“St. Francis…was placed in great
agony of doubt as to what he should do: whether to give himself only to
continual prayer or to preach sometimes. He wanted very much to know which of
these would please our Lord Jesus Christ most. And as the holy humility that
was in him did not allow him to trust in himself or in his own prayers, he
humbly turned to others in order to know God’s will in this matter.”- The Little Flowers of St. Francis
Well, the new pope has taken his seat in the Vatican
and many people are expressing their joy for the name he has chosen. He is
officially Pope Francis! I, personally, am very pleased with this choice and it
shows this man’s character and heart for those who are not necessarily the most
cared for in our world. His name is derived from St. Francis of Assisi, a man
who was born into wealth, but upon conversion took a different approach to
life. He recognized that simpler is better, especially when serving the
under-resourced and under-served. This man truly was a saint. (for more details read: The Little Flowers of St. Francis)
Now, I must admit I wasn’t sure what direction he
was going to go in when he chose the name, but now I am a believer. I saw an
article discussing the fact that he chose to keep a pair of shoes given to him
by some of his priests in Argentina instead of the papal shoes. Before he received these shoes he
apparently had been wearing tattered footwear. Then, to top it off, he is
choosing to walk among the people and not be secluded or separated when in
public. Granted, there will be protection…he is the pope after all. However, he
is definitely a man that is willing to make sacrifices and serve with integrity
to his calling.
I am excited to see where he leads the Catholic Church
and the impact he has on the entire Church. His life should be an example to us
all, catholic or not. He is living a life of simplicity and no matter what role
he is in; he is willing to maintain that conviction to live a poor life while
pouring his life into others. May we maintain our convictions in life and may
we serve with humility, no matter where we are placed in God’s story.
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