The Infinite Tenderness of God: Meditations on the Gospels

by Pope Francis

Sit at the feet of Pope Francis as he preaches to you! This collection includes highlights of the Holy Father's homilies and addresses on Gospels texts, beginning with the birth of Jesus and ending with the resurrection appearances. Short, digestible reflections provide plenty of food for thought and prayer. Pope Francis continually urges his flock to read the Gospels in order to get to know Jesus. This book will help you do so. As always, you can count on the pope s words to both challenge and comfort you as you seek to live out your faith in concrete ways.

175 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2016

About the author

Pope Francis (Latin: Franciscus; Italian: Francesco; Spanish: Francisco; born Jorge Mario Bergoglio, 17 December 1936) was the 266th Pope of the Roman Catholic Church, a title he held ex officio as Bishop of Rome, and Sovereign of the Vatican City. He chose Francis as his papal name in honor of Saint Francis of Assisi. Francis was the first Jesuit pope, the first from the Americas, the first from the Southern Hemisphere and the first non-European pope since the Syrian Gregory III, who died in 741.

Born in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Bergoglio worked briefly as a chemical technologist and nightclub bouncer before beginning seminary studies. He was ordained a Catholic priest in 1969 and from 1973 to 1979 was Argentina's provincial superior of the Society of Jesus. He was accused of handing two priests to the National Reorganization Process during the Dirty War, but the lawsuit was ultimately dismissed. He became the Archbishop of Buenos Aires in 1998 and was created a cardinal in 2001 by Pope John Paul II. He led the Argentine Church during the December 2001 riots in Argentina, and the administrations of Néstor Kirchner and Cristina Fernández de Kirchner considered him a political rival. Following the resignation of Pope Benedict XVI on 28 February 2013, a papal conclave elected Bergoglio as his successor on 13 March.

Throughout his public life, Pope Francis had been noted for his humility, emphasis on God's mercy, concern for the poor, and commitment to interfaith dialogue. He was credited with having a humble, less formal approach to the papacy than his predecessors, for instance choosing to reside in the Domus Sanctae Marthae guesthouse rather than in the papal apartments of the Apostolic Palace used by his predecessors. In addition, due to both his Jesuit and Ignatian aesthetic, he was known for favoring simpler vestments void of ornamentation, including refusing the traditional papal mozzetta cape upon his election, choosing silver instead of gold for his piscatory ring, and keeping the same pectoral cross he had as Cardinal. He maintained that the church should be more open and welcoming. He did not support unbridled capitalism, Marxism, or Marxist versions of liberation theology. Francis maintained the traditional views of the church regarding abortion, euthanasia, contraception, homosexuality, ordination of women, and priestly celibacy. He opposed consumerism, irresponsible development, and supported taking action on climate change, a focus of his papacy with the promulgation of Laudato si'. In international diplomacy, he helped to restore full diplomatic relations between the U.S. and Cuba.

Reviews

[Sr. Mary · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent book of meditations. I am recommending it to all Pope Francis lovers and to all who like a deeper look at Sunday Gospels. It is appropriate and lends to deeper reflection and a more concrete Christian living.

[Marty Monforte · Rating 4 out of 5]

“The Infinite Tenderness of God:Meditations on the Gospels: Pope Francis” is a compilation of some of Pope Francis’ reflections and meditations on the four gospels. There are 60 meditations and reflections that come from 60 different homilies that Pope Francis has given on different gospel passages.

Some of the themes of the meditations include the following: The Faith of the Virgin Mary; the good example of St. Joseph; God’s constant presence in our lives; our encounter with Jesus Christ; the importance of Jesus in our families; God’s ability to heal us spiritually; the importance of God’s word in the Bible; the desire that Jesus has to save everyone; the compassion that Jesus has on people; the ability of Jesus to change and transform us; the opportunity to turn to Jesus for help and our calling to help others; and many other themes associated with the gospels.

In some cases, Pope Francis summarizes the gospel passage before he offers a reflection or a way of applying the gospel passage to today’s world. His reflections and meditations are inspirational and instructive as they encourage us to live the gospel message of love, forgiveness and service of others. His reflections reinforce the importance of faith, hope and love. They reinforce the calling of Christians to imitate and follow Jesus Christ in all that we say and do.

For many years, the gospels have been a source of strength and grace for countless individuals. They have given hope and inspiration to many people, and they have had a positive effect upon society and the world. They encourage meditation and reflection, and can be even more inspiring when they are discussed and talked about. This book adds to the excellent collection of writings about the four gospels that people have talked about and discussed.

When reading this book, a person could read a reflection everyday or read multiple reflections a day. There are different ways to approach this book. It is also a book that a person could utilize as a reference that could be read periodically more than once.

I would recommend this book for any Christian or person of good will who is seeking to get closer to God.