This is Pope Francis’ first official

publication since he became Pontiff. In

Latin, Evangelii Gaudium means The

Joy of the Gospel. Here are some points from the

document…

What’s an Apostolic Exhortation?

It’s one method the Pope uses to communicate with the Faithful, calling us to act in a particular way. Put simply, it’s like a papal encyclical, as it is a document that identifies areas of Catholic life in need of review.

Pope Francis on TwitterApostolic Exhortations, as the wordy title suggests, have been used over the centuries, (think Apostle!) by many Popes before Pope Francis. However, today the Pope also communicates to Catholics worldwide via Twitter. Check out his Twitter Page: Pope Francis@Pontifex

Dear young people,

Jesus gives us life, life in abundance. If we are close to him we will have joy in our hearts and a smile on our face.

Pope Francis@Pontifex Feb 4th 2014

Evangelii Gaudium outlines Francis’ vision in now-familiar terms. He seems concerned the Church is becoming more judgmental than merciful. He wants a Church that has the outgoing spirit of the pilgrim, always willing to joyfully bring the Gospel to the ends of the earth:

“…Consequently, an evangeliser must never look like someone who has just come back from a funeral! Let us recover and deepen our enthusiasm…”

God’s inexhaustible mercy: Francis reminds us that Mercy was viewed by St. Thomas Aquinas as the greatest of virtues (as far as external works are concerned). Evangelii Gaudium issues a passionate call for us to renew our commitment to mercy. Not only are we called to practise mercy, but also we are urged to not tire of seeking mercy from God:

“How good it feels to come back to him whenever we are lost! Let me say this once more: God never tires of forgiving us; we are the ones who tire of seeking his mercy”

The Healing Power of EucharistIn the exhortation, Francis writes, citing Matthew 18:22, where Christ urges His disciples to forgive others “seventy times seven.” It is in this context, perhaps, that we should read the Pope’s comments on Holy Communion:

“The Eucharist, although it is the fullness of sacramental life, is not a prize for the perfect but a powerful medicine and nourishment for the weak.”

Humility before Scripture. An entire section of the exhortation is devoted to offering practical advice for homilists, including exhortations against sermons that are too long or too boring.

Archbishop Martin’s words at the launch of Emmanuel 2014

• “What is Emmanuel? It’s learning Church music in a fun kind of way”.

• There is a sense that the Church has lost its sense of fun. Pope Francis never lost his sense of fun, which he skilfully uses to disarm those who would want to make the Church a place for the dull and the stolid.

• The liturgy of the Church… must not be dull and stolid, but must also pass through fun to true joy and fulfilment in Jesus Christ."

Humility before Scripture: There’s a lot of wisdom here that speaks to the rest of us as well, particularly in how we ought to approach any study of the Scriptures. Whenever we attempt to discern the meaning of a text, Francis says we are practising “reverence for the truth,” which he defines as “the humility of heart which recognizes that we are neither its masters or owners, but its guardians, heralds, and servants.” (Evangelii Gaudium)

“…each word of Scripture is a gift before it is a demand”

Lectio Divina is one way of praying with

ScriptureTake a look at this comic strip explaining the process.

For a step-by-step approach to follow using your Bible, check out the following link:

http://www.beliefnet.com/Faiths/Catholic/2000/08/How-To-Practice-Lectio-Divina.aspx

The wounds of Christ

“Sometimes we are tempted to be that kind of Christian who keeps the Lord’s wounds at arm’s length…”

“Jesus wants us to touch human misery, to touch the suffering flesh of others. He hopes that we will stop looking for those personal or communal niches which shelter us from the maelstrom of human misfortune and instead enter into the reality of other people’s lives and know the power of tenderness.” (Evangelii Gaudium)

Pope Francis: A special message for Young People

Dear Young People, put your talents at the service of the Gospel, with creativity and boundless charity.

(Pope Francis@Pontifex Dec 7th, 2013)

The way of beauty

“Every form of catechesis would do well to attend to the “way of beauty”. Proclaiming Christ means showing that to believe in and to follow him is not only something right and true, but also something beautiful, capable of filling life with new splendor and profound joy, even in the midst of difficulties… Beauty can thus be acknowledged as a path leading to an encounter with the Lord Jesus.”

The powerful music of Emmanuel is a beautiful way to encounter Christ, filling our hearts with joy.

Pope Francis keeps it real“… We all have our likes and dislikes, perhaps at this very moment we are angry with someone. At least let us say to the Lord: ‘Lord, I am angry with this person, with that person. I pray to you for him and for her. To pray for a person with whom I am irritated is a beautiful step forward in love, and an act of evangelisation. Let us do it today!”

Pope Francis lives out what he asks of us

And lives each day…

with JOY! JOY!

May we do our best to remember…