Pope Francis has worked to keep in the public discourse the issue of
poverty understood in its widest possible sense, said the prefect of the
Vatican Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. "Going well beyond a
merely economic conception of poverty, Pope Francis has tried to
indicate to the world the true poverty of the human condition in our
times: the poverty of body and soul, pointing out all the forces at work
in the world further impoverishing mankind," said Cardinal Gerhard Muller. He made the comments at a conference on poverty. In a keynote
discussion, Cardinal Muller was asked to speak about his 2014 book,
"Poor for the Poor: The Mission of the Church," released by the Vatican
Publishing House. Pope Francis wrote the preface to the book. "The
mission of the church is to free mankind from the poverty of our fallen
condition and constantly remind us that we are created in the image and
likeness of God; we are the object of his divine love; we are called to
the richness of eternal life with him," the cardinal said.
I am just beginning to dive into the beautiful, ancient devotion to the Five Wounds of Jesus, and I wanted to share a bit of the journey with you. It can feel a little overwhelming at first to look at the Crucifix this closely, but I’ve found such a gentle guide in St. Bernard of Clairvaux . In his Jubilee Rhythm on the Passion, Bernard doesn't treat the wounds of Jesus as distant historical facts or sights to be avoided. Instead, he approaches them with the tenderness of a friend, speaking directly to the feet, hands, side, and face of our Lord. For someone like me who is just starting out, his rhythm teaches that prayer isn't just about reciting words; it’s a holy hide-and-seek. Bernard invites us to literally hide ourselves within these wounds, seeing them as clefts in the rock where we can find shelter when our own lives feel turbulent or heavy. As I start this process, I’ve been practicing what I call gazing and greeting. Following Bernard’s lead, I look at the Crucifix an...