Newness, Harmony, And Mission

In his homily for the Feast of Pentecost, Pope Francis reflected on three words linked to the workings of the Holy Spirit. These are newness, harmony and mission.

This reflection is helpful for those looking to go deeper into the significance of Pentecost Sunday. Here at the Shrine, we also find it helpful for connecting the pontificates of our beloved Blessed John Paul II and our new Holy Father, Pope Francis.

First of all, the Holy Spirit plays a role in the newness of change in our lives. In a culture of planners, new direction is not always welcomed with open arms. “Yet throughout the history of salvation,” Pope Francis said, “whenever God reveals himself, he brings newness and change, and demands our complete trust.” He continues:

Noah, mocked by all, builds an ark and is saved; Abram leaves his land with only a promise in hand; Moses stands up to the might of Pharaoh and leads his people to freedom; the apostles, huddled fearfully in the Upper Room, go forth with courage to proclaim the Gospel. This is not a question of novelty for novelty’s sake, the search for something new to relieve our boredom, as is so often the case in our own day. The newness which God brings into our life is something that actually brings fulfillment, that gives true joy, true serenity, because God loves us and desires only our good.

Now Blessed John Paul II and Pope Francis do have much in common. They are both similar in their openness to others and in the genuineness of their prayers. They both have a deep devotion to the Blessed Mother, and the chaplain of the Blessed John Paul II Shrine, Rev. Gregory Gresko, also notes that Pope Francis “is continuing the call of Blessed John Paul II in telling us ‘Be not afraid’ to give yourself over completely to the loving mercy of God.”

Yet the two are certainly not the same, and Pope Francis has already made some unique choices during his pontificate that challenge the faithful to look humbly inside of ourselves so that we may better perceive what is going on around us and how we can serve those in need. 

Pope Francis Is Walking The Walk

Pope Francis has only occupied the Chair of St. Peter for four weeks, and he’s already taken the world captive by his life and ministry. What is it about the Supreme Pontiff that attracts so many people?

By now, the answer to this question is pretty obvious: The man walks the walk.

Carl Anderson, Supreme Knight of the Knights of Columbus, noted that Pope Francis expresses a "unique solidarity with the poor and those in need." We’ve seen this in many of his actions so far, particularly in his washing the feet of young prisoners on Holy Thursday.

While these simple acts of charity are intended to help the least of our brothers and sisters, Pope Francis is also helping us to understand how it is we are called to live the life of Christ. He recognizes and accepts the love God has for him, and in sharing that love he bears good fruit, drawing the flock towards the Good News.

Touch Him and You Shall Become Pure

Today is the feast of St. Clare of Assisi, the 13^th century saint who rejected noble wealth for a life of poverty and humility.

Inspired by St. Francis of Assisi, Clare followed the deepest desires of her heart at the age of 18 and left everything her aristocratic family had to offer. She became a virgin bride of Christ, courageously dawning a coarse brown habit and letting go of all material things with full faith and trust in God.

Clare was one of the first women to adopt a life of poverty and service. Others followed, and eventually she founded a new religious order: the Poor Clares. These nuns lived much like St. Francis’s friars, accepting no material property and leaving everything up to Divine Providence. The order also adopted St. Clare’s most precious charism: a deep love for the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist.

We can learn many things from the life of St. Clare of Assisi, but her detachment from all material things is perhaps the most inspiring and certainly the most difficult to imitate today. Pope Benedict XVI addressed this last Sunday in his Angelus address. Earthy desires are not necessarily bad, he said, but it is important to recognize that only God can satisfy the heart: