What a great week it was to be a Catholic! Pope Francis was magnificent as the love of Jesus seemed to radiate from his very being. While I did not get to see the pope personally, I remember being in the presence of Pope St. John Paul II several times. Whether you were up close or far away in the crowd, you could feel something in the air that you never felt anywhere else. God was there in a very special way in the person of his vicar, the pope.
Each of the last three popes with whom the Church has been blessed has brought something unique to the papacy. St. John Paul II brought energy, charisma, and a dynamic yet prayerful personality. He was a great philosopher. Benedict XVI, a great theologian, brought a continuity of his predecessor’s missions along with a more reserved and shy manner. Pope Francis brings a wonderfully gentle humility along with a real concern for the poor around the globe. He speaks the truth with love on the important issues of the times: religious freedom, the sanctity of life, the environment, immigration, and the family. While he voices his concerns over these issues, he does so with encouragement, humility, gentleness, and confidence that people of good will can work together for solutions.
Let us pray for an end to the strident debates going on in our country, that different viewpoints will be aired with civility, and that solutions to our problems can be reached through negotiations and compromise that truly benefits our nation.
- Fr. Carl
“He who does not pray is like a hen or a turkey that cannot
rise into the air. He who prays is like an intrepid eagle!”
~Thoughts of the Cure D’Ars
