SOUND BYTES

I just wanted to look back on the Papal visits and highlight some of Pope Francis' words that he shared with us as he journeyed throughout the US.

Here are few highlights

The words of Pope to Congress

"You are asked to protect, by means of law, the image and likeness fashioned by God on every human face…"

"Building a future of freedom requires love of the common good…"

"Attempt to be freed of the enemy without, we can be tempted to feed the enemy within…"

"Dreams which lead to action, to participation, to commitment. Dreams which awaken what is deepest and truest in the life of a people…"

"We need to avoid a common temptation nowadays: to discard whatever proves troublesome…"

"The golden rule points us in clear direction.  Let us treat others with the same passion and compassion with which we want to be treated.  Seek for others the same possibilities which we seek for ourselves.  Help others to grow as we would like to be helped.  If we want security, give security.  Want life, give life.  Want opportunities, provide opportunities.  Yardstick we use for others, will be used for us."

Madison Square Garden

"God's faithful people can see, discern and contemplate his living presence in the midst of life…in rapid pace of changes so many faces pass by unnoticed…"

Vespers in St Patrick's Cathedral

"Spirit of Gratitude: the joy of men and women who love God attracts others to him.  Joy springs from grateful hearts.  Seek grace of remembrance so as to grow in the Spirit of Gratitude.  Are we good at counting our blessings?"

"Spirit of Hard work: grateful heart is spontaneously impelled to serve and find expression in life of commitment.  Hard work is a privileged way of responding to what God has given us."

"We are often jealous of our free time and surround ourselves with worldly comfort…This diminishes our spirit of sacrifice, renunciation, hard work.  We must learn how to rest in which deepens our desire to serve with generosity."

In Philly

"One of the great challenges facing the Church in this generation is to foster in all the faithful a sense of personal responsibility for the Church’s mission, and to enable them to fulfill that responsibility as missionary disciples, as a leaven of the Gospel in our world."

"What about you?” It is significant that those words of the elderly Pope were also addressed to a lay woman. We know that the future of the Church in a rapidly changing society will call, and even now calls, for a much more active engagement on the part of the laity. "

Canonization Mass in D.C.

"We don’t want apathy to guide our lives... or do we? We don’t want the force of habit to rule our life... or do we? So we ought to ask ourselves: What can we do to keep our heart from growing numb, becoming anesthetized? How do we make the joy of the Gospel increase and take deeper root in our lives?

"Jesus gives the answer. He said to his disciples then and he says it to us now: Go forth! Proclaim! The joy of the Gospel is something to be experienced, something to be known and lived only through giving it away, through giving ourselves away."

"A Christian finds joy in mission: Go out to people of every nation!
A Christian experiences joy in following a command: Go forth and proclaim the good news!
A Christian finds ever new joy in answering a call: Go forth and anoint!"

"Father Serra had a motto which inspired his life and work, a saying he lived his life by: siempre adelante! Keep moving forward! For him, this was the way to continue experiencing the joy of the Gospel, to keep his heart from growing numb, from being anesthetized. He kept moving forward, because the Lord was waiting. He kept going, because his brothers and sisters were waiting. He kept going forward to the end of his life. Today, like him, may we be able to say: Forward! Let’s keep moving forward!"