April 10, 2024 Wednesday General Audience, St. Peter’s Square (Personal Photo)
By Jacquelyne Rocan
Like so many throughout the world, I enjoyed a beautiful Easter celebration on April 20, rejoicing in the Resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ and His triumph over death. I watched the coverage of our Holy Father, Pope Francis, preside over the Urbi et Orbi message from Rome and then travel throughout St. Peter’s Square in the Popemobile to give his blessings to those gathered in the square. It was a beautiful moment of love and I thought a good sign that the pope was continuing to heal after his recent health issues and long hospital stay.
I woke on Easter Monday to the sad news that Pope Francis had died. Surprise was mixed with sorrow as I contemplated his death and what it meant for the Church and for the world. In listening to remarks from Cardinal Timothy Dolan, he noted that we are so sad at the Pope’s passing as he is our Holy Father and that we have lost a member of our family. This statement spoke to my heart as I realized the truth of this statement.
I attended Mass later that day in honor of Pope Francis and have prayed for the respose of his soul throughout the week leading to his funeral Mass on April 26. As I watched the coverage following his death and all of the rites and prayers to honor him as he moves to his eternal rest, I contemplated his legacy and had the following thoughts of the major themes of his pontificate and how I can best honor his memory:
Love:
Pope Francis loved God and he loved God’s people. His love was demonstrated in his interactions with all those he met. He would embrace those that others may ignore or discard, including the poor, the sick, the elderly. May I offer God’s embrace to those people that God places in my life.
Mercy:
Pope Francis was a pilgrim of mercy. He taught us to accept God’s great gift of mercy and to extend that mercy to others. He reminded us not to judge, but to accept others and to accompany them on their faith journeys. May I offer the gift of mercy to all, not just those I deem worthy.
Forgiveness:
Pope Francis noted that God does not tire of forgiving us, but that we grow tired of asking for forgiveness. May I ask in great humility and sorrow for forgiveness of my sins from God, and be quick to offer forgiveness if I am hurt by others.
Peace:
Pope Francis was an advocate for peace and workedtirelessly to offer peaceful solutions to a war-torn world. I believe that the ongoing conflicts and the devastation suffered by so many in our world affected him deeply and drove him to continue his efforts to bring people together to talk in order to resolve differences. May we continue his efforts to seek peaceful resolutions to conflicts and wars, starting in our families and communities.
Humility:
Pope Francis exhibited humility in all of his actions, from his living quarters at the Vatican, to his wearing of simple black shoes (rather than the red shoes typically worn by popes), to his final resting place at St. Mary Major. When he washed the feet of prisoners on Holy Thursday, he exhibited the humility that Jesus showed when He washed the apostles’ feet at the Last Supper. May I remember to offer in great humility my gifts and service to all of God’s people.
Hope:
Pope Francis was a pilgrim of hope. He gave us the great Jubilee Year of 2025 to celebrate hope – hope in the gift of eternal life that will be ours if we follow God’s will here on earth. May I remember how Pope Francis showed us the way to eternal life by the way he lived and spent his life in service of God’s Church and its people.
At the funeral Mass, the book of the Gospels was placed on Pope Francis’ casket. The wind picked up the pages of the book and settled on the Gospel of John (similar to what occurred 20 years earlier during the funeral Mass of St. John Paul II). I believe that this was a gift from the Holy Spirit to let us know that Pope Francis is safe in the arms of his Father, a final gift of hope for those of us grieving the pope’s death.
Eternal rest grant unto Pope Francis, O Lord,
and let perpetual light shine upon him.
May his soul, and all the souls of the faithful departed,
through the mercy of God, rest in peace.
Amen.
Smitten With Goodness 