Jubilee of the Sick, Happy Easter, and Pope Francis Passes

Dear readers, I came here to say two things: one, to link to my latest radio appearance about the Jubilee of the Sick, and second, to wish you a Happy Easter. Instead, I am here to say, as we all already know, Pope Francis passed away early this morning, Easter Monday. Perhaps it is fitting to discuss the value of illness, and God calling the Pope home at Easter.

For that appearance, you can listen here, starting at about minute 17:35. At the very, very end, I don’t know if you can tell, but I got a bit emotional when John asked me for advice for the sick. My advice was: be not afraid, as another Pope, John Paul II, encouraged us. I suppose it is because “sickness,” yes, does mean physical illness, but it is also a state of being mentally and emotionally. And you may even feel emotionally or mentally sick and afraid, and to those people, the same applies: be not afraid. Just hold on. Everything passes.

As for Easter: it is nice the Pope saw his very last Easter, and then passed on, in a jubilee year, in the greatest season. He must have felt ready to let go, and can you blame him? Imagine entering Heaven at Easter. Hopefully earth is just a little bit like Heaven in the Easter season. We can make it so.

I will remember Francis for his urging toward care for the poor. That should always be remembered, because poverty in the world is true, and constant, and sometimes to “accompany” someone in their poverty really is the best and most needed thing we can do. That is his greatest legacy, to put before us always the reality of physical and spiritual poverty, and the church’s mission to be there in solidarity. And, for our own personal mission as Christians to be in solidarity.

May the best of your Easter season be blessed.

A Jubilee for the sick?

I learned this week that the Vatican celebrated (observed?) something called the “Jubilee for the Sick and Healthcare Workers” last weekend. Turns out, as it is a jubilee year, different types of events like this are planned and occurring, and this particular one focused on honoring those who suffer and the caregivers who support them. Here is a summary of Pope Francis’s very rich homily from the event. Appropriate, given his own illness, and he did appear in person - in a wheelchair and with oxygen - though someone else read the homily.

Anyway, I am always fascinated by the way Catholics treat sickness and suffering. That is to say, that it has meaning, and that God can use our illnesses, or any hardship, to transform us for the better. And I will be talking about this jubilee and the whole concept of redemptive suffering on Morning Air tomorrow at 8:20 am eastern. Tune in!

"The best of the week" at Relevant Radio

I was pleased to see my most recent appearance on Morning Air was called out by Relevant Radio as a best of the week segment. See a write up of that conversation by their Digital Audio Content Producer, Jake Moore, here:

An Encouraging Lenten Check-In

It’s one more week until Holy Week. Hoo boy!