Pope Francis has been in the news a lot recently due to his health concerns as he battled double pneumonia. He has been in Rome's Gemelli Hospital since February 14. Recently, he was given good news that he was not in imminent danger due to his illness. Nevertheless, keep him in your prayers as he continues to heal. This past Sunday at the 11:00 a.m. Mass we knelt down and prayed this Prayer for Pope Francis from the USCCB website…
Prayer for Pope Francis
O God, shepherd and ruler of all the faithful,
look favorably on Your servant Francis,
whom You have set at the head of Your Church as her shepherd;
grant, we pray, that by word and example
he may be of service to those over whom he presides
so that, together with the flock entrusted to his care,
he may come to everlasting life.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, Your Son,
who lives and reigns with You in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
God, for ever and ever. Amen.
This past week we celebrated his 12th anniversary of being elected pope on March 13, 2013. I am grateful for his last 12 years of ministry as he has helped me so much by reminding us of the mercy, joy and hope that Jesus brings us! I am also very grateful for the many messages he has brought to the world through encyclicals, apostolic exhortations, apostolic letters, homilies, etc… If you need something to read during Lent, I have been most impacted by these two apostolic exhortations. I’ll share a quote from each…
"Evangelii Gaudium": The Joy of the Gospel. (November 24, 2013)
“The joy of the gospel fills the hearts and lives of all who encounter Jesus. Those who accept His offer of salvation are set free from sin, sorrow, inner emptiness and loneliness. With Christ joy is constantly born anew.”
"Gaudete et Exsultate": Rejoice and Be Glad. (March 19, 2018)
“Do not be afraid of holiness. It will take away none of your energy, vitality or joy. On the contrary, you will become what the Father had in mind when He created you, and you will be faithful to your deepest self.”
Live in His love,
Fr. Jeremy
