We Are a Family Fully Alive

    As I am now at the conclusion of all of the events from the World Meeting of Families convention and the Papal visitation, I am left with enlightened reflections and a recharged spirit. It was a very packed week of events for the Salesian family in attendance for the WMF.  Our men and women in formation joined me and Sr. Theresa Lee for much of the week’s festivities, and while there were intense schedules to keep to it was an enriching experience for us as religious and as Catholics.

 As I began to physically feel the demands of the schedule, I could not help but think of the Holy Father.  Given the Papal events in Philadelphia, I was amazed that although Pope Francis faced a heavy schedule, his presence was inspiring in the informal encounters with groups and individuals.   He certainly had a plethora of formal meetings, gatherings, and liturgies  to attend to during his visit; and while those moments were filled with awe as we watched Pope Francis, it was in the informal encounters with those who were sidelined during the festivities that made the entirety of the events resonate the glory of God’s love.  As he entered the Basilica of Sts. Peter and Paul prior to celebrating the Eucharist, he embraced a person in a wheelchair.  As he continued walking, there was another person in a wheelchair that was somewhat excluded, but Pope Francis becoming aware of the other, quickly went back and embraced him as well. Although he had a schedule to maintain, His Holiness made even the smallest of time for those who sometimes are too forgotten by society.  It was from watching his presence and the overwhelming response to his visit that I drew my energy to keep going.

Much of Pope Francis’ visit included many messages about caring for one another, caring for those who are sidelined in life, and most of all bringing change about through sincere love. During the Festival of Families celebration along Benjamin Franklin Parkway, as he was speaking about how the need to challenge and be with young people in their journey of life, he strayed from the script for as long as a minute.   In this time he was most alive and passionate giving the impression of a prophetic voice in our midst.

For sure, Pope Francis has continued to illustrate, from the time he was elected to the papacy, to the days he set foot in Philadelphia, that God is God of mercy and a God of love.  In a short video that recorded Francis’ greeting prior to his arrival he said, “I want to be there because you are there.”  Pope Francis’ presence in Philadelphia has made it clear that he lives as the agent of God’s mercy and invites everyone to partake in it.  He has demonstrated so well who God is, a God of mercy and that mercy is available to all. More than anything, his Papal visit has reiterated for our Church the need to be fully alive and fully present to one another and for those left fortunate and marginalized as one family. So as the Pope has departed from his time with is us in the U.S., it is my hope that we will all continue to come together as one in love, hope, and mercy.