When people experience dangerous situations, "praying means listening to the voice that can give us the same courage as Joseph, to face difficulties without succumbing.” - Pope Francis
“Contemplating Mary who lays Jesus in the manger, making him available to everyone, let’s remember that the world can change, and everyone’s life can improve only if we make ourselves available to others, without expecting them to begin.” - Pope Francis
“There is no freedom without love,” Pope Francis said. “The selfish freedom of doing what I want is not freedom because it comes back to yourself, it isn’t fruitful.”
The law is a path and “may the Lord help people walk along the path of the Ten Commandments, however, by looking at Christ’s love, the encounter with Christ, knowing that the encounter with Jesus is more important than all the commandments,” he said. - (Excerpt)
Pope Francis wrote the homily for the first World Day for Grandparents and the Elderly Mass July 25 in St. Peter's Basilica, celebrated by Archbishop Rino Fisichella. “Let us protect them, so that nothing of their lives and dreams may be lost. May we never regret that we were insufficiently attentive to those who loved us and gave us life."
During Pope Francis' Feb. 21 Angelus address, he warned against engaging in dialogue with the devil but to remain strong in faith through prayer and penance.
Pope Francis contemplates on St. Matthew's Gospel that "Jesus does not lift up a lament to the Father" but rather a joyful song of praise. So must we in this time of crisis.
Catholic communities and groups that claim to be working to improve church life, but attempt to do so without prayer, the Eucharist and unity with the rest of the church sadden the pope.