5 VALUABLE LESSONS POPE FRANCIS HAS TAUGHT ME. I HOPE #3 WAKES YOU UP.





Let’s admit it, one way or another, our lives has been touched by Pope Francis’ visit. Every time he flashes his sweet smile or waves his hand, you can’t help but smile yourself. It’s like there is an unexplainable force that thugs at your heartstrings. Some even say, the Pope is like a “big baby.” 

But more than the sweet smile, the loud screaming from the waiting devotees, Pope Francis is teaching us valuable lessons that may or may not change the way we look at life, understand religions and our overall way of life. 

I myself, am learning each day I stood by the side of the road waiting to catch a glimpse of him or every time I see him on tv. He has made me realize that:

1. WE ARE ALL INDEED GODS’ CHILDREN. Equality. Fairness. For in the eyes of God, we are all the same. All the material trappings we have may be taken away from us soon but in Gods’ eyes, you and I are just normal beings, nobody is rich or poor. Maybe this would teach us to prevent passing judgement unto others, prevent us from raising an eyebrow when someone’s way of life doesn’t conform according to our standards. In Heaven, there are no VIP’s, no big bosses – we should all learn to treat each other without judgement, hatred or jealousy. 

2. DO NOT INSULT OTHER RELIGION – if the Pope himself can accept our Muslim brothers and embrace them with open arms, if he can bless leaders and members of other religious sects, why can’t we? God is about LOVE, MERCY AND COMPASSION. Learning to co-exist, to acknowledge that we all have one purpose – to spread love through the word of God. No Judgement and no forcing of beliefs down each others’ throats – that in itself could and would foster PEACE.



3. THERE IS ONLY ONE GOD – and that GOD is whoever resides in all of our hearts. No matter what religion you belong to and though we have different ways of praying or worshipping GOD, he is still GOD, The Father. We have no right to judge how each religion decides to practice their beliefs. We are all serving God, maybe in different ways but yes, we are all serving the Lord. We can express our opinions about how a sect decides to celebrate the Lord but we don’t have the right to judge or react violently or disrespectfully because at the end of the day, the GOD we are insulting, the GOD we are bashing, is the same GOD we all worship and believe in, just in different ways. And if your religion doesn’t teach you to practice RESPECT, then you have a lot of decision-making to do my friend. 

4. A SIMPLE LIFE IS A BLESSED LIFE – Letting go of greed and desire, to live simply without the material trappings that don’t feed the soul. I realized, we must work hard to feed our spirits, to find fulfillment in what we do and not to simply work for money. To devote ourselves in the service of/for others and not the other way around. We should let go of our “bloated sense of self-importance” and the feeling that the world owes us something and everything. 

5. WE SHOULD OPEN OUR HEARTS TO THE NEEDY AND HELPLESS -  yes, I know sometimes we feel resentful because we tell ourselves that we work so hard to earn money and then we are told to give to the poor. But that is how the Lord wants us to be, KIND TO THOSE WHO CAN’T HELP THEMSELVES. We can help in a million different ways. A kind, friendly advice to the broken ones, food for the hungry, a prayer for the disabled and being kind to children. A life lived in service of others without asking anything in return is what Pope Francis teaches us through the words and the strong presence of our Lord. 


No, I am not shoving my opinion down anyones’ throat and I am not saying that I’m planning to become a saint too. What I am saying is that this visit by our Pope has opened my mind and my heart to realizing that there is more to life than the things I thought were important. 

Sometimes, God sends an instrument to us to make us see what we have been missing. This is the time for me to live by my Catholic faith. Thank you POPE FRANCIS for visiting my country, the Philippines. For bringing us hope and inspiring us to live a life according to the words of the Lord. HOPE, that one day, we will all be together worthy to be standing before GOD our Father. 


What about you? What has Pope Francis’ visit taught you? 









Rolled Into One Mom

4 comments:

  1. What I like about the Pope the most is that he never judged anyone. He's really good. I hope all goes well tomorrow.

    http://abovepreciousrubies.blogspot.com/

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  2. we pinoys are really blessed to have been granted a visit by Pope Francis. He is such a great spiritual model, i love him!

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  3. I am not a Catholic but I admire Pope Francis for 3 things: making the Gospel a priority, for having a big heart for the poor and for his humility (He apologised for the wrongdoings of those in the priesthood). May the Lord bless him with good health and long life so that he can do more and hopefully influence more leaders to do good.

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  4. I wasn't fortunate enough to see Pope Francis in the flesh, but I was able to catch up on his messages of love and hope on TV. If all of us will take these to heart, then this nation will be great again.

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