FRANtastic!

Isn’t Pope Francis simply fantastic, Father?” Aubrey exclaimed.

“Why do you say so, Aub?” Father Dan removed his glasses and started cleaning the lenses.

“I just read a book about him and another article listed down the 12 most fantastic things about him!”

“Really, like what?” the priest put his glasses back on.

“For example, that he lives in a simple apartment, that he has a Harley Davidson, and….”

“Which I believe he had received as a gift and he later auctioned off to raise some money for some charitable motive,” Father Dan added.

“Oh yeah, right! And that he knows so many languages, and he sold the Mercedes and got a simple second-hand car that has more than a 100 kilometers on top of it already, and…,” Aubrey was literally hyperventilating with excitement trying to remember every detail about Pope Francis.

“Slow down, slow down…,” Father Dan could not help but laugh at the young lady’s excitement.

“I’m sorry Father Dan, but I can’t really wait to see him in person when he comes next year to our very own Philippines.”

“How do you think I feel, Aub?” the priest open the can of Pringles and offered her some.

“Thanks,” she started nibbling at the chips. “This should help me relax a bit,” she sniggered.

“You’re very right there, Aub,” Father Dan helped himself with some Pringles. “We are truly blessed with a wonderful Pope and God gives us a Pope the Church deserves in different world times and conditions.”

“The incredible thing is what makes him fantastic is that he’s sooo extraordinarily ordinary. It isn’t every day that we see a Pope joining in with a selfie or clowning around with children.”

“True, but neither should these be standards to compare one Pope with another. As chosen ones by God, through the Holy Spirit, they are all wonderful instruments for the Church and the world.

Naturally, some seem to outshine the others, but just the same, they all have been providentially elected by God.”

“Thanks for reminding me about that, Father,” Aubrey rectified.

“No problem, it’s just that we have to remind ourselves that the Church and her appointed shepherds are not some abstract democratic entity,” Father Dan said.

“Right! So, what do you think makes Pope Francis fantastic besides all that the media has said so far?”

“Well, media is fond of always highlighting what is externally sensational and extraordinary. In my opinion, what is truly fantastic about the Holy Father are his simple and sincere words asking us to pray for him.”

“But isn’t that something that every Pope, Bishop, priest and even myself would ask for, especially when we are in real need of something?” Aubrey replied.

“That’s so true, but he’s probably the only Pope who said it right after being elected to Peter’s seat. That was truly moving! Moreover, considering that after all that can be said to be fantastic about him, I find it spiritually more motivating to interpret in this Papal petition how he counts on us to help him run the Church,” Father Dan continued.

“I never saw it that way,” Aubrey blinked in surprised.

“Isn’t it amazing to witness that despite all that media claims him to be, and rightly he is what they say he is or has, he is not afraid to reveal his hidden need for our support. It’s as though he were saying, with this heartfelt petition, that the Church needs us, the Pope needs us, society needs us… In other words, that we can’t just be spectators of something fantastic, but he invites us to draw from our own wealth of personal and fantastic gifts to help bring the Church to where –as once he remarked– God wants Her to dock.”

“You mean heaven…?”

“Yes. And he wants to get us there, but counting on us to row the ship of the Church with him.”

“Father…?” Aubrey interrupted the priest.

“Yes?”

“I think I could call that FRANtastic!”