Many of his words are memorable, but the one that stayed with me is, "So many of you have lost everything. I don't know what to say to you. But the Lord does know what to say to you. All I can do is keep silence and walk with you all with my silent heart. And to each of you, to your heart, Christ responds with his heart from the cross."
Hearing the words of Pope Francis reminds me that I am not alone in this dreary time. Sometimes, my life seems so bleak, so dark. When I'm alone, I have too much time to think. Too much time that I remember past mistakes, the way things turned out for the worse, and find myself in the viselike grip of grief and regret. Things will work out, I think. Maybe not now, but one day. I know that I'll be better than I am now.
Our Pope is a man chosen by God to spread peace and love throughout the world. He knows exactly what to do, and I believe he will bless more people in the future. He can put troubled hearts at ease with a few words of comfort, his gentle gaze and genuine smile. His compassion inspires me to lead a better life. His words give me relief from throes of despondency.
I wish I had seen him in person, but I am thankful that he had come to the Philippines to soothe our case of blues. Pope Francis is plainly and unarguably a blessing to us all.
