Emphasis Preaching Journal

I don't think it's a stretch to say that the western world is enamored with Pope Francis. He has captured the imagination of both Catholics and non-Catholics alike and it seems like everywhere you look someone is talking about or writing about his refreshing spirituality and enlightenment. A significant spiritual redirection of the church comes with the position of the Vatican Almoner. Pope Francis has re-imagined the office of the Vatican Almoner. The Vatican Almoner is a centuries-old position held by a priest in the Vatican whose task is to go out into the community and minister to the needs of the less fortunate. The Vatican almoner is focused on giving alms -- that old-fashioned term for food given to the poor. In recent times, the position of Vatican Almoner has been held by an older priest who was living out the last few years of his ministry but Pope Francis has changed all of that. He tapped a vigorous, fifty-year old Polish priest named Krajewski to take on the new role. Although the Vatican has many complex and long-term ministries all over the world the Vatican Almoner's role is different for his task is very simple and direct: He is to go out each and every day to provide simple, basic "first aid" ministry to those in need: no complex bureaucracy, it is just simple, direct ministry, in the name of God and his church to the needy and hurting of this world. Here's how every day begins for Almoner Krajewski: He goes to his office, and soon after he arrives, a uniformed officer delivers a packet of letters directly from the apartment of Pope Francis. In this packet are the letters that have been addressed to the Pope requesting his help. As Pope Francis reads these letters, he writes out a simple marching order for Krajewski at the top of each letter, typically no more than a phrase, like: "you know what to do" or "go find them" or "go talk to them." So each and every day Krajewski gets into his little white Fiat and at the direction of Pope Francis responds, as best as he can, to those in need.

Application: We are all able to walk on water, as Peter tried, if we are able to follow the leadership of great men and women of faith who are inspired by Jesus Christ.