Taken from the writings and talks of Pope Francis in his year in the Papacy, he details his vision of the Church. He tells his audience that the Church must move forward and joyfully bring God’s mercy wherever there is suffering., division, or injustice.
Pope Francis calls his readers to authentic
Christianity which is faithful to the Gospel and in tune with the needs of the world. He invites his readers to ignite the flame of mercy and assist in the work of revitalizing the world. Many will remember his first official act after his election, namely asking the world to pray for him. That preceded his blessing of the gathered people.
Through the ten chapters in this book on mercy, Pope Francis uses phrases and words that encourage and move to action. He even speaks in phrases which makes his audience laugh out loud. He shows his deep immersion into Scripture, the early Fathers of the Church, and the wisdom of his predecessors.
Pope Francis urges the
faithful to read what he has written, but above all, he stresses the necessity of prayer. “Jesus must always be at the center, Intimacy with Him is the heart of all we do and are, and is at the heart of the way we welcome others.’”
Some of the titles of his chapters are: The good news of Christ, A poor church for the poor, Listening to the Spirit,
Shepherd with the ‘ odor of sheep’, and Full time Christianity.
