Requiescat in Pace reflection by Sister Joan Marie Stelman, OSB
This has been a bittersweet celebration of Easter for Catholics who awoke on Monday morning to hear of the death of Pope Francis.
Requiescat in Pace means “rest in peace,” and it is an integral part of our prayers for the dead. That being said, it is hard to imagine Pope Francis wanting to simply rest peacefully. I would imagine him to be reaching out to others – listening to those who are struggling in any way, providing words of comfort and encouragement, giving a hug to console someone who is grieving.
It seems fitting that he did not die during the last Holy Days of Lent or on Easter Sunday, because I imagine that he would not want to miss those days if he possibly could stay and minister to his flock. On Easter Monday, we celebrate Emmaus Day, the day when the apostles traveling on the road encounter Jesus without realizing who he is. In honor of this day, we often go for a walk or take some other sort of symbolic or real journey. Pope Francis embarked on the ultimate Emmaus Day journey – traveling home to our God in heaven.
This Sunday, on the eighth day of Easter, we celebrate Divine Mercy Sunday. St. John Paul II, who decreed the celebration of Divine Mercy on this day, said, “As a gift to humanity, which sometimes seems bewildered and overwhelmed by the power of evil, selfishness, and fear, the Risen Lord offers His love that pardons, reconciles, and reopens hearts to love. It is a love that converts hearts and gives peace. How much the world needs to understand and accept Divine Mercy!”
Pope Francis did all that he could to touch the world with love and open our eyes to the loving mercy that God pours out to each one of his children. May Pope Francis now know the fullness of God’s mercy and live for eternity wrapped in God’s love.
There will be many Masses said this coming week in Pope Francis’ memory, beginning on Saturday, April 26, with his funeral Mass. This will begin at 10:00 a.m. in Rome or 3:00 a.m. CST. The entire Mass will be available on the Vatican Media YouTube site among other places.
https://www.youtube.com/@VaticanNews
More prayers can be found on the website of the United States Council of Catholic Bishops: http://usccb.org/pope-francis-resources-memoriam