ICYMI

Friday, Oct. 09, 2015

During Pope Francis’ visit to the United States, I listened to a couple of his speeches broadcast live, and read the transcripts of most of the others. As a professional wordsmith, I’m in awe of the way the man wields language; as a Catholic, I’m stunned by the power with which he communicates the Good News. 

I’m not the first to observe that his ideas aren’t unique – he is building on the message of Pope Benedict XVI, Pope John Paul II and the unbroken succession back to St. Peter himself – but Pope Francis speaks in a way that touches the hearts of millions, regardless of faith or creed.

In case you missed them, I’ve put some excerpts from the speeches below. 

“Jesus keeps knocking on our doors, the doors of our lives. He doesn’t do this by magic, with special effects, with flashing lights and fireworks. Jesus keeps knocking on our door in the faces of our brothers and sisters, in the faces of our neighbors, in the faces of those at our side.”  (speech at Charitable Center of St. Patrick Parish, Washington, D.C.)

“I have no wish to tell you what to do, because we all know what it is that the Lord asks of us.  … I encourage you, then, to confront the challenging issues of our time. Ever present within each of them is life as gift and responsibility. The future freedom and dignity of our societies depends on how we face these challenges.” (speech to the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops)

“Jesus did not provide a short list of who is, or is not, worthy of receiving his message, his presence. Instead, he always embraced life as he saw it. In faces of pain, hunger, sickness and sin. In faces of wounds, of thirst, of weariness, doubt and pity. Far from expecting a pretty life, smartly dressed and neatly groomed, he embraced life as he found it. It made no difference whether it was dirty, unkempt, broken. Jesus said: Go out and tell the good news to everyone. Go out and in my name embrace life as it is, and not as you think it should be. Go out to the highways and byways, go out to tell the good news fearlessly, without prejudice, without superiority, without condescension, to all those who have lost the joy of living. Go out to proclaim the merciful embrace of the Father. Go out to those who are burdened by pain and failure, who feel that their lives are empty, and proclaim the folly of a loving Father who wants to anoint them with the oil of hope, the oil of salvation. Go out to proclaim the good news that error, deceitful illusions and falsehoods do not have the last word in a person’s life. Go out with the ointment which soothes wounds and heals hearts.” (homily at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception)

“To raise doubts about the working of the Spirit, to give the impression that it cannot take place in those who are not ‘part of our group,’ who are not ‘like us,’ is a dangerous temptation. Not only does it block conversion to the faith; it is a perversion of faith!”(homily at the Benjamin Franklin Parkway)

This is by no means an exhaustive list, but they are prime examples of why I am so enthralled with our Holy Father. I will be sitting with his words for many days to come; he has left me with much to think about, not the least of which is how to put his words into action.