Pope Francis' 50th Anniversary of Ordination Dec. 13: Let's make spiritual bouquets

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Tis_Bearself

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Pope Francis’ 50th anniversary of being ordained will be Dec. 13 of this year. The Vatican released stamps. I like the “Young Bergoglio” one.


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With all the hubbub about the Synod, and people complaining about the Pope on every online forum, this anniversary seems to be going under the radar. I only found out about it because I somehow got on Archbishop Lori’s mailing list and received a request for contributions to a “spiritual bouquet” for the Pope, which turned out to be the diocese wanting people to write inspirational testimonies of which the Diocese will pick the best ones and make them into a book to be sent to the Vatican. Since I am currently tired all the time and being bombarded by Amazon Synod-related media from every outlet, I don’t really feel up to putting inspirational thoughts together, nor do I want to be part of an essay contest to make a book that His Holiness is unlikely to even have time to read (no doubt he will get such things from all over the world), so I decided to just pray for him between now and Dec 13 instead. I have a devotion during November that involves trying to say as many Rosaries as possible, so extra ones I say for him will go towards that, and I can offer some Adoration hours too.

Anybody else want to add to a prayer spiritual bouquet for the Pope? I’m not going to be sending him a note or anything, God will hear and apply our prayers and Pope Francis will probably be just as happy we pray for him rather than sending him another piece of mail to be filed or object to be dusted.

I’ll start the Spiritual Bouquet thread over in Prayer Intentions and anybody who wants can add to it.

Edited to add, Click Here to add to the Spiritual Bouquet prayer thread for Pope Francis.
 
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Honestly, I’m not sure that I would participate in this. The last time Pope Francis received a spiritual bouquet, he criticized those who offered it to him for “counting prayers”. I would probably rather say prayers for another cause.
 
It’s a totally voluntary activity. I am sure there are many people who don’t want to participate for one reason or another. So if someone doesn’t want to do it, that’s fine.

At the same time, whether the Pope approves of people praying for him or not, God like I said hears the prayers. Perhaps the Pope’s aversion to traditional prayer forms (Not unheard of among some clergy his age) is why Archbishop Lori is collecting inspirational essays instead, to actually send to the Pope. I do not plan to send anything to the Pope telling him we did X amount of prayers. The prayers will go straight to God who will help the Pope.

And even if the Pope objects to “counting prayers”, surely he wouldn’t object to me sitting in front of the Blessed Sacrament for an hour? In any event, I am going to be sitting there whether Pope Francis likes it or not because I find it a spiritually fruitful activity, and there is no harm in asking God to use the hour to benefit our Pope. All Popes need such benefits.

One can also read Scripture, which I cannot see the Pope objecting to. Or contribute money to the Missions and ask God to use the spiritual benefit to help the Pope. I am sure the Pope would like that. In fact I’ll do some of these things myself.
 
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We should be praying for the Holy See and the Pope specifically daily.
 
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