Wednesday, December 11, 2013

Time's Person of the Year-Pope Francis-Something To Rejoice Over!

Just what I needed some good Advent news to rejoice over. Pope Francis being named Person of the Year by Time Magazine just confirms what many Catholics already believe. Pope Francis is the right Pope for this time in history. The Cardinals who elected him, following the guidance of the Holy Spirit got it right and the Catholic Church is blessed by Pope Francis' wisdom, goodness, insight and willingness to be guided by the Spirit.  Times managing editor Nancy Gibbs explained their choice for 2013 to the media......
"In his nine months in office he has placed himself at the very center of the central conversations of our time, about wealth and poverty, fairness and justice, transparency, modernity, globalization, the role of women, the nature of marriage, the temptations of power.......When he kisses the face of a disfigured man, or washes the feet of a Muslim woman, the image resonates far beyond the boundaries of the Catholic Church."
What especially endeared him to the editors of Time and made him win out over the other choices was his humility and his dedication to fighting poverty. He consistently reminds and challenges Catholics and others that the "least of our brothers and sisters" deserve a chance to a good, decent and fulfilling life. They deserve to be fed, literally by having enough to eat and spiritually with food for their souls. "The poorest of the poor" as Mother Teresa called them deserve a chance to lift themselves out of a spiral of poverty and hopelessness.
He has followed the mandate of God, "Humble yourself and I will exalt you."
A reason to be joyful this Advent-the success of the pontificate of Pope Francis and the recognition that goodness and selflessness is rewarded in time, in God's time.
NJA

Humble yourselves in the presence of the Lord and He will exalt you 

Humble yourselves before the Lord and He will lift you up.
(James 4:9-11)