Pope Francis Said Something That Pope Benedict Wouldn’t Want You to Miss

There is “no better place to find God, and to help others to find him, than in the hearts of the women and men” of our time. Most days, if you look at the news or social media — or while waiting in traffic — that can seem impossible. But now and again a story will make the headlines, such as the radical acts of hospitality during the blizzard in Buffalo, that suggests it might possibly be true.

The assertion about opening our eyes to God in the lives of those around us is an insight of Saint Francis de Sales. Buried in the late-December headlines was a beautiful, practical reflection offered by Pope Francis on December 28, the 400th anniversary of de Sales’s death. In Introduction to the Devout Life, de Sales wrote on seeking to live a holy and contemplative life (speaking of things that seem impossible these days). It’s a book that remains as necessary and helpful as when he wrote it.

There is “no better place to find God, and to help others to find him, than in the hearts of the women and men” of our time. Most days, if you look at the news or social media — or while waiting in traffic — that can seem impossible. But now and again a story will make the headlines, such as the radical acts of hospitality during the blizzard in Buffalo, that suggests it might possibly be true.

The assertion about opening our eyes to God in the lives of those around us is an insight of Saint Francis de Sales. Buried in the late-December headlines was a beautiful, practical reflection offered by Pope Francis on December 28, the 400th anniversary of de Sales’s death. In Introduction to the Devout Life, de Sales wrote on seeking to live a holy and contemplative life (speaking of things that seem impossible these days). It’s a book that remains as necessary and helpful as when he wrote it.

KL

About the Author

Kathryn Jean Lopez

Kathryn Jean Lopez is a senior fellow at the National Review Institute and the religion editor of National Review. Sign up for her weekly newsletter here. She is the author of A Year with the Mystics: Visionary Wisdom for Daily Living.