There is space in the Church for everyone!…Everyone, everyone, everyone!! No one is useless; no one is superfluous; there is room for everyone. Just as we are, everyone… “But Father, I am a wretch; I am a sinner: Is there room for me?”  There is room for everyone! For God loves us, God loves us as we are, not as we wish to be or as society expects us to be: He loves us with our flaws, limitations, and desires to progress in life. God calls us in this way: Have faith because your God is a father, a father who loves us all!  Pope Francis at World Youth Day 2023, in Portugal

 

We must bring the Lord Jesus everywhere with humility and joy: in our cities, in our families, in our relationships and our neighborhoods, in civil society, in the Church, and in political life…in the entire world, especially in those places where poverty, decay and marginalization are deeply rooted. Bring the beauty of the Gospel everywhere, together with all the People of God. June 29, 2023

 

Like the women at the tomb, nothing can stop us from proclaiming the Lord after an encounter with

Him. And if we do not share this experience, maybe we have yet to really meet Him! Let us ask ourselves when and how we bear witness to Jesus, and if others perceive that we have met the Lord, and are therefore interested and inspired. Every time we announce the good news, not by propaganda or proselytizing, but with respect and love, as the most beautiful gift to share, as the secret of joy, then Jesus dwells in us even more. Let us ask Our Lady to help us be joyful proclaimers of the Gospel!

Regina Coeli prayer, 4/10/23

 

The Christian vocation by its very nature is also a vocation to be apostles. This call to apostleship  concerns both those who have received the sacrament of Holy Orders, consecrated persons, and all lay faithful, man or woman. Importantly, moreover, there are not different callings for priests, consecrated persons, and the laity. Rather, all Christians have the same calling in common. While there is a diversity of ministry, the laity share in the priestly, prophetic, and royal office of Christ. Who has more dignity in the Church? The bishop? The priest? No, we are all Christians in the service of others … Everyone is equal, we are all equal!  Papal Audience, Mar. 15, 2023

 

On Mar. 31, 2023, Pope Francis visited children in the hospital where he had been treated for a respiratory infection, and gave them treats and q books on Jesus.  Before returning to the Vatican, he baptized an infant boy, Miguel Arcangelo, and instructed his mother to register the baby at their parish as “baptized by the Pope”.  He also presided over the Holy Thursday Celebration at the same juvenile prison where he had washed the feet of young detainees the week after he became Pope. Let us pray for Pope Francis and his vision of a Church where “the holy people of God is…everyone!” Vatican News

 

John’s Gospel defines Jesus as the “Word of God”.  This fact highlights an essential aspect of Jesus: namely, that He is always “outgoing”. The Word exists to be communicated and transmitted, and Christ not only has words of life, but makes His life a Word. Through the Gospels, we see the intimacy that Jesus had with the Father, especially through His moments of prayer. He makes all of His decisions and important choices after having prayed. Through prayer, Jesus reveals His mission, which is always directed toward other people. In fact, speaking about His mission, Jesus says, I did not come “to be served, but to serve. And so He gave His own life.  Papal Audience, Jan. 18, 2023

 

Life is always a journey, and we become that which we move toward. Let us choose the way of God, not the way of the self, the way of yes, not if. Together we shall discover that there is no unexpected event, No difficult climb, no dark night that cannot be faced with Jesus by our side.

Pope Francis Regina Coeli Address. 4/26/2020

 

The presence of migrants and refugees represents a great challenge, but at the same time an immense opportunity for the cultural and spiritual growth of everyone.  Openness to one another creates spaces of fruitful exchange between different visions and traditions, and opens minds to new horizons.       World Day of Migrants and Refugees, 2022

 

Jesus brought the Gospel, the good news of God’s love for each one of us, and that is why the Lord says the Gospel is like a fire, because it is a message when it erupts into history and overturns the old ways of life, helping us overcome selfishness and break our dependence on sin, leading to new life in the Risen One. Things are never the same when the Gospel comes alive in one’s heart. It provokes change, conversion, and sparks a restlessness that sets us in motion, and drives us to open up to God and to our brothers and sisters. Angelus Message, Aug. 14, 2022.