October 12: Going out, coming home

The Pope writes of “informal preaching” —the kind “which takes place in the middle of a conversation, something along the lines of what a missionary does when visiting a home”—as the “daily responsibility” of the Catholic faithful.

But those conversations could also take place in the streets. “John XXIII was also a priest who went out onto the street,” he said in one interview. “As the patriarch of Venice, he would usually go out around eleven to Saint Mark’s Square to perform the so-called ‘rite of the shadow,’ which entailed sitting in the shade of a tree or outside a bar, drinking a glass of white wine, and spending a few minutes speaking with parishioners. He did this like any Venetian, and then continued with his job. For me, this is a true pastor: someone who goes out to meet people.”

In Pope Francis’ personal dictionary, “going out” has a special resonance. In that same interview, he said, “The act of getting out there to meet people also means getting out from ourselves a bit, getting away from the enclosure of our own opinions to see if they might also be an obstacle, if they are somehow closing the door to God …”

In other words, the “personal dialogue” that is the “first step” in what he calls informal preaching — “when the other person speaks and shares his or her joys, hopes and concerns for loved ones, or so many other heartfelt needs”—is also an opportunity to go out of our own home, so we can return to it like a missionary on a visit.