Sometimes we are tempted to be that kind of Christian who keeps the Lordโs wounds at armโs length. Yet Jesus wants us to touch human misery, to touch the suffering flesh of others. He hopes that we will stop looking for those personal or communal niches which shelter us from the maelstrom of human misfortune and instead enter into the reality of other peopleโs lives and know the power of tenderness. Whenever we do so, our lives become wonderfully complicated and we experience intensely what it is to be a people, to be part of a people.
Pope FrancisGoing out to others in order to reach the fringes of humanity does not mean rushing out aimlessly into the world. Often it is better simply to slow down, to put aside our eagerness in order to see and listen to others, to stop rushing from one thing to another and to remain with someone who has faltered along the way.
Pope FrancisMay the power of Christ, which brings freedom and service, be felt in so many hearts afflicted by war, persecution and slavery.
Pope FrancisIt means protecting people, showing loving concern for each and every person, especially children, the elderly, those in need, who are often the last we think about.
Pope Francis