As we mourn and pray for the soul of Pope Francis and celebrate the election of our new Holy Father, Pope Leo XIV, I have been reflecting on a few phrases from the writings of Pope Francis. Each quotation has shaped how I think and live, and continues to resonate deeply.
In his 2015 encyclical Laudato Si’ (On Care for Our Common Home), Pope Francis wrote:
“… once our human capacity for contemplation and reverence is impaired, it becomes easy for the meaning of work to be misunderstood … Work should be the setting for this rich personal growth, where many aspects of life enter into play: creativity, planning for the future, developing our talents, living out our values, relating to others, giving glory to God.” (LS, 127)
This reminds me that we must live and work with a sacramental worldview. As Emily Stimpson Chapman explains, this worldview embraces doing everything — thinking, praying, dressing, playing, and even working — for God. In terms of work, she writes that it’s not what we do but “how we make every minute of our workday a silent witness to the God we love” (These Beautiful Bones: An Everyday Theology of the Body, p. 51).
When we limit time for contemplation, we reduce our capacity for reverence and lose sight of the purpose of work. But when we remember that God has given us the earth, our lives, and our place within creation, we begin to live reverently and work purposefully — not only for ourselves, but for others and for the future. To care for the earth, every person, and all creation, we must adopt a sacramental worldview that gives God glory in all things.
In Fratelli Tutti (All Brothers, 2020), Pope Francis wrote:
“… each new generation must take up the struggles and attainments of past generations, while setting its sights even higher. This is the path. Goodness, together with love, justice and solidarity, are not achieved once and for all; they have to be realized each day.” (FT, 11)
These words feel especially relevant today. As Francis also reminded us:
“Forgiving does not mean forgetting” (FT, 250).
We can ask for forgiveness and extend it to others, but we must not forget what was done — we must learn from it. Reconciliation and growth come through listening, learning, remembering, and changing. Forgiveness and healing begin with acknowledging mistakes — in how we’ve treated one another, the environment, Indigenous peoples, immigrants, and those suffering poverty or discrimination — and choosing to act with love, justice, and solidarity.
“Revenge resolves nothing” (FT, 251). If we want to teach our children well, we must encourage them to break these cycles of harm by living with compassion, humility, and truth.
Francis also warned:
“… belief and worship of God are not enough to ensure that we are actually living in a way pleasing to God.” (FT, 74)
It’s a reminder that faith must be visible in our lives. In his apostolic letter Desiderio Desideravi (On the Liturgical Formation of the People of God, 2022), Pope Francis wrote that we must live “Sunday to Sunday,” sustained by faith and worship — not just formally, but in our thoughts, choices, and actions. Worship shapes us, but it must also transform the way we live.
To live in a way pleasing to God, we must embrace a sacramental worldview. We must see God’s hand in nature, in others, and in everything we do. That includes our work, our reconciliation with others, and the way we raise future generations.
I am grateful to Pope Francis for helping to form in me a deeper sense of reverence and a clearer path to living out my faith. And I am hopeful for the future. Last year, Cardinal Robert Prevost said:
“The bishop is not supposed to be a little prince sitting in his kingdom.” (College of Cardinals Report)
As Pope Leo XIV begins his pontificate, I take encouragement from that humility and hope he will continue to model a sacramental worldview — Sunday to Sunday.
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