- Read Evangelii Gaudium (Joy of the Gospel): http://w2.vatican.va/content/francesco/en/apost_exhortations/documents/papa-francesco_esortazione-ap_20131124_evangelii-gaudium.html
- Follow Pope Francis on Twitter and use his daily tweets as a reflection for your week: https://twitter.com/pontifex
- Pray the Five Finger Prayer inspired by Pope Francis: http://vaticaninsider.lastampa.it/en/the-vatican/detail/articolo/francesco-francis-francisco-preghiera-38077/
On the March 13, Pope Francis will celebrate the two year anniversary of his election as the head of the Catholic Church. In this time, he has emerged as a moral leader on the global stage, addressing Catholics and the world beyond. In the space of two years, he has proven himself to be one of the most popular leaders in the world. Interestingly, his influence has spread into popular culture, resulting in him being voted as person of the year by Time magazine in 2013. Further, the ‘Francis Effect’ made the cover story for January 2014’s Rolling Stone, ‘‘The Times They Are A-Changin’’. Similarly, in March 2014, Fortune magazine declared him the most influential leader in the world.
One might ask how has Pope Francis earned this title in such a short period of time? The answer is easy: simplicity and approachability, tenderness and service to all. Upon election, the first prayer he led in the Vatican was the Our Father, a gestured that united Christians around the world.In truth, Pope Francis lives by what he preaches, fulfilling his duties with love and joy. The prevailing words that describe his papacy so far are: love, joy, mercy, justice, and hope, rightly earning in the title as the ‘People’s Pope’.
This week: