Eucharist satisfies hunger for hope, truth, salvation, pope says
VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- When receiving the Eucharist, Catholics should respond with gratitude and awe that Jesus offers himself as nourishment and salvation, Pope Francis said. Jesus "becomes true food and true drink," the pope said. "Thank you, Lord Jesus! Let's say, 'Thank you, thank you' with all our heart," he told visitors and pilgrims who joined him in St. Peter's Square Aug. 18 for the midday recitation of the Angelus prayer.
Life’s ‘final exam’ will be on care for poor, pope says
VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- God will not judge people by how many university degrees they earned, but by how well they cared for the poor, Pope Francis told a group of priests and religious women. "The Lord won't ask us, 'What did you study?' 'How many degrees do you have?' 'How many works did you accomplish?' No, no. The Lord will say, 'Come with me because I was hungry and you gave me to eat; I was thirsty and you gave me to drink; I was persecuted and you protected me,'" the pope said.
Prejudices obstruct true faith, pope says
VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Prejudices and preconceptions can block people from finding faith, Pope Francis said, even to the point of making them unable to recognize God standing before them. In the Gospel, the Judeans, who were "scandalized" when Jesus told them he came down from heaven, "are obstructed in their faith by their preconception of his humble origins, and they are obstructed by the presumption therefore that they have nothing to learn from him," the pope said before praying the Angelus in St. Peter's Square Aug. 11.
Grace should cause awe, like a summer snowfall would, pope says
ROME (CNS) -- Whether or not Mary caused snow to fall in Rome on a summer day more than 1,600 years ago, Christians know that God's grace is always undeserved, always beautiful and literally awesome, Pope Francis said. Celebrating the feast of the dedication of Rome's Basilica of St. Mary Major and the related feast of Our Lady of the Snows Aug. 5, the pope watched a snowfall of white rose petals fall from the basilica's coffered ceiling.
Stop and read: Pope praises spiritual value of literature and poetry
VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Every Christian, but especially seminarians, should set aside their screens regularly and spend time with a book of literature or poetry, Pope Francis said. In a world that so often prizes efficiency and accomplishment, "we desperately need to counterbalance this inevitable temptation to a frenetic and uncritical lifestyle by stepping back, slowing down, taking time to look and listen," the pope wrote. "This can happen when a person simply stops to read a book."
Pope urges political leaders to be at service of the people, not power
VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Pope Francis has called on political leaders to be at the service of the poor, the unemployed and the common good. The world cannot promote "universal fraternity" without good politics, the pope said in a video message released July 30 by the Pope's Worldwide Prayer Network. The network posts a short video of the pope offering his specific prayer intention each month. For the month of August, the pope dedicated his prayer intention to political leaders.
Lessons learned: Studying past prepares people for the present, archivist says
VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Regardless of what people might imagine, archivists are the happiest people on earth, said the prefect of the Vatican Apostolic Archives, Bishop Sergio Pagano. "Even if people say we work amongst cobwebs and dust, that we are library mice," it does not matter, he said, because "we know how things went in the past so well that when we see how things are going now, we are not disappointed; we smile because we can see that it's the same thing over and over."
Space Force Colonel Mike Hopkins recounts venturing into the void with the Eucharist
INDIANAPOLIS - - God is omnipresent, but in a particular way, He’s also been present in the Eucharist aboard the International Space Station. That’s what Space Force Colonel and former NASA astronaut Mike Hopkins told a packed stadium on the final day of the National Eucharistic Congress. In September of 2013, Hopkins was getting ready to launch aboard a Russian Soyuz spacecraft. He found comfort knowing that his wife and two sons were watching from an observation area.
National Eucharistic Congress challenges attendees to evangelize, ‘go out’
INDIANAPOLIS - - A five-day, epic gathering of Catholics at the National Eucharistic Congress ended July 21, but the mission continues. “Let us go and proclaim Jesus zealously and joyfully for the life of the world!” Cardinal Luis Tagle, the papal envoy, told the 60,000 people from across the U.S. packed into Lucas Oil Stadium for the closing Mass. “Go and share Jesus’ tender love with the weary, the hungry and the suffering,” Cardinal Tagle told the crowd.
Pope visits children of Vatican employees attending summer camp
VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Children of Vatican employees began their summer holidays at a new outdoor sports area and pool as part of an annual summer program. The St. Joseph Center was inaugurated in June and features a number of small astro-turfed fields, a tennis court and an above-ground pool thanks to funding from benefactors who met the pope July 18 at his residence, the Domus Sanctae Marthae, the Vatican said.