Pope Francis's great testament, the Synod of Synodality.

 After twelve years of an intense pontificate, which left no one indifferent, Pope Francis has passed away. It is a good time to thank God for this Pope, who has opened doors and paths that will undoubtedly mark the life of the Church in the coming years. There are doors that, once opened, are difficult to close. And paths that point in a direction that perhaps the deceased Pope was unable to follow as he would have wished, but which are there, inviting others to follow them.

All Popes have had their admirers and their critics. Since the present leaves a greater mark on us than the past, it might seem that both Francis's admirers and critics have been louder than those of previous Popes. I don't think so. It just so happens that today, with social media, news, sometimes fake, spreads very quickly and with much shouting. John XXIII was also simultaneously admired and criticized. He was hailed as the "Good Pope," but it was also said that it would take at least a hundred years to undo the mess that was the Second Vatican Council.

Francis has been a good continuator of that Council, aware that we are no longer in the 1960s, but in new times, with new problems, or with the same old problems exacerbated: immigration, poverty, inequality, war. The Pope took sides from the outset, recalling that the Gospel is good news for all, but that the poor are its privileged recipients, and that by serving them, we are serving Christ himself.

Two words could characterize this pontificate: encounter and mercy. Encounter with God, of course, and encounter with every human being, who is a sacrament of God, in their specific reality of difficulty. Encounter above all with those who are distant, to make it very clear to them that the doors of the Church are open to them. This requires welcome, hospitality, attentive listening. And embracing people with mercy. Mercy that must also be applied when administering the sacraments, that of reconciliation, of course. But also the other sacraments: because the Church, as the Pope said, is not a customs house, but a house with open doors.

Are there still things to be done? Naturally. But this Pope has achieved one thing: opening paths of dialogue, opening doors so that everyone can be heard. Today, we can speak normally about a series of topics that once seemed taboo: the role of women in the Church and their presence in government positions, the need to overcome clericalism, lay ministries, seeking realistic solutions to the lack of priests, welcoming those who feel excluded and misunderstood because of their human or family situation, the need for a Vatican Curia in which service is decisive. Surely, many issues that are currently in the spotlight still need to mature and be tested. It remains important that we listen to one another, that we can speak without disqualifying one another. Synodality is the very essence of the Church. Possibly Francis's great testament was the Synod of Synodality.

Overcoming death - Resurrecting to an Eternal Life

 

Today's man has arrived Or he's coming to believe himself to own of everything. The science, the technique, the progress and above all, money is giving us security to life and the problems.

We are convinced that sooner or later we will be Owners of everything around us and we will dominate everything. But death comes and we Leave to shrum. Death breaks all our projects and ends with that We thought we had.

And death is nothing but the warning that we are people, we are creatures; that is, we are of God. Whether we want it or not; life does not belong to us in absolute property. Only God is owner and lord of life and death.

This looks like a inevitable tragedy for the human person, It is not for those who have faith: for faith He says it is possible to possess life and even dominate death itself.

Faith shows us Christ as the man you have been able to overcome death, for at all times He has owned himself during his lifetime. It's more. He's promised that the very power over death that follows in his footsteps in life, for all He who believes in Him already has eternal life.

That's why there's nothing but one means of overcoming death, of resurrecting to an eternal life: Believing in Christ is the condition to live with the safety of resurrecting.

And believing in Christ is more That admits a truth or fulfill rites and obligations. Believing in Christ It is to try to live his own life, it is to commit himself, as He, to the defense of the poor and needy. It's opening up to others, no to use them, but to serve and help them.

A person like that, a life Thus, it cannot end in death, but in the Resurrection, like Christ.

Death

Brothers and sisters: an event Sad and painful: the death of a relative, friend, Our acquaintance.

It's already sadly. significant that these have to be the only occasions when we get to meet, to see us, to be able to chat for a while, those of us who stumble many times in the street, at work and we don't stop for a single moment to talk.

We're in a life. So busy, so busy that these occasions have to come in in order to be able to stop for a while, leaving even the things and jobs we think essential and urgent.

I say it's sadly Significantly, because, it seems to me that, as Christians, it is also sad that For many, let's funerals the only moments we enter the church; for others, quite a few too, the only moments when we Let's stop thinking about something other than money, welfare, comfort, To live well.

For some it may be the moment they realize that this life is not everything to the person, because death ends with all the projects and all the illusions of the person.

Yes, folks, death is something hard and sad, but it can be a call from God who we don't hear. All the other calls he makes us in the busy life we've got.

Don't think I want to get in. Fear: what I'm trying to do is make you think people are for something else What to eat, to win fun.

We can do a lot of things. More important in this life, such as concern for others, to build a fairer and freer society and, above all, we can love each other making this life happier, more cheerful, more dignified for everyone.

Why lock us in Our pride or our selfishness? Why separate us u hate each other, if we can join and love each other.