Don't hold back when
praying to God -- tell him exactly what's wrong and insist on holding
him to his promises, Pope Francis said. Prayer should be like speaking
face-to-face with a friend: "without fear, freely and also with
insistence," the pope said in his homily April 3 during an early morning
Mass in the chapel of the Domus Sanctae Marthae. Pope Francis' homily
focused on the day's reading from the Book of Exodus (32:7-14), in which
Moses begs God to spare his people, even though they have created a
golden calf to worship as their god. God says he's going to let his
wrath "blaze up against them to consume them," but Moses reminds the
Lord that these are his own people he has saved before and has promised
to make their descendants "as numerous as the stars in the sky." Pope
Francis said that, in the day's reading, Moses shows what praying to God
should really feel and sound like: not filled with empty words, but a
heartfelt, "real fight with God." Moses is courageously insistent and
argues his point, the pope said, and prayer must also be "a negotiation
with God, presenting arguments" supporting one's position.
Finding St Anthony Among the Lost Items
Saint Anthony of Padua, though often associated with finding lost articles, was primarily known in his lifetime as a powerful and eloquent preacher. Originally a Canon Regular of St. Augustine, he was inspired to join the newly formed Franciscan order after witnessing the martyrdom of the first Franciscan missionaries in Morocco. His conversion to the mendicant life under St. Francis of Assisi transformed him, deepening his commitment to poverty, humility, and evangelical preaching. Gifted with profound theological knowledge and a captivating speaking style, he traveled across Italy and France, drawing immense crowds with his clear and passionate sermons, converting many and combating heresy with his unwavering faith and intellectual rigor. Beyond his public ministry, St. Anthony was a mystic who enjoyed profound spiritual experiences, most notably a vision of the Infant Jesus. This intimate connection with the Christ Child is a hallmark of his iconography, often depicting him c...
