The Joy of the Gospel

Francis and Pastoral Care

The day the Pope became a man

Francis is a verb,

not a noun:

Once you try

to capture him,

hold him in your hand,

you've lost him.

Many faces of Joy

…and it’s found everywhere

Francis’ spirit of joy touches everyone…

Enters into people’s experiences: he’s a presence…

…and is present

Pope of pastoral gesturesABOARD THE PAPAL PLANE – Even in the midst of a jam packed three-nation tour, Pope Francis took time to act as a pastor Monday morning, recording a video message for Lisandro Zeno, 25, a fellow Argentinean who was diagnosed last year with leukemia.

“Lichu, I was told about your illness, I pray for Jesus to give you strength and that he returns your health to you. Allow yourself to be led by God’s hand, and I ask you to pray for me. I bless you with all my heart, in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit,” Francis said.

The 30-second blessing was recorded exclusively by Crux during the flight from Quito to Guayaquil, where the pope will celebrate a Mass for more than one million people.

Zeno, known as Lichu in his hometown city of Rosario, is a medical student and was a rugby player until his diagnosis last year. After several rounds of chemotherapy, it seemed he was in remission. (6.07.15 – Trip to South America)

Opens the doors

to everyone

Baptism, Eucharist, Marriage

Burial of Pauper in Vatican Cemetery

He has his enemies…

…you can’t please everyone

Comforts the afflicted…

…afflicts the comfortable

Equality, dignity, respect for everyone

His dream…A poor church for the poor

Leads by example

Walks the talk

Cares for our common home

Laudato si’

• Who is God?

• Who am I?

• What am I going to do about it?

Comfortable in his own skin

Hope

MercyHumble

Smells like his sheep – a true pastor

His strength in knowing…

Sinner who has experienced the mercy of God

“…You are a necessary and beloved part of the Church's present!"

"As young Christians, whether you are workers or students… you are not only a part of the future of the Church…”

As Jesus taught us, the whole Law and the Prophets are summarized in twoCommandments: love yourLord God and Love your neighbour (Matthew 22:34-40)

We could ask ourselves: Who is a teacher’sneighbour? Your “neighbours” are yourstudents! It is with them that you spend yourday. They are the ones who expect guidancefrom you, direction, an answer and, evenbefore that, good questions!

The duty of a good teacher – all the more so ifyou are a Christian teacher – is that of lovingwith greater intensity the more difficult, theweaker and the more disadvantaged pupils.

Jesus would say: if you love only those who  study, who are well behaved, what merit have you?

And if there are those that make us loseour patience, we must love them more! Any teacher is at ease with these students.

I ask you to love the “difficult” studentsmore, those who don’t want to study, thosewho are in conditions of hardship, the disabled, the foreigners, who today area great challenge for the schools.

If a professional association of Christian teachers

wants to witness its own inspiration, it is called to

commit itself in the peripheries of the school,

which cannot be abandoned to marginalization,

ignorance and a bad life.

In a society that struggles to find points of

reference, it is necessary that young people find a

positive reference in the school.

It can do so or become so if it has within itself

teachers that are capable of giving meaning to

the school, to study and to culture, without

reducing everything only to the transmission of

Technical knowledge, but aiming to build an

educational relation with each one of the

students, who must feel accepted and loved

for who he is, with all his limitations and

potentiality.

In this sense, your task is all the more necessary.

And you must teach not only the contentsof a subject, but also the values of lifeand habits of life - the three things you must transmit.

To learn the content, a computer is sufficient,

but to understand how one loves, to understand what the values andhabits are that create harmony in society, a good teacher is necessary

The first attitude of an educator is love. It is tothese figures, you also can look, Christianteachers, to animate from within a school that—leaving out of consideration of its State or non-State management - is in need of credible educators and witnesses of a mature and completehumanity. Witness – and this is not purchased, it’snot sold: it’s offered…

…On the professional plane, it’s necessary to update one’s own didactical competencies, also inthe light of the new technologies; however, teaching is not only a job:

teaching is a relation in which every teacher must feel totally involved as a person, to give meaning to the educational task to

ones’ pupils

…I encourage you to renew your passion

for people – one cannot teach without

passion!  -- in your process of formation,

and to be witnesses of life and of hope.

Never, never close a door;

open all of them wide,

so that students

will have hope.

Paediatric Hospital, AsuncionJuly 11, 2015

We need to learn from you. We need to learn from your trust, your joy, and your tenderness.

We need to learn from your ability to fight, from your strength, from your remarkable endurance.

Some of you are fighters. And when we look at young “warriors” like you, we feel very proud…looking at you gives us strength, it gives us courage to trust, to keep moving forward.

Pilgrimage Staff…a symbol

Carries its own message