Pope Francis I

After a surprisingly short conclave, our new Pope, takes the name of Francis, the Poor Man of Assisi, whose vocation was given to him by Jesus in a vision in the crumbling church of San Damiano when he heard the voice of Jesus speaking from the crucifix which was still hanging from the ceiling: "Francis, rebuild my Church," At first, Francis understood the command to mean restoring San Damiano, but later it became apparent that by calling the Body of Christ to return to the simplicity of the Gospel, he would help rebuild the entire Church. By being the first to take take the name Francis, it seems our new Pope has assumed this same same agenda: unify a divided Church, devote special care to the poor, and reform the governmental structures, which have grown crusty over the years and in some cases hinder the Church's mission. A huge task, but we trust that the Holy Spirit will give this man the energy and vision to move quickly and effectively on it. No doubt St. Francis himself is smiling on him and in his heart is assuring him that he is not alone. By our prayers, let us be with him too.
Bro. Rene