PRAYER INTENTION FOR THE MONTH OF NOVEMBER
For the Pope:
We pray for the Holy Father: as he fulfils his mission, may he continue to accompany the flock entrusted to him, with the help of the Holy Spirit.
We pray for the Holy Father; as he fulfils his mission, may he continue to accompany the flock entrusted to him, with the help of the Holy Spirit.
Pope Francis memorably recommended that the pastors of the church should have the ‘smell of the sheep’. I think we can safely say that he gives an admirable example in this regard. He really does endeavour to put into practice what he preaches. There is no doubt that he has the ‘common touch’ and is energised by his meetings with people. This is also quite remarkable given his struggles with his health and his advancing age.
He takes the trouble to go to the margins of Society and the margins of the Church in search of the members of the Lord’s flock. His concern for refugees was underlined early in his pontificate when he visited the island of Lampedusa. Recently he visited Mongolia, a place which many would struggle to find on a map.
What is interesting about this recent visit is that the number of Catholics in this vast territory is tiny, about one and a half a thousand people. Some might ask whether such a visit is worthwhile, but imagine that impact that such a visit will have on the Mongolian Church itself. Imagine being a Mongolian convert in a country in which you are in a microscopic minority but the Holy Father comes to visit you anyway.
Such journeys convey to us his vision of the ‘flock entrusted to him’. It is a vision which is truly Catholic and warmly embraces the people of the ‘world-Church’ that Karl Rahner wrote about. For the fact is that even with the broader vision of the Church given to us by the Second Vatican Council, in practice the institution lagged behind when it came to putting this vision into practice. We have all heard the jokes about how, when it comes to beatification and canonisation, it really helps to be Italian! I very much doubt that Italian candidates for raising to the altars are today disadvantaged over Mongolian ones or South African ones (to mention a country which is geographically a long way from Rome), but perhaps their advantage has been reduced!
Where is the Lord’s flock then? Who are members of it? These are the questions that Francis is challenging us to consider. For it is not a question only for him, the Chief Shepherd. Anyone with any form of leadership in the church must needs consider it. We all tend to see our local parish as the flock and this is a good start since that is where we can have some immediate influence. I may be more aware of the Mongolian Church now that the Pope has been there but I am unlikely to be able to have any influence there. On the other hand, there may be strangers or newcomers on the margins of my own parish. Just by welcoming them as Francis would, I can push out the boundaries of my own limited vision of the Lord’s flock.
May the Holy Spirit continue to inspire Francis in his challenging outreach to Catholics, all Christians, people of other faiths and all people of good will.
English