By Fr. Bernard Holzer, aa
Last Sunday, September 4, 2022, Pope Francis beatified Pope John Paul I.
He only exercised his ministry as Pope for only 33 days! This was enough to impress the whole world. He impressed his crowds with his smile.
Let us meditate on Pope Francis' homily on the day of John Paul I’s beatification. May it inspire our prayer and help us smile and comfort those around us.
“With a smile, Pope John Paul managed to communicate the goodness of the Lord. How beautiful is a Church with a happy, serene and smiling face, a Church that never closes doors, never hardens hearts, never complains or harbours resentment, does not grow angry or impatient, does not look dour or suffer nostalgia for the past, falling into an attitude of going backwards.”
“Let us pray to Pope John Paul I, our father and our brother, and ask him to obtain for us “the smile of the soul”, a transparent smile that does not deceive, the smile of the soul.
Let us pray, in his own words: “Lord take me as I am, with my defects, with my shortcomings, but make me become what you want me to be”. Amen.”
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