Pope Francis was a man of peace, compassion, mercy, faith and love. A man for others. He reminded us of our common humanity, our responsibility to care for each other and for our planet. We give gratitude for his life, he will be greatly missed.
Pope Francis often spoke about mercy. In fact, he declared 2016 to be the Jubilee of Divine Mercy. On Sunday, 3 April 2016, Pope Francis delivered a homily at Saint Peter’s Square, speaking about mercy. The last paragraph of the homily concludes with these words:
Truly, God’s mercy is forever; it never ends, it never runs out, it never gives up when faced with closed doors, and it never tires. In this forever we find strength in moments of trial and weakness because we are sure that God does not abandon us. He remains with us forever. Let us give thanks for so great a love, which we find impossible to grasp; it is immense! Let us pray for the grace to never grow tired of drawing from the well of the Father’s mercy and bringing it to the world. Let us ask that we too may be merciful, to spread the power of the Gospel everywhere, and to write those pages of the Gospel which John the Apostle did not write.
