This week—13 March—marks the 10th anniversary of Francis being elected pope. As he stepped out on the balcony he made history, first by being the first non-European in modern history and then as the first pope to use the name Francis (after Francis of Assisi). He also made history by not only standing at the same level as the others with him on the balcony, but by turning to the crowd assembled asking them to bless him first before he gave his first blessing as pope. It was clear from the start his papacy would go in a different direction than his predecessors.
For 10 years Francis has asked us to reexamine what it means to be church, moving us away from merely being an institution to showing us that the church is the people, all the people. When Pope Francis speaks of all the people he turns first to those who are poor and marginalized, saying through words and actions that we need to be a field hospital instead of a “museum of saints.”
As many journalists have reflected on Pope Francis the same words and themes keep coming up. Conversion, tenderness, inclusive, change, synodal, walking together, and encounter were used again and again in talking about Francis. But of all the words that kept coming up “mercy” is what best summarizes this pontificate. With that in mind we turn to the opening paragraphs of Evangelii Gaudium (Joy of the Gospel), that he presented to us in November 2013, less than a year after being elected pope: The joy of the Gospel fills the hearts and lives of all who encounter Jesus. With Christ joy is constantly born anew. I invite all Christians, everywhere, at this very moment, to a renewed personal encounter with Jesus Christ, or at least an openness to letting him encounter them; I ask all of you to do this unfailingly each day. No one should think that this invitation is not meant for him or her, since “no one is excluded from the joy brought by the Lord.”/La alegria del Evangelio llena el corazón y la vida entera de los que se encuentran con Jesús... Con Jesucristo siempre nace y renace la alegría...Invito a cada cristiano, en cualquier lugar y situación en que se encuentre, a renovar ahora mismo su encuentro personal con Jesucristo o, al menos, a tomar la decisión de dejarse encontrar por Él, de intentarlo cada día sin descanso. No hay razón para que alguien piense que esta invitación no es para él, porque “nadie queda excluido de la alegría reportada por el Señor.”
Showcasing SHA talent: This 5th grade collage shows the many ways people see Francis.
God bless,
Mrs. Alhadef
Campus Minister
4th Grade Aide
Jr. High ELA Aide