If you are the same at the end of Mass as you were at the beginning, something is wrong. The Eucharist is the presence of Jesus, it is deeply transforming. Jesus comes and must transform you. In the Eucharist, it is Christ who offers Himself, who gives himself for us. He invites us, so that our lives may be nourished by Him and may nourish the lives of our brothers and sisters. The Eucharistic Celebration is an encounter with the Risen Jesus. At the same time, it is a way of opening ourselves to the world as He taught us. Each time we participate in the Eucharist, Jesus comes and Jesus gives us the strength to love like He loved, because it gives us the courage to encounter others, to go out of ourselves, and to open ourselves to others with love. Let us pray that Catholics place at the centre of their lives the Eucharistic Celebration, which transforms human relationships and opens up an encounter with God and their brothers and sisters.
Click here to look back on Pope Francis' past prayer intentions on the Salt + Light Media Blog.
We pray that through work, each person might find fulfillment, families might be sustained in dignity, and that society might be humanized.
Nicholas Jesson reflects on the late pope's achievements on the journey to Christian unity and human fraternity.
On Divine Mercy Sunday, 27 April, 2025, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Pope Francis' Secretary of State, presided over Mass and delivered the homily for the Second Day of the Novendiali and the Jubilee of Adolescents.
At 10 a.m. this morning, on the parvis of the Patriarchal Vatican Basilica, the Esequial Mass for the late Roman Pontiff, Pope Francis, was celebrated with deep reverence and solemnity. The Esequial Liturgy was concelebrated by the Cardinals and the Patriarchs of the Eastern Catholic Churches, with His Eminence Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re presiding. Read the full text of Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re’s homily below.
“That is how the name came into my heart: Francis of Assisi. For me, he is the man of poverty, the man of peace, the man who loves and protects creation.” (Address to Representatives of the Communications Media, March 16, 2013) We are deeply saddened by the death of our beloved Pope Francis on April […]