Fr. Dominic from China reflects on the Rome/Assisi pilgrimage:
I am very pleased that I had a chance to go to Rome and Assisi. Thanks be to God.
First, St. Peter’s Square and St. Peter’s Basilica are world famous. I can use a few words to describe them: amazing, wonderful, fantastic, splendid, marvelous, excellent, absolutely fabulous! As a priest of the Catholic Church, I am proud of this.
Second, Pope Francis is a great person; he is humble and amiable. Even though he is old, he receives many people who wish to be close to him. He not only uses actions, but also his counsel to lead humans to seek truth.
Third, many Christians came from different countries hoping to see the Holy Father. For a long time, people stood outside even though it was raining. If they could shake hands with the Pope or get a blessing from the Pope, they felt satisfied. All of this for me was great and deeply inspiring. So I should be the best priest I can be, one who has virtue and faithfulness. I also should use even my limited time to do amazing things.
After I visited Assisi, I have thought about the life of St. Francis. He was born rich and chose to be poor. He was loyal to God all his life. He was a follower of the Gospel and was a man of peace. He gave peace to every person he met. He was a bright star of our Church. He is also my favorite saint.
I often think that Francis and I are people who were called by God in a special way. Francis left many valuable treasures to humanity. But me? This is always a subject of introspection for me. I think that I should learn from him and also to be an instrument of the peace of God. Saint Francis of Assisi’s prayer of peace is my favorite. St. Francis of Assisi, pray for me!