I'm still sifting through memories and moments of the big Philly trip to see Pope Francis last September, and I'm still marveling over the monumentalness of it all; the fact that I took a fifteen hour bus ride anywhere, the fact that the city of Philadelphia was so unexpectedly fascinating, and the fact that I was on the same street as Pope Francis all astound me.
Considering how much I love and admire Pope Francis I should really just be marveling about the fact that I'm on the same planet that he is on, shouldn't I? He has so much to teach us about love and kindness and mercy and God and yet we seem to spend so much time arguing about what he says and what he means. We just don't understand him, do we? Sort of like those Pharisees who argued with and questioned Jesus every time he spoke. Truthfully, I have to admit that sometimes when I read the words of Jesus, I don't understand Him, either. I mean, why did He say that He came to bring division? What's that about? Doesn't scripture say that "He shall be peace"? It's just too confusing for me to wrap my head around the whole concept.
But whether or not I always understand Pope Francis doesn't matter because I love him, anyway. And whether or not I always understand Jesus doesn't matter, either, because I
for sure love Him, anyway! I love Him with all that I am.
But back to Pope Francis in Philly-I'm sure it's no secret that I'm a nerd for all things Catholic, so I was thrilled to learn that a
piece of carpeting upon which Pope Francis walked while saying Mass in Philadelphia could be had for the cost of a donation to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. What a unique memento! I dashed off an email to Flemington Department Store in New Jersey lickety-split, sent in a donation to St. Jude's, and within a few days was proudly admiring my future second-class relic of a future saint. Now I just need to have it blessed!
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| The authenticity letter. |
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| I won't sweep my admiration for Pope Francis under the rug! |
Philly Photos
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| Quaint alleys were everywhere! |
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| I loved the majestic and historic buildings. |
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| We saw a lot of bark-less trees. I've never seen anything like them anywhere! |
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| Wish I could have stopped to smell the roses! What a lovely outdoor display! |
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| The City Hall is so beautiful! |
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| I did not try the Pope's favorite coffee. Was it Argentinian, perhaps? |
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| Street musicians! Fun! |
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| Floral-painted garbage trucks! Might as well disguise the smell with something sweet to look at! |
Wow, I only got a medal from a woman friend who attended the event with her son. But it's just as well, I guess, my mantle is pretty full with papal mementos. I continue to have some difficulties with the pope, finding it hard sometimes to separate his teaching actions from the mistakes of secular facts he sometimes makes. I've written about it a number of times, and God seems to keep pushing me to discern His will in the matter.
ReplyDeleteI just found a charm like the one in your post showing Pope Francis on the front, and Philadelphia 2015 on the back. But mine seems to be plain pewter. Can you tell me more about the charm, the finish, etc? Thank you so much in advance.
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