Praying with the Popes
- gallagher220
- Mar 3
- 1 min read
I had had my eye on this title for quite some time. Then, a bit miraculously, it appeared in my parish literature rack. I was overjoyed to see it there!
Praying with the Popes is a delightful devotional. It offers words of hope and peace from Pope Leo XIII to our newly-minted Leo XIV. The chapters contain biographical information about the pontiffs, passages from encyclicals and other writings, and prompts for reflection and prayer.
I found the book to be quite inspiring and educational. While I am familiar with Pope St. John Paul II and succeeding Popes, I did not know much about his predecessors. So this work provided some much-appreciated historical context.
I was particularly struck by these words from Pope John XXIII:
"The world will never be the dwelling place of peace, till peace has found a home in the heart of each and every man, till every man preserves in himself the order ordained by God to be preserved."
I write this as war is raging in the Middle East, so the words of the Holy Father really hit home. May peace begin with me!
Thanks for linking to An Open Book this month! Like you, I’m less familiar with the popes preceding John Paul I. This looks like a great introduction to them and devotional.