Christ in the Storm: An Extraordinary Blessing for a Suffering World

by Pope Francis, John L. Allen Jr. (Foreword), Timothy P. O'Malley (Introduction)

Winner of a third-place award in Pope Francis books from the Catholic Media Association.“Why are you afraid? Have you no faith?”—Mark 4:40 As he calmed the storm at sea, Jesus reproached the apostles for their lack of faith. On March 27, 2020, Pope Francis used the Gospel passage as a sign of God’s forgiveness and healing during the Extraordinary Urbi et Orbi Blessing from an empty St. Peter’s Square. Even more than a year later, the Holy Father’s words offer hope to a world that continues to fight its way back from the COVID-19 darkness.Christ in the Storm is the first book on the Pope’s powerful and hopeful message during what we now know was just the beginning of the worldwide pandemic. This beautifully designed hardcover book gathers color photos, readings, the pope’s homily and blessing, and also provides explanation of the symbolism and history throughout the event to create a powerful reminder that Jesus is always with us and that God’s love never fails. It is not only a stunning keepsake of the Holy Father’s important blessing, but more importantly a prayer resource you will return to again and again. An Urbi et Orbi Blessing (Urbi et Orbi means “to the city and to the world”) is usually reserved for Christmas and Easter, but Pope Francis used his powerful and moving message to unite the world in prayer in the wake of the coronavirus. History will remember the dramatic images of the Holy Father walking alone in St. Peter’s Square at twilight in the rain and his profound words of hope. The Pope said,   "Faith begins when we realize we are in need of salvation. We are not self-sufficient; by ourselves we we need the Lord, like ancient navigators needed the stars. Let us invite Jesus into the boats of our lives. Let us hand over our fears to him so that he can conquer them. Like the disciples, we will experience that with him on board there will be no shipwreck. Because this is God’s turning to the good everything that happens to us, even the bad things. He brings serenity into our storms, because with God life never dies." In addition to reading about the historical background of the event, you also will learn the significance of elements of the unique and deeply moving service, including the icon of Mary, Health of the Roman Peoplethe Miraculous Crucifixplenary indulgenceprayers such as the Litany of SupplicationEucharistic AdorationChants such as the Tantum Ergo

105 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 2, 2020

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

[Katie]

I’ve had this for a while and picked it up the other day when I was stretching as a way to pass the time. It’s short, simple and powerful. One of the best things I did during quarantine last March was watch/participate in love the Urbi et Orbi blessing.

It was a extreme comfort in the midst of darkness. And beautiful. The image of the Holy Father in St. Peter’s square, in the dark, in the rain won’t soon be forgotten.

The book has a few introductory sections, then the reading and his homily, followed by the prayers each with an explanation of the history.

I do wish this was a little bigger in size. It’s smaller than a standard book so not really a coffee table book.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

[Sjervey]

The Pope brings hope to a world facing a pandemic

It was hard to rate this. My rating is really for the extraordinary homily given by the Pope as part of a very moving service. The book presents every part of the service but it a!most looks like padding to fill out a book. Still, it is a vibrant part of the liturgical life of the church. There are also a number of striking photographs.

[Freddy]

An extraordinary book documenting an extraordinary moment in human history.

A book filled with photos that stir the soul and prayers that call out to God. It vividly captures a night that very few Popes have experienced and the soul of a man call forth to carry a burden not unlike the Cross carried by our Lord Jesus Christ.

[Keenan]

A brief but comprehensive book that captures this powerful moment in history. There's an apologetic approach that makes this accessible for those less familiar with Catholicism, but there is also a lot here with which devout Catholics can pray. This is an essential document for the story of the COVID-19 Pandemic.

[Nithila P.]

Perfect meditation for this exceptionally dark time - the dawn of 2021, fogged thick by the silence of the countless souls battling COVID19. Thank you Papa Francis. The relics you chose speak so powerfully - as does the empty square in the Vatican where you broadcast your prayer.

[Thomas G. Peterson]

Popes annual blessing in St Peter's square.

The contents of this book is a great tribute to how Pope Francis handled the blessing in spite of the restrictions due to convince restrictions.
You see a lonely Pope in the huge square begging God's help for all in this time of need.