By Fr. Bernard Holzer, aa
Last Monday, Pope Francis marked his 10th anniversary as pope. The gift that he wanted most for his anniversary, he said, is “peace.”
Let’s then pray for him, for his ministry of harmony and peace, in the paths of St. Francis of Assisi.
Let us reread his two last encyclicals: “Fratelli Tutti” – “All Brothers and Sisters” and “Laudato Si” – “Praise be to you” on care of or common home. And let us act on it with love.
“The guarantee of an authentic openness to God, on the other hand, is a way of practising the faith that helps open our hearts to our brothers and sisters. Saint John Chrysostom expressed this pointedly when he challenged his Christian hearers: “Do you wish to honor the body of the Savior? Do not despise it when it is naked. Do not honor it in church with silk vestments while outside it is naked and numb with cold”. Paradoxically, those who claim to be unbelievers can sometimes put God’s will into practice better than believers.” – Fratelli Tutti § 74
“Because all creatures are connected, each must be cherished with love and respect, for all of us as living creatures are dependent on one another.” – Laudato Si § 42
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