You founded the Franciscan Order.
I was with you.
You gave up wealth.
You stood naked before the world.
You called God your Father.
You could have been rich.
Instead, you chose poverty.
You begged for food.
You rebuilt broken churches.
You followed the voice of Heaven.
O Pope Leo XIV,
what have you learned from him?
He was once a soldier.
He fell ill.
He changed forever.
He sold all he had.
He walked with the poor.
He taught us that wisdom
is born in poverty.
We still hear your voice, Francis:
"Make me an instrument of your peace..."
Your prayer travels across the world.
It reaches Gaza.
It cries in Ukraine.
It whispers in Congo, Libya, and Sudan.
You asked for love where there is hate.
For hope where there is despair.
For light where there is darkness.
For joy where there is sorrow.
You lived humility.
You loved creation.
You forgave your enemies.
You carried peace like a cross.
Even now,
your spirit moves through time.
It sits upon our hearts.
It shows us the way.
Teach us again, O Saint,
how to be human.
The big bronze bell was tolling
From the façade of St Peter’s
An incessant toll above death
88 clangs from its open mouth
The Angelus Bell rang out
For the years of Francis’ life
Over the sky of Rome
A clear celestial blue
The blue of the Virgin mother
Through which we see God
Men of the clergy on the right
Royals and politicians on the left
The chorus sings the Requiem
No melody can melt away
The broken world of sin
Nor wake the dead lying alone
In a wooden box on the cold stone
As the mourning clouds rolled in
The chair sits empty on the altar floor,
its arms long held memories lost from sight.
Once carrying prayers, uplifting souls,
a silent witness to life now waiting in muted space.
As too my heart and soul are emptied
of the fullness of the humility of the living Christ
An empty silence stands where mercy stood,
a throne calling out to be restored in grace.
Yet in this disquieted quiet the voices
of the dearly loved homeless and un-fed are heard
As the altar watches prayers of devotion rise,
in the emptiness prepared for God to realize.
And His world shall pour its holiness back in,
like dawn returning after the night air has grown thin.
Fullness shall lay on the cushion where absence now sits,
filling the hollow with dignity and strength .
As the sun rises across the valley of the nave
of this incensed filled smoky sadness
A golden rosy light flows through upon the marbled vault,
as a quiet promise of a renewing earth.
Morning air is poised to carry prayers still unsaid,
as promises rising from beyond the dead,
And hope is reborn in radiant glory
out of a now breathing silence into a new unfolding story.
Robert Francis Prevost:
a brilliant man but not one to boast.
He brings a message of peace, love and hope,
and holy smoke! He’s the new pope.
Robert Francis Prevost:
as Leo XIV, he will not coast.
And another thing we know about the man:
he is a devoted baseball fan!
master
pastor
warm smile
no bile
good pope
gave hope
at rest
most blessed
“Consequence”
Smile, Smile, Smile my little child, Smile.
I know you can
Oh, little child of the street.
Pope Francis says,
“You are a consequence,
A consequence of war.”
Your tattered clothes,
Your blackened face,
You’re all alone,
You have no home.
Smile, Smile, Smile my little child, Smile.
I see your tears,
I feel your pain,
You bear the cross
Of mankind’s wrath.
You have no smiles.
Smile, Smile, Smile my little child, Smile
You tell the fate of mankind’s hate.
There is no love.
There is no joy.
You are just a child,
A child of the street,
Who knows not how to Smile.
“Consequence” your name.
My Dearest Pope Francis,
Although your beautiful body is gone, Us Catholics will remember you forever. As a Catholic person, I will never forget you. Your legacy will remain within our hearts. As always, God sends His very best at the right time. I will not mourn for you, you will never be gone to me. The Church may have lost a great soul, but to me, you can never be lost
I as a Catholic, will pray that your soul will meet the Jesus you taught us about. That He will say to you, "Well done, my good and faithful servant.
Your body is done, your mind is at rest, and your soul goes to the Best of the Best. You will meet your colleagues John Paul II and Benedict.
Rest in beauty, Pope Francis
POPE FRANCIS: A 5-7-5 EULOGISTIC TRIO
A man of mercy,
Teaching peace, love, and mercy;
Leaving his spirit behind:-
Timing and ready,
Said goodbye the day before;
Reflecting God's peace and Love:-
A Pope to us all,
A true Catholic Christian:
A universal shepherd:-
FRANCIS OF GOD
Spiritual fruit of God,
Reflector of loving peace,
Pontiff of justice:-
Labors of love completed,
May his spirit remain here:-
The sun is shining and glory be
The birds are singing in the trees
And a picture of paradise is the view of my peace
As I contemplate on the written word
Echoes of child play often heard
Their joyful screams linger on the warm breeze
Playing happily on my street
Like the scent of a rose
A gentle thought
Sweet upon our Sacred Hearts
A walk with Our Lord Jesus Christ
Home beneath her blue skies
The sun is shining his love for me
Heaven upon our Earth
Sings the honey bee ' I am.free '
Amen
the woman was in her sixties
she dressed out well over three hundred pounds
her walking is slow
her breathing is labored
I feel sorry for her
even though we have not met yet
she said “hello, I am Frances.”
I stared, wordless.
Her voice was a ...
tiny
itty
bitty
teensy
weensy
baby girl voice
How did that happen?
St. Francis Hospital, Tulsa Ok.
New Years Day 2017
Miracle Man
A Divine intervention,
that day had taken place.
I’m writing this account,
only through God’s grace.
The Widow Maker and S.C.I.
had put me in that strait.
I was laying at death’s door,
in an unconscious state.
During those comatose days,
I heard God’s Heavenly choir.
But then, I couldn’t fathom,
what would soon transpire.
You’re A medical miracle,
Doctors then proclaimed.
I was The Protected One,
then Miracle Man named.
Five songs played it once,
and I could name each one.
But these beautiful sounds,
weren’t meant for everyone.
For five days I heard songs,
from the tiles overhead.
Doctors later said to me,
“Tom, you should be dead.”
Few words I pen, for today is your day,
A celebration of you, in every way.
Thrilled and happy, my heart does sing,
For your life has been a blessing in everything.
A father you are, steadfast and true,
A husband so loving, through and through.
A godly man, with wisdom to share,
A parent so devoted, beyond compare.
I remember your teachings, I follow them still,
Your words, like treasures, my heart they fill.
I love mothers, they have their own grace,
But today, dear father, you take the place.
Often mothers get the credit, it’s true,
But today I honor and celebrate you.
The care in your eyes, though not your child,
Touched my soul and made me smile.
Forever honored, forever blessed,
For the love you’ve shown, above all the rest.
Happy Father’s Day, with all my heart,
From your loving child, never apart.
Pope Francis gives Catholic priests permission to bless same sex couples, 18th Dec 2023
When the words fell into he's ear
And he said it out in public
It was unclear if it was he who said it
Or there was something in him that did
Cause he said very little
But it's caused lots of thought
Lots of chat on where the church stands
And confusion of what this means going forth
This are trying times for the church
We forget that he's human
He's subject to bias that might not really reflect,
the best interest of the church
This shows he's also like any human
So high up in his head that he forgets
That he can fall even when you high enough
I hope the church doesn't fall with him
When the words fell into our ears
It felt like he was a puppet
Like he was acting in someone else's capacity
But whose best interest he served we might truly never know
The PO£T
Oh Saintly friend
I feel your pain
The world you left us, now
Racked and strained
As patron
Of our Eden land
Destruction here
At human hand
So Francis,
From your lofty view
Come teach us, Spirit
Help us renew
This blue jeweled orb
That we call home
I fear we cannot
Do this alone
So perfectly
Your tender touch
Shaped lives, helped people
Created much
You gave away
Things you acquired
Opposite of where
Our hearts are mired
If there is hope
For nature's calm
We need the touch
Of Heaven's palm
So hear our prayers
As we pray yours
To open wide
Those pearly doors
Cascading colour
Once again
May selfish humans
From selves refrain
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