Wednesday, March 27
“…and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and love kindness, and walk humbly with your God.” Micah 6:8
From the inaugural homily of Pope Francis:
“Today, too, amid so much darkness, we need to see the light of hope and to be men and women who bring hope to others. To protect creation, to protect every man and every woman, to look upon them with tenderness and love, is to open up a horizon of hope; it is to let a shaft of light break through the heavy clouds; it is to bring the warmth of hope!”
“The vocation of being a “protector”, however, is not just something involving us Christians alone; it also has a prior dimension which is simply human, involving everyone.”
“It means protecting all creation, the beauty of the created world, as the Book of Genesis tells us and as Saint Francis of Assisi showed us. It means respecting each of God’s creatures and respecting the environment in which we live. It means protecting people, showing loving concern for each and every person, especially children, the elderly, those in need, who are often the last we think about.”
“It means building sincere friendships in which we protect one another in trust, respect, and goodness. In the end, everything has been entrusted to our protection, and all of us are responsible for it. Be protectors of God’s gifts! We must not be afraid of goodness or even tenderness!”
Francis sees his role as: “to protect the whole of creation, to protect each person, especially the poorest: this is a service that the Bishop of Rome is called to carry out, yet one to which all of us are called, so that the star of hope will shine brightly. Let us protect with love all that God has given us! He must open his arms to protect all of God’s people and embrace with tender affection the whole of humanity, especially the poorest, the weakest, the least important.”
On the balcony of St. Peter’s he addressed and blessed the world, using the word people, not Catholic or Christian; and he asked the multitudes present from all faiths to bless him. He has yet to call himself pope, only bishop of Rome. In his first days, he has abandoned the dress, the limo, the throne, and the trappings of the imperial papacy.
Although the Ecumenical Catholic Community of Saint Luke is independent and not affiliated with the pope, we join with the hopes and dreams of all the world that he follow in the footsteps of St. Francis, and dramatically change the institution called the Roman Catholic Church; as well as be an example to all the world, not just Catholics or Christians. We hope – and we pray.
–Father Don Pachuta
Bless your church–in all its expressions–that we may be instruments of your hope. Amen.