Reflections from Pope Francis: An Invitation to Journaling, Prayer, and Action - Softcover

Stark, Susan; Pierson, Daniel J.

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9780399173202: Reflections from Pope Francis: An Invitation to Journaling, Prayer, and Action

Softcover

ISBN 10: 039917320X ISBN 13: 9780399173202

Publisher: TarcherPerigee, 2015

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A journal-style book containing inspirational messages from Pope Francis—Time magazine’s Person of the Year for 2013

Only a little over a year into his papacy, Pope Francis is being hailed by the news media, Christians, and non-Christians alike as a refreshing figure in the Vatican. His humility, piousness, and forward-thinking ideas have been celebrated around the world.

Reflections from Pope Francis features brief excerpts for reflection from Pope Francis’s homilies, speeches, and addresses—along with invitation to prayer, writing, and action in a unique “journal style” book with space on each page for the reader to write down their own reflections on the powerful messages contained within each page. Complete with a focusing statement and scripture passages that introduce and summarize the theme of that page’s reflection, these excerpts highlight important themes for humanity—such as care for the poor, mercy, forgiveness, and brotherhood.

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About the Author:

Susan Stark has thirty-plus years of experience in program development and management, leadership training, and writing and editing in both the nonprofit and for-profit sectors. Most recently, as an independent contractor, she has been involved in the creative development, writing, and editing of both print- and web-based educational curriculums and marketing resources for major Catholic religious-education publishing companies.

Dan Pierson was the director of religious education for the Roman Catholic Diocese of Grand Rapids for seventeen years. He has worked with religious publishers in areas of product development, marketing, and sales. He is the founder and editor of www.eCatechist.com and www.faithalivebooks.com.

Introduction

Since Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio’s election as pope on March 13, 2013, the words and actions of Pope Francis have challenged and inspired people throughout the world. His simplicity, gentle spirit, openness, and humility are an inspiration not only to Catholics, but to people everywhere.

The world has embraced Pope Francis as a man of great faith and witness to the Gospel. He invites us to live lives of truth and simplicity, to seek goodness and beauty, and to act with justice and mercy. He challenges us to care for those who experience poverty, disaster, violence, and suffering, and to reach out with compassion to those who are most vulnerable, especially the young and the elderly. Pope Francis’s reflections transcend all faith traditions. His words have universal appeal for all people seeking wisdom and hope on their spiritual journeys.

This book invites people into a spiritual reflection process that places the predominant themes of Pope Francis and of sacred scripture—such as mercy, peace, forgiveness, and hope—into conversation with their own life experiences and faith journeys. The reflections we have chosen can be used in a variety of ways: as daily or weekly reflections for one’s own personal prayer, as prayers or meditations to begin a meeting or small group sharing, as a starting point to explore more deeply the source from which the reflection is taken, or as a focus for quiet time, spiritual reflection, and journaling.

The option of using the reflections as a basis for journaling through writing, sketching, or drawing can help people of all spiritual traditions discover the “heart of the matter,” as it applies to their own lives. Here is a simple process:

1. Choose a reflection. You may want to start at the beginning—the reflections are organized chronologically from the beginning to the end of Pope Francis’s first year as pope. Or, find a reflection whose theme resonates with something you are experiencing in your life right now—a thematic index appears at the back of the book. Or, randomly select a reflection.

2. Read the focusing statement that opens the reflection. Consider how it connects to your life, to your experience, to the world around you.

3. Read the reflection from Pope Francis. What is he saying? How do his words resonate with you? How do they challenge you, give you hope, encourage you to change or to take action in some aspect of your life?

4. Identify the heart of the matter—that which is most important and meaningful to you about what you have read. Let it inspire you to write, sketch, or draw.

5. Conclude your reflection time by prayerfully reading the Scripture passage.

Pope Francis has cast the net wide, speaking to the hearts of men, women, and children everywhere about the things in life that matter most. He reminds us that every person is worthy of our giving, every person reflects something of God’s glory, every person is immensely holy and deserves our love (see Apostolic Exhortation, Evangelii Gaudium, Chapter 5, I, 274, November 24, 2013).

There is no doubt that Pope Francis is a great gift to the Catholic Church. But we also believe that he is a gift to all Christians and people of faith. So may all of our hearts be open, as Pope Francis implores, to the love and mercy of God. May our reflection be blessed and fruitful.

1. JOURNEY IN THE PRESENCE OF THE LORD

Our life is a journey, and when we stop moving, things go wrong. Always journeying, in the presence of the Lord, in the light of the Lord, seeking to live with the blamelessness that God asked of Abraham in His promise.

Homily, Sistine Chapel, Thursday, March 14, 2013

“Missa Pro Ecclesia” with the Cardinal Electors

O house of Jacob, come, let us walk in the light of the LORD.

ISAIAH 2:5

2. PONDER THE PATIENCE GOD HAS FOR YOU

Ah! Brothers and Sisters, God’s face is the face of a merciful father who is always patient. Have you thought about God’s patience, the patience He has with each one of us? That is His mercy. He always has patience, patience with us, He understands us, He waits for us, He does not tire of forgiving us if we are able to return to Him with a contrite heart. “Great is God’s mercy,” says the Psalm.

Angelus, Saint Peter’s Square, Sunday, March 17, 2013

The Lord is not slow about his promise, as some think of slowness, but is patient with you, not wanting any to perish, but all to come to repentance.

2 PETER 3:9

3. BE A PERSON OF MERCY

I think we too are people who, on the one hand want to listen to Jesus, but on the other hand, at times, like to find a stick to beat others with, to condemn others. And Jesus has this message for us: mercy. I think—and I say it with humility—that this is the Lord’s most powerful message: mercy.

Homily, Parish of Saint Anna in the Vatican, Fifth Sunday of Lent, March 17, 2013

Holy Mass

When the scribes of the Pharisees saw that he was eating with sinners and tax collectors, they said to his disciples, “Why does he eat with tax collectors and sinners?” When Jesus heard this, he said to them, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick; I have come to call not the righteous but sinners.”

MARK 2:16–17

4. NEVER TIRE OF ASKING FOR FORGIVENESS

It is not easy to entrust oneself to God’s mercy, because it is an abyss beyond our comprehension. But we must! “Oh, Father, if you knew my life, you would not say that to me!” “Why, what have you done?” “Oh, I am a great sinner!” “All the better! God to Jesus: He likes you to tell Him these things!” He forgets, He has a very special capacity for forgetting. He forgets, He kisses you, He embraces you and He simply says to you: “Neither do I condemn you; go, and sin no more” (John 8:11). That is the only advice He gives you . . . The Lord never tires of forgiving: never! It is we who tire of asking His forgiveness. Let us ask for the grace not to tire of asking forgiveness, because He never tires of forgiving. Let us ask for this grace.

Homily, Parish of Saint Anna in the Vatican, Fifth Sunday of Lent, March 17, 2013

Holy Mass

And Jesus said, “Neither do I condemn you. Go your way, and from now on do not sin again.”

JOHN 8:11

5. OPEN UP A HORIZON OF HOPE

Hoping against hope! Today too, amid so much darkness, we need to see the light of hope and to be men and women who bring hope to others. To protect creation, to protect every man and every woman, to look upon them with tenderness and love, is to open up a horizon of hope. It is to let a shaft of light break through the heavy clouds. It is to bring the warmth of hope.

Homily, Saint Peter’s Square, Tuesday, March 19, 2013

Mass for the Beginning of the Petrine Ministry of the Bishop of Rome

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

ROMANS 15:13

6. BE PROTECTORS OF GOD’S GIFTS

The vocation of being a “protector,” however, is not just something involving us Christians alone—it also has a prior dimension which is simply human, involving everyone. It means protecting all creation, the beauty of the created world, as the Book of Genesis tells us and as Saint Francis of Assisi showed us. It means respecting each of God’s creatures and respecting the environment in which we live. It means protecting people, showing loving concern for each and every person, especially children, the elderly, those in need, who are often the last we think about. It means caring for one another in our families: husbands and wives first protect one another, and then, as parents, they care for their children, and children themselves, in time, protect their parents. It means building sincere friendships in which we protect one another in trust, respect, and goodness. In the end, everything has been entrusted to our protection, and all of us are responsible for it. Be protectors of God’s gifts!

Homily, Saint Peter’s Square, Tuesday, March 19, 2013

Mass for the Beginning of the Petrine Ministry of the Bishop of Rome

God saw everything that he had made, and indeed, it was very good.

GENESIS 1:31

7. KEEP ALIVE THE THIRST FOR GOD

The Church is likewise conscious of the responsibility which all of us have for our world, for the whole of creation, which we must love and protect. There is much that we can do to benefit the poor, the needy and those who suffer, and to favor justice, promote reconciliation and build peace. But before all else we need to keep alive in our world the thirst for the absolute, and to counter the dominance of a one-dimensional vision of the human person, a vision which reduces human beings to what they produce and to what they consume: this is one of the most insidious temptations of our time.

Address, Clementine Hall, Wednesday, March 20, 2013

Audience with Representatives of the Churches and Ecclesial Communities and of the Different Religions

The LORD tests the righteous and the wicked, and his soul hates the lover of violence.

On the wicked he will rain coals of fire and sulfur; a scorching wind shall be the portion of their cup.

For the LORD is righteous; he loves righteous deeds; the upright shall behold his face.

PSALM 11:5–7

8. LET JESUS CARRY YOU

Let us follow Jesus! We accompany, we follow Jesus, but above all we know that He accompanies us and carries us on His shoulders. This is our joy, this is the hope that we must bring to the world. Please do not let yourselves be robbed of hope! Do not let hope be stolen! The hope that Jesus gives us.

Homily, Saint Peter’s Square, Sunday, March 24, 2013

Celebration of Palm Sunday of the Passion of Our Lord, Twenty-Eighth World Youth Day

“Blessed is the king

who comes in the name of the Lord!

Peace in heaven,

and glory in the highest heaven!”

LUKE 19:38

9. SERVE OTHERS

Am I really willing, willing to serve, to help others?” Let us think about this, just this.

Homily, Prison for Minors “Casa del Marmo,” Rome, Holy Thursday, March 28, 2013

Mass of the Lord’s Supper

“Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me.”

MATTHEW 25:40

10. NEVER GIVE UP

Dear brothers and sisters, let us not be closed to the newness that God wants to bring into our lives! Are we often weary, disheartened and sad? Do we feel weighed down by our sins? Do we think that we won’t be able to cope? Let us not close our hearts, let us not lose confidence, let us never give up: there are no situations which God cannot change, there is no sin which He cannot forgive if only we open ourselves to Him.

Homily, Vatican Basilica, Holy Saturday, March 30, 2013

Easter Vigil

So if anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation: everything old has passed away; see, everything has become new!

2 CORINTHIANS 5:17

11. REMEMBER

To remember what God has done and continues to do for me, for us, to remember the road we have travelled—this is what opens our hearts to hope for the future. May we learn to remember everything that God has done in our lives.

Homily, Vatican Basilica, Holy Saturday, March 30, 2013

Easter Vigil

I will call to mind the deeds of the LORD; I will remember your wonders of old.

PSALM 77:11

12. LET GOD’S LOVE LIFT YOU UP AND LEAD YOU ON

What a beautiful truth of faith this is for our lives: the mercy of God! God’s love for us is so great, so deep—it is an unfailing love, one which always takes us by the hand and supports us, lifts us up and leads us on.

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