We at Loyola Press are saddened to hear of the passing of Pope Francis. His Christian example has been an inspiration to countless people.
We pay tribute to our joyful shepherd in faith by remembering his life’s work of helping people find mercy, hope, and joy in God. In the words of Pope Francis:
Dear friends, if we walk in hope, allowing ourselves to be surprised by the new wine Jesus offers us, we have joy in our hearts, and we cannot fail to be witnesses of this joy. Christians are joyful; they are never gloomy. God is at our side. We have a Mother who always intercedes for the life of her children. Jesus has shown us that the face of God is that of a loving Father. Sin and death have been defeated. Christians cannot be pessimists! They do not look like someone in constant mourning. If we are truly in love with Christ and if we sense how much he loves us, our heart will “light up” with a joy that spreads to everyone around us.
—Excerpted from Embracing the Way of Jesus
Eternal rest grant unto Pope Francis, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon him.
I too, am overwhelmed by the love of Pope Francis. He taught me how to look at people who I thought were my enemies and love them. Fortunately, they turned into being my friends.
And so I’m constantly praying and journaling on how I can increase my love for others.
Our beloved Pope called us to the kind of love that puts the other person first. I am overwhelmed by his generosity in ministry and goodness. He messaged us day after day to call us to love our neighbor whether mighrant, incarcerated, homeless and he did it with such sincerety that I could only do what he asked. He transformed my life each day by the messages he gave us. I first heard the news when I tuned into Mass in Portlaoise, Ireland at 5:00am.The spirit of joy for his ministry was shared throughout. When I prayed at face-to-face Mass, the priests expressed their care for the Pope and how meaningful he was to all of us. May we continue the work of our Pope in transforming the world in which we live through the help of Almighty Father, His Son and the Holy Spirit.