Thousands and thousands of faithful people came to the St. Peter’s Square on March 13, 2013, waiting for the election of the new pope. It was only the second day of the conclave. But they were right. The white smoke confirmed that the cardinals chose someone among them to take the charge of the Bishop of Rome. The jubilant crowd has received with delight the famous words: ‘Habemus Papam’ (We have the Pope). Their exultation was really profound. Without knowing the new pontiff, they’ve just continued to appreciate this important moment and to express their gladness for the new leader of the Catholic Church.

Thinking of their pure and sincere joy, we cannot avoid thinking about the attitude of every child of God. In fact, we have so many reasons to be happy, to be delighted. Every day we can experience the wonderful reality of having someone who is our guide and our protector, and who doesn’t need to be elected. He is on our side since the beginning of the world. To use the same expression as it was pronounced on the St. Peter’s Square, and using the Vulgate version of the Bible, we can affirm: “Habemus Iesum Christum”:

“My dear children, I am writing this to you so that you will not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate who pleads our case before the Father, Jesus Christ. The one who is truly righteous.” (1 John 2: 1.) In Latin, ‘Habemus advocatum Iesum Christum Iustum’.

N. T. Wright, a very known New Testament scholar, declared, “When we learn to read the story of Jesus and see it as the story of the love of God, doing for us what we could not do for ourselves – that insight produces, again and again, a sense of astonished gratitude which is very near the heart of authentic Christian experience.”

What a joy to have Jesus Christ. What a blessed assurance to have Him as our Lord and Savior. “Looking unto Jesus we obtain brighter and more distinct views of God, and by beholding we become changed. Goodness, love for our fellow men, becomes our natural instinct. We develop a character which is the counterpart of the divine character. Growing into His likeness, we enlarge our capacity for knowing God. More and more we enter into fellowship with the heavenly world, and we have continually increasing power to receive the riches of the knowledge and wisdom of eternity. (Ellen G. White, Christ Object Lessons, p. 355.)

Let’s allow God to fill our hearts with the joy of Jesus-Christ. And may this joy be perfectly seen in our life, until His coming. Be glad. HABEMUS IESUM CHRISTUM.