Culture of Encounter

Pope Francis often speaks of a "culture of encounter." He says that we need to "go out of ourselves to encounter the other," especially the poor. He lives this himself in reaching out to strangers, to the homeless, to those of other faiths, to refugees, to youth, to prisoners, to the sick and those with special needs. A true encounter means looking into the eyes of the other, touching the person, opening our hearts to him or her. It's not just writing a check, but feeling their skin. The top one percent of our society rarely run into those who live in poverty and need. Even the middle class have to make an effort to get to know the poor on a personal basis.

Pope Francis models this "culture of encounter" in his visits to other countries, in his audiences, in his phone calls, in his daily liturgies. His personal touch is changing the face of the Church from a private enclave to an inclusive presence. A pastor must take on the "smells of his sheep," to be one with them, Pope Francis says. From his days as pastor and bishop in Argentina, he emphasized dialogue. "To foster encounter, the most useful tool is dialogue, to create the capacity for dialogue," he said. "When a person enters into an encounter, he begins to dialogue, and dialogue means not simply hearing but listening." May we learn to listen with the "ear of our heart," as St. Benedict would say.

“the thing the Church needs most today is the ability to heal wounds and to warm the hearts of the faithful; it needs nearness, proximity. I see the Church as a field hospital after battle.”

                                                                 Pope Francis