Matthew 5:13 – (Jesus said,) “You are the salt of the earth.”

Gratitude Day 938

“Dear brothers and sisters, Happy Easter.”

With these simple words, Pope Francis began his unexpected Easter message at St. Peter’s square in Rome last Sunday. The Pope hadn’t been well. No one really expected him to deliver the Easter message.

But he did.

And less than 24 hours later, he had died.

In his last role as Pope, this man wished the 50,000 people in the square a Happy Easter.

Amen.

Whether you are Catholic or not, I pray that we can agree this man dedicated the end of his life to serving God and serving his neighbor. Truly, he lived out Jesus’ words to life out these two rules: love God and love your neighbor.

This salt of the earth guy did exactly this.

Much has been written about Pope Francis these last days. This morning, his funeral service will be shown around the world. This humble servant has specifically embraced this attitude while sharing his final wishes for how things would be handled after his death. It’s a lesson on humility that should be studied and embraced. As the leader of the largest Christian church in the world, Pope Francis rhetorically washed other people’s feet, just as Jesus taught us. Again and again and again.

No, Pope Francis wasn’t perfect. None of us are. Yet, he lived his faith. He loved his God. He expressed grace and mercy. I pray we are inspired to do the same.

For a life of servant leadership , I am thankful.

Blessings –
Dianne

Holy God – Thank you for people, like Pope Francis, who inspire us with the way they treated others. Help me embrace a humble heart and a desire to fully love You and my neighbors to the best of my ability. Help me embrace an attitude to be the salt of the earth in how I live. Amen.

Looking for a bit of daily inspiration? Check out my daily affirmation posts on Facebook and Instagram (Dianne Deaton Vielhuber and Simple Words of Faith.)

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