Thoughts on Pope Francis

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ:

 There is only one way to escape the human condition, and God willing we are all of us some time from our final exit of this mortal coil. Though we cannot escape this condition, we can be transformed daily to make it not only tolerable, but joyful.

One of the things that makes it such a challenge is that we so often have a need to be right, and so the truth takes a back seat. One of my darling daughters, the middle of 3 (go figure) has in many ways been a challenge to me, as I was to my parents. Doesn’t God have a marvelous sense of humor? At the most challenging of times, I have asked her whether she needs to be right, or if she is interested in the truth. As she matures (she is only 28) she calms more quickly, and climbs down off her high, but noble steed.

Our Holy Father is much like one who is trying to remove a nest of hornets. Though he is clothed in protective gear, he strikes the nest with a stick, and chaos ensues. Those of us who are not clothed in the same protective gear as he is may get stung if we are nearby.

Some who observe him run about proclaiming that we will all be stung. As word spreads, it spreads like wild fire, and even makes the international media. Pretty soon, we read that he tried to take out several nests of African killer bees, all of whom were armed with machine gun stingers, and people nearby were stung repeatedly and very painfully. Next comes an international call for disarming the Holy Father of his stick, and possibly a call for martial law in Rome.

But, we are all able to be clothed in the same protective gear as Our Holy Father, the Holy Spirit, the sacraments, the intercession of the saints, particularly Our Holy Mother, and have no need of worrying about pesky little hornets.

The truth is that God has called Pope Francis to remove the pests from the Church, and those they have infected.

Charlie Johnston at The Next Right Step says Our Holy Father is somewhat klunky in how he says things. For me, it more appears that he is boiling the ocean and trying to make us tea in a paper cup. Knowing we cannot drink the whole ocean at one time, he tries to give us small sips. But we are stubborn. He gives us a sip of green tea, and we wanted chai, and so we complain.

If Jesus told us the truth, and we have His Word that he did, then Our Holy Father cannot lead us away from Him.

Band wagons are easy things to jump onto. But, they are going where the band is going. If the band on your band wagon is playing disharmony get the hell (literally) off it.

We have too much work to do to waste time and energy on people sowing revolt over Our Holy Father. He was God’s choice for this particular time and place. And that is truth.