Blessings via Pope Francis

Every day we receive countless blessings from God, but last Friday we got a couple of bonuses, by way of our Holy Father, Pope Francis.

First off, we learned that we will have two new saints to help us to Heaven when Popes John XXIII and John Paul II are canonized, possibly before the end of the year. These popes have led at least two generations by their teaching and example. Soon the Church will be able to spotlight their lives for even more generations.

Secondly, we have a new encyclical, Lumen Fidei  (The Light of Faith). This encyclical was mostly written by Pope Benedict XVI, with Pope Francis adding some of his own touches and releasing it to the faithful. The collaboration highlights the greatness of both men: Pope Benedict's brilliant, deep faith and Pope Francis' profound humility in allowing another pope's unfinished work to become his first encyclical. Some have said that Pope Francis' contributions to the encyclical can be seen in his practical, down-to-earth style in sharing the faith.

Lumen Fidei caps off two previous encyclicals by Pope Benedict. Together they teach us about the divine virtues of faith, hope and love. Lumen Fidei celebrates our current Year of Faith and should top our reading lists. 

I'll admit that when I first learned about the encyclical I was reluctant to begin reading it. I felt obliged to read it but thought I might get bored by a scholarly work. But my homework quickly turned into joyful prayer as I heard God speaking through the words and teaching. Apparently I wasn't the only one to have that experience. One priest-blogger remarked that a portion of chapter three "leaped off the page and into my heart."

I haven't finished reading Lumen Fidei yet. I have decided to continue to savor the encyclical by reading it prayerfully and slowly through lectio divina. I would encourage everyone to be enriched in the same way.

Inspired by this Year of Faith we will be posting columns like this from Susan Szalewski about exploring and/or deepening our faith. Watch for it on Thursdays and see the Year of Faith Blog here.