Armodoxy for Today: Meaty is okay with me

“Hope” is the name of Pope Francis’ autobiography. This past Lent I decided to read the book as part of my Easter time ritual of accenting spirituality in my life. It took me a while to get through the book, not because it was long or because it was boring. Actually, it was just the opposite. I found the book to be anything but boring and as I read through the 300 pages, I would not have minded if it went longer. The book was meaty. You know what meaty is, right? The fat has been trimmed off and every bite is nutritious. You want to savor the flavor, so you take your time getting through it.

Pope Francis life was meaty. He was a simple man, but the fat had been trimmed off to the point that each bite was nutritious. You were in no rush to end the meal.

Four days before he was elected Pope, Archbishop Bergoglio wrote, Thinking about the next pope: a man who from the contemplation and adoration of Jesus Christ, helps the Church to go out from herself to the existential peripheries, that helps her to be the fruitful mother who gains life from “the sweet and comforting joy of evangelizing.” (p.187, Rome March 9, 2013)

When you read something as meat as this, you can’t just swallow it. You have to chew it, figure out the different tastes, contemplate and apply to your own circumstances. Meaty is a good thing. Pope Francis gave us much to think about through his humble life which he lived modestly. He was grounded and centered in the Gospel. It was what he believed, the way he lived and died. He gave us all much to ponder and much to absorb. We were nurtured by his words and actions.

Let us pray. Heavenly Father, we thank you for the life of your servant His Holiness Pope Francis. May we keep his memory alive in our hearts by allowing his example to nurture our spirits in your Love. In all things we glorify You along with the Son and Holy Spirit, now and always. Amen.