Encountering Truth: Meeting God in the Everyday

by Pope Francis, Federico Lombardi (Preface), Antonio Spadaro (Editor)

Experience the morning homilies of Pope Francis and witness  how he continues to change the life of the Catholic Church.
 
Shortly after seven in the morning, Pope Francis gives a brief homily in the little Vatican chapel of Saint Martha, in front of an audience that is always gardeners, office workers, nuns and priests, as well as a growing group of journalists. It is a set appointment, and in some ways a revolutionary innovation, where a pope speaks to everyone, off the cuff, without any written text, as he would have done as a parish priest.

Encountering Truth is a collection of highlights from these homilies from March 2013 to May 2014. Along with summaries by Radio Vaticana (who recorded and transcribed the homilies) and commentary by Father Antonio Spadaro, SJ, these reflections provide moments of inspiration, simplicity, and a glimpse into the papal world very few ever get to experience.

Genres: Religion, Faith, Christianity, Nonfiction, Catholic

416 pages, Hardcover

First published June 16, 2015

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

[7jane · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book contains 186 morning homilies Pope Francis spoke at the chapel of St Martha's House in Rome, shortly after 7am, from March 2013 to May 2014. It's a small chapel that is at that time of the day visited by about 50 people of wide variety: journalists, gardeners, office workers, priests, nuns come hear this Mass, which is taped for later use in the L'Osservatore Romano paper, Vatican Radio (which compiled this book) and also shown online.

The homilies are not written on paper beforehand. They are inspired by the readings of the day (from the Bible) and carried on from there through prayer and mental preparation. It is said that the way in which a priest gives his homilies says a lot about him, and this can apply to the Pope too - Francis really seems to do them well, showing his experience and skills, ability to make a good contact with the audience and no doubt inspire many by each homily here (including us readers of this book).

Each homily is quite short, so this book could be easily used as a daily-meditation text - which suits it perhaps better than just reading it through (though I didn't mind). :) The contents page is quite useful.

Francis repeats some subject through this books, but never so similarly that it would be boring or not giving anything new. The 'warnings' are given in a positive manner, pointing towards ways of improvement, and the comforting really are comforting.

Each homily is easy to understand and not too wordy, in my opinion. I found quite a few of the homilies very exceptionally beautifully, both visually and message-wise. They go straight to the heart.

So if you're interested, do read this. It's very much worth it. :)

[Julie Davis · Rating 5 out of 5]

A promise that comforts, a request for generosity, a mission to fulfill. This is how Jesus makes himself present in the life of a Christian. ...

Promise, request, mission. These three moments are found not only in an active life but also in prayer. First, "a prayer without a word of Jesus and without trust, without promise, is not a good prayer." Second, it is good to ask Jesus to help us be ready to leave something behind, and this gets us ready for the third moment, because there is no prayer in which Jesus does not inspire "something to do."

Early every morning, Pope Francis celebrates a personal sort of Mass in the small Saint Martha chapel at the Vatican. The audience is made up of gardeners, nuns, cooks, office workers, and always changes. What doesn't change is that the pope gives his homilies without notes just as he did when he was a parish priest. This book features highlights from almost 200 daily homilies covering a year from March 2013 to May 2014.

I was enthralled by Antonio Spadaro's introduction which has an in-depth look at how Pope Francis prepares, including what the pope thinks is important in contemplating and conveying the Word of God to the faithful. Spadaro also gives a "map" of the way Francis circles round various topics, engaging them from different angles as the liturgical readings progress day to day. That was a new idea for me, that to get a full sense of his teachings one must patiently look at them from day to day.

I have been reading these homilies as daily devotionals and can testify that the "circular" approach is true. As one works through the liturgy with Francis, one begins to see the way he backs up and tilts his head for different angles on the material we've heard so many times that we take it for granted.

The hunt for the only treasure that we can take with us into the life after life is a Christian's reason for being. It is the reason for being that Jesus explains to the disciples in the passage from the Gospel of Matthew: "Where your treasure is, there also will your heart be." ...

"The Lord has made us restless so that we will seek him, find him, grow. But if our treasure is a treasure that is not near the Lord, that is not of the Lord, our heart becomes restless for things that are no good, for these other treasures ... So many people, we ourselves are restless ... To have this, to get that, and in the end our heart becomes tired; it is never satisfied; it becomes tired, lazy, a heart without love. The weariness of the heart. Let's think about that. ...

(I honestly never thought about St. Augustine's "restless until we rest in you" and "For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." Maybe it's obvious, but it wasn't to me.)

About halfway through I began expecting to be surprised with each homily, even if only by a throw away line that illustrated the main point. The surprise was good because it made me rethink issues, look deeper into myself, and learn to know God a little better.

To be honest, that's not usually the way I feel after reading Pope Francis's writing. So this is a rare find for me. (What can I say? Pope Benedict's style resonated with me from the get-go. It ain't Pope Francis's fault. I get that.)

These are pretty short, about a page and a half usually, and each has the references for the scriptural readings on which Francis was commenting.

This one's good for people who want to know Pope Francis better, need daily inspiration, want a good gift to give new Catholics, need to reinvigorate their relationship with God, and more. Definitely recommended.

[Celia · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book contains 186 entries based on sermons given by Pope Francis in the Vatican Chapel of Saint Martha. The Pope has made a daily commitment to provide these sermons.

Pope Francis is a deep thinker and sometimes I found it hard to understand his message. Still very much worth the read.

I have read this off and on over the past year, typically reading while in the Adoration Chapel.

I will share some of the Kindle notes I have highlighted.

4 stars

[Angela · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was my evening read before bed. It contains Pope Francis's daily homilies, each an easy 2–3 pages that makes it a great format for a daily reader. Often insightful and sometimes humorous, it's great to use as a devotional as it goes through the liturgical year. (I did not follow the same liturgical year, but it was fun reading about Advent during the summer months.)

[Mary · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thought provoking daily sermons with typically lovely prayer at the end of each.

[Stuart · Rating 5 out of 5]

Encountering Truth is a collection of Pope Francis' daily homilies given from St. Martha's Chapel. Fr. Antonio Spadaro wrote the introduction for this 400 page tome. In it he explains the nature of the homilies, Pope Francis' method of delivery, as well as the people who normally attend these homilies, This sets the stage for the homilies and puts them in the correct light before reading them. There are 186 homilies in total with each of them approximately two pages long. They are presented chronologically from March 2013 to March 2014. At the end of every homily are the Scripture passages from that particular. I'd recommend reading the Scripture passages first for context, and then reading the homily. The homilies are vast and varying, and include topics such as hypocrisy, prayer for the Middle East, the idolatry of money.

While I recommend reading every homily, you can just look at the Table of Contents and pick a topic that you think you need to read. One of the ones that spoke to me recently was "Never judge, never bad-mouth." In this homily, Pope Francis tells us, "Do not judge anyone because only the Lord can judge." Next, he tells us to "zip it," and if we have something to say, then say it to the person directly or someone who can help the situation, and not to everybody. Gossip is a big struggle of mine, and you can hear and read so eloquently on why it is harmful or bad for you and the people you are gossiping about. However, hearing it put so bluntly is what some people (myself included) need from time to time.

Encountering Truth: Meeting God in the Everyday is one of the latest books from Image Books and sadly is among the list of last books Image will be publishing. (Read more here.) I'm not sure if we can change Image's mind, but if more Catholics read more and bought more books, we might could. So if you are looking for a solid read, straight from the mouth of Pope Francis, this is the book for you! So pick up a copy, and try and read at least one a day.

[Lauren · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm not Catholic. Nor am I someone who frequents church or associates with a certain denomination of religious affiliations. Requesting this book was a little odd for me. However I am adamantly curious and I figured how many times in a lifetime does one get to read a book written by the current reigning Pope. I would have to imagine not that often.

The book has a gorgeous, yet simple cover featuring Pope Francis delivering one of his morning Homilies from St. Martha's Chapel. The simplicity and elegance of the cover echoes the simplicity and elegance of the entire book.

My favorite aspect of this book was the organization of the book. As an avid reader of self help types of books I think these books tend to get overwhelming. They should only be read in small doses so a person can have time to reflect upon what they have read. The book is divided into 186 chapters. Each chapter is a page or two long. I like that the book is set up so that the reader can find the topic that they need help or guidance with at that particular moment and focus in on the chapter or two that relate to that need. Also each section is extremely easy to read while at the same time packing a lot of punch in the words.

Overall I would recommend this book to anyone looking for a quick. daily dose of inspiration.

I received a copy of this book for free from Blogging for Books in exchange for my honest review.

[Harry Allagree · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a refreshing collection of daily homilies by Pope Francis in the chapel of St. Martha, extending from March 25,2013 to March 20, 2014. He began delivering them 9 days after his election. Fr. Antonio Spadaro, SJ, director of La Civiltà Cattolica notes that the first Mass there was attended by "street cleaners and gardenerss who work in the Vatican. And the first message was this: 'If our hearts are closed, if our hearts are made of stone, the stones find their way into our hands and we are ready to throw them.'"

Francis' message throughout the homilies is completely consistent with his comments & actions up to the present. His conviction & loyalties are clear: 1) God/Jesus/the Holy Spirit; 2) the People of God, the Church, and all other people on the planet, regardless of status, gender, religious belief, etc. His motivating advise is to have an open heart, let God through Jesus guide you, & keep moving forward. One does this, in his view, not so much through words, but mainly though action, deeds of care & compassion for others.

Readers will be delighted with the immediacy which the homilies convey, as if you're sitting there listening to Francis. His use of self-coined words & phrases are absolutely delightful. This is a very inspiring book.

[Amanda Marie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Encountering Truth is a collection of 186 highlights of Pope Francis’s daily homilies from the Casa Santa Marta chapel.

This collection is especially interesting since Pope Francis is speaking without notes in a language that is not his native language.

This collection is relevant to that day’s daily Mass readings and applicable to daily life. These aren’t the encyclicals and apostolic exhortations common to a pope but rather the daily homilies of a priest.

This collection is rather wonderful to read through and each daily homily lists the readings from the day. That really gives this book an extra depth.

I really enjoyed reading this book and would recommend it to anyone who would like to read some short homily summaries from daily Mass with a priest who just happens to be the Pope.

I received this book for free from the publisher via Blogging for Books for review consideration. This in no way affects my opinion of the title nor the content of this review.

This review first appeared at Orandi et Legendi.

[James Frederick · Rating 4 out of 5]

I very much enjoyed this book, but I will readily admit that I did not read it the right way. This is meant to be a devotional, and as a devotional, I think it would have had a lot more meaning. As it was, I read it like a novel, plowing through as many chapters as I could read, at one time.

The chapters cover the homilies (sermons) of Pope Francis for almost exactly an entire year. Each chapter is based on the lectionary readings (scriptures) for a particular day. Ideally, one should read the scripture readings FIRST; (these are listed at the END of the chapter). Then, read the homily and reflect on it. Done in this way, I think this would be a very thought-provoking and powerful book.

As it was, I think I gained a much better appreciation for the Pope and his beliefs. He is a beautiful man and a wonderful Christian. Many of the chapters in this book were really powerful. They would likely have been more so, if I had taken the time to reflect on them, as I should have. I would recommend this book, but it would be best if you did not read it the way that I did. You will get more out of it, the other way.

James

[patrick Lorelli · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book begins with the author explaining how he came to write this book, and how the Homilies from Pope Francis came about. The Pope every morning does mass in a small chapel that holds 50 people and the Homilies are recorded by catholic radio and translated in different languages. There are 186 homilies total and besides the homilies the author gives insight into how Pope Francis comes up with the homily, through meditation, pray, and keeping it simple by not talking so much. Every one of them has a meaning and he does not take too much into getting into what he wants to say. The Pope still believes that his most important duty is saying mass and doing the homily, as he has said he is still a Priest and this helps him stay connected to his beginnings. By him saying mass in this chapel is special for the 50 people that are able to be present. Having lived in a seminary when I was younger we had a chapel that held about 50 people and mass there felt different than in a big church for some reason. This is a very good book. I got this book from netgalley. I gave it 5 stars. Follow us at
www.1rad-readerreviews.com

[Denice Barker · Rating 4 out of 5]

Now hear this. I do not purchase spiritual books. I do not purchase self-help books. I’m not a snob about it, I just prefer not to have someone else tell me what to do. But I chose this book from Blogging for Books to review because I think Pope Francis is a rock star. Never thought I’d hear myself say THAT about any Pope.

This intrigued me. Every morning at seven Pope Francis gives a little homily off the cuff. Nothing written down. And the audience is always different and made up of just people. No cardinals in red hats. These are the gardeners, cooks, everyday people along with some nuns and priests. I wouldn’t mind being one of them one morning.

This book is a collection of some of these homilies. They’re short, just a page and a half. Mere paragraphs. Something you can pick up, look in the table of contents, find one to fit your mood or need and get a little uplift from the Pope. What’s not to like?

[Carol Tilson · Rating 5 out of 5]

An insight to Pope Francis and God

I originally purchased this book at a reduced rate, but after reading it - I would have no problem paying full price. This book is a collection of over 185 daily homilies that are mostly under 2 pages. They were taken directly from our beloved Pope Francis' small Mass that he celebrates daily with your run of the mill Catholics. They are all based on the days scriptures, and are transformed to explain how they are equal to what is happening in everyday life today. Because they are so short, it is a perfect book to read 1 chapter daily or in it's entirety over a few days. Each chapter lists the date and title of the scriptures read so it will be easy to line up with a liturgical calendar. I don't know one devout Catholic that would not enjoy this book. Would definitely make a wonderful gift!

[Kathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am very impressed with this Pope. I am not Catholic, but I enjoy his dedication to the people. Each day that he is in the Vatican, he does a service in the small chapel where he invites the people of Rome. These are regular people like you and me, and he speaks to them from his heart. Lovely book!

[Ji KwangKyu · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Pope is gift for all of us from our loving God.

He is extraordinary person who is the Pope in our Catholic Church. We should thank to God to send him to us as the Pope our Church. I would like to recommend you to read this book, it must be fruitful in your life. Cheers.

[Michael Dean · Rating 5 out of 5]

See my review at the following link: http://ledbytheword.com/book-review-e...

[Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Worth buying! Makes a great aid for daily prayer rather than an all-in-one-sitting. The prefaces are must-reads to really understand the structure.

[Kathryn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Book Riot reading challenge - book about religion

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lots of wisdom contained in brief snippets.

[Patricia Alfatemi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brought me peace and understanding in my walk with Christ. I am absolutely grateful for Pope Francis and his blessed words of grace and love, bringing closer to God.