By Barb Arland-Fye
Editorial
Our diocese asks us to pray for Pope Francis as he battles a life-threatening illness and has provided three short prayers adapted from the Book of Blessings. Among them:
Lord Jesus,
who went about doing good and healing all,
we ask you to bless Pope Francis who is sick.
Give him strength in body, courage in spirit,
and patience with pain.
Let him recover his health,
so that, restored to the Christian community that he watches over,
he may joyfully praise your name,
for you live and reign for ever and ever.
Amen.
Along with our prayers are opportunities to put them into action through participation in this year’s Jubilee Year of Hope. The Holy Father chose the theme of hope for the jubilee, an event that takes place every 25 years as a special time of reconciliation, pilgrimage and coming home (usccb.org/jubilee2025). His decree announcing the jubilee year serves as a blueprint on how to move forward for his sake and ours (https://tinyurl.com/ycxmm4cc).
Read Scripture — “Often we come across people who are discouraged, pessimistic and cynical about the future, as if nothing could possibly bring them happiness. For all of us, may the Jubilee be an opportunity to be renewed in hope. God’s word helps us find reasons for that hope.” Pope Francis reflects on Paul’s letter to the Romans.
Trust in the Holy Spirit — “The Holy Spirit illumines all believers with the light of hope” and “hope perseveres in the midst of trials: founded on faith and nurtured by charity, it enables us to press forward in life.”
Practice patience — “In our fast-paced world, we are used to wanting everything now. We no longer have time simply to be with others; even families find it hard to get together and enjoy one another’s company.” Our “frenetic haste … leads to impatience, anxiety and even gratuitous violence, resulting in more unhappiness and self-centeredness.” The Holy Father advises us to “pray frequently for the grace of patience …” But patience also requires practice!
Make a pilgrimage, physically or spiritually — “A pilgrimage on foot is a great aid for rediscovering the value of silence, effort and simplicity of life.” If you cannot travel to Rome to pass through the Holy Doors of the four basilicas, you can make a pilgrimage to “jubilee pilgrimage” sites in the U.S. and in our diocese. Diocesan pilgrimage sites are St. Mary & Patrick Church of Divine Mercy Parish, West Burlington; Sacred Heart Cathedral in Davenport; Ss. Mary & Mathias Catholic Church in Muscatine; St. Patrick Catholic Church in Iowa City; and St. Mary Catholic Church in Grinnell.
If you cannot make a pilgrimage physically, you can still join in the spirit of pilgrimage through prayer and offering up your sufferings or hardships. To obtain the Jubilee Indulgence, receive the sacrament of reconciliation, the Eucharist and pray for the pope’s intentions.
Work for peace — “The need for peace challenges us all, and demands that concrete steps be taken.” The work of peace begins in our own hearts, examining how we relate to others and our willingness to compromise to achieve peaceful solutions in our homes, communities and nation.
Express openness to life, responsible parenthood — Contact your state legislators (legis.iowa.gov/) and your federal legislators (congress.gov) to enact legislation that supports families and the right of children to be born.
Convey tangible signs of hope — Visit people in the hospital or nursing home, people dealing with health challenges at home, who are lonely. Participate in jail or prison ministry. Reach out to a youth dealing with doubts of self-worth. Offer respite to parents who need a break or provide a meal to a family coping with hardships. Participate in your parish’s ministry to people unable to attend Mass.
Advocate for humane immigration laws — Follow legislative updates on proposed immigration legislation at the state and federal level through the Iowa Catholic Conference and the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (iowacatholicconference.org and usccb.org). Participate in their action alerts.
Alleviate poverty — Donate to or volunteer at food pantries and meal sites, advocate for laws that ensure people earn a just living wage and have access to healthcare, childcare and nutrition assistance as needed.
Believe in God’s love — “I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Rom 8:38-39). Pope Francis is leading the way for all of us.
Barb Arland-Fye, Editor
arland-fye@davenportdiocese.org
