1. Don’t gossip.
It’s one of our favorite things, taking people apart. But for Francis, it’s also one of the most evil activities. “Every time we judge our brothers in our hearts or worse when we speak badly of them with others, we are murdering Christians,” says the pope. “There is no such thing as innocent slander.”2. Finish your meals.
No leftovers, please, eat what’s on your plate. Francis slams a “culture of waste” that neglects the plight of the hungry. Nearly 870 million people suffer from chronic malnutrition, says the Food and Agriculture Organization.The pope says: “I encourage everyone to reflect on the problem of food thrown away and wasted so that we identify ways and means which can be a vehicle of solidarity and sharing with the needy.”3. Choose the “more humble” purchase.Take it from the head of state whose popemobile is a 29-year-old Renault.Francis warns against luxury that seeks “the flashy purchase in the latest smartphone, the fastest car, the glitzy fashion.” “Certainly, possessions, money and power can give us a momentary thrill, the illusion of being happy,” he says. “But they end up by possessing us and making us always want to have more, never being satisfied. Rather, ‘Put on Christ’ in your life, place your trust in him, live a sober and unassuming lifestyle and you will never be disappointed!”4. Meet the poor ‘in the flesh.’Sure, we donate money to charity. But this is not enough for Francis. Commitment to the poor, he says, must be “person to person, in the flesh.” “It is not enough to mediate this commitment to the poor through institutions. They do not excuse us from establishing personal contact with the needy. The sick must be cared for, even when we find them repulsive. Those in prison must be visited. The poor are persons and must be treated with respect. Do you have any friends who are poor?”5. Make friends with those who disagree with you. What can we do to our worst critics? We can take our cue from Francis. In November, Francis surprised Mario Palmaro — a journalist who had publicly written “why we don’t like this pope” — telling him “I am praying for you.”Francis calls this a “culture of encounter.” He says: “When leaders in various fields ask me for advice, my response is always the same: dialogue, dialogue, dialogue. It is the only way for individuals, families and societies to grow, the only way for people to progress.” 6. Do make commitments — such as marriage.“Don’t be afraid to say ‘forever’,” says the pope. “There are those who say that marriage is out of fashion. In a culture of relativism many preach the importance of ‘enjoying’ the moment. They say it is not worth making a life-long commitment, making a definitive decision ‘forever’ because we do not know what tomorrow will bring.”
“I ask you, instead, to be revolutionaries, to swim against the tide; yes, I am asking you to rebel against this culture that ultimately believes that you are incapable of responsibility, that you are incapable of true love. Have the courage to be happy, to say ‘forever’.”
7. Make it a habit to ‘ask the Lord’ to be guided by Him. Are you bothered about the future? Pray, the pope urges us, pray regularly for guidance. We usually pray for the things we need. But we also need to be guided by the Spirit who is at work in our lives.“Dear young people, some of you may not yet know what you will do with your lives,” the pope says. “Ask the Lord, and he will show you the way. The young Samuel kept hearing the voice of the Lord who was calling him, but he did not know what to say. Still, he kept saying: ‘Speak, Lord, for I am listening.’ You too can ask the Lord: ‘What do you want me to do? What path am I to follow?’ And surely the answer will come.”8. Be happy.The true Christian, says the pope, exudes great joy. So important is joy to him that the first major document he wrote on his own was titled Evangelii Gaudium (The Joy of the Gospel). The Gospel of Jesus is ‘Good news’ indeed. “Sometimes the faces of Christians are glum and over-serious. They are tense, anxious, angry, bitter. That’s not the way it should be.” “How does this joy come? From trust in the Lord. From asking for his guidance, and trusting in him.” (Sacred Heart, I place my trust in you). Joy spreads itself. If you’re happy, people will see it. It is a gift that walks, walks with Jesus: preaching, proclaiming, comforting, healing. It’s the joy of having a beautiful life.”As Eugene Scalfari, editor of the communist La Repubblica, put it: “If the Church becomes like him, like what he would like it to be, it will have transformed the world.”
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