Walking with Pope Leo during Easter, Episode 2

The Inseparable Bond Podcast

With Fr. Ron Will, CPPS

“We have to state, without mincing words, that there is an inseparable bond between our faith and the poor.”

—”I Have Love You,” the apostolic letter of Pope Leo XIV

In his letter Dilexi Te (I Have Loved You). Pope Leo XIV sets forth a bold agenda for the Church’s action in the world. Leo’s message: God’s heart has a special place for the poor, forgotten and marginalized. God hears the cry of the poor, and God responds through you and me.

Each week during the Easter season, Fr. Ron Will sits down with people who have heard this challenge to make “the poor the heart of the church,” and are responding. Listen in as we meet individuals who have applied this challenge in their personal lives and parish lives.

The guests will share ideas about how we ourselves might do something similar in our own circles of influence, never forgetting that “there is an inseparable bond between our faith and the poor.”

In Episode 2, Fr. Ron talks with Precious Blood Companion Gretchen Baley about her encounters with the homeless and immigrants in an episode titled “Don’t Walk on By.”

 

An excerpt of Episode 2:

Fr. Ron: So, you listeners out there, what are you thinking about in the own area where you live? Maybe you’ve got immigrants, maybe you don’t; maybe you’ve got homeless, maybe you don’t. But how do you feel nudged by the Holy Spirit who wants to come during this Easter season in a special way to help you love the poor, love the poor who God loves in a special way, and who he calls you and me to love in a special way? What small step might he be nudging you?

Gretchen Bailey: Well, for one thing I feel — as a mother and it enables me to say this — that when God looks down on the poor, on the unbathed, on the immigrant, God sees his child. That’s who he sees. I think that’s who we are called to see. And we wouldn’t walk by our own child. No mother would do that. You can’t. I think that’s where we need to go.

It’s not something I can attain every day, but I think that’s what we’re called to do. We’re called to, to go there. I know not everyone lives in the inner city, and you might not have immigrants that you can see, but if you take Uber or you do DoorDash or you go to a foreign restaurant that has foreign food, hey, you will find immigrants there.

I say tip generously. When you go to a hotel, who’s cleaning that hotel? Who’s cleaning the toilets? Who’s folding the toilet paper ends into little triangles and making little poofy things out of the Kleenex? Those are immigrants. Tip them. Leave some money on that dresser top for them. When you get the Uber app, give them five stars. Give a good tip to them. I mean, that’s something you can do. I mean, that’s where they’re working in the service industry at your restaurant, converse with them, sit with them.

I heard about the most wonderful experience during one of our last Zoom meetings about Dilexi Te. A wonderful woman was talking about how they have two Masses, the Latino mass in Spanish and the Mass in English for the people who speak English. She alluded to that she feels comfortable sitting with them [at the Latino Mass]. I thought, that is the most beautiful thing you can do. Sit with them. Sit with them at a gathering. Even if you don’t speak the language, your gestures and your smiles and your friendliness will go across any language barrier. And they will figure out a way. Communication will happen. It will happen with laughter. It will happen with the tension that’s dissipated and you communicate however you can.

I loved the lovely lady who suggested that, because that’s where it starts in your parish in those moments. Those are golden opportunities. Sit with them. Sit with whomever.

Fr. Ron: Those are good reminders. I know in my own life, I don’t think about the people who serve at the restaurant or serve in the hotel. I could notice their name tag and call them by name. They’re a human being as opposed to a robot serving my food. It gives a certain dignity. It’s a love for this person. That’s something we can all do.

Gretchen Bailey: Sure. And telling them how much you enjoy their food or their hospitality or [ask] where are you from? You know, not everybody’s from right next door and Mexico. They’re from all different countries.

Fr. Ron: Good reminders. We are called to love all people, but especially those whose God’s heart goes out to in a special way. We also are called to let our hearts go out to those who are the poor. And it’s not always the financially poor. A person might be “friends poor,” might be “housing poor.” There’s a challenge that Jesus definitely gives us. We can handle the challenge because he promised this gift of the Holy Spirit and this whole season of Easter is leading up to the gift, celebrating the gift of Pentecost, the gift of the Holy Spirit.

I remind all of you listeners to invite that Holy Spirit to have a bigger control of your life, a bigger inspiration in your life, help invite that Holy Spirit to help you see opportunities to love as God loves.

Some Background

This series grew out of a study group Fr. Ron led during Lent reading Leo’s apostolic letter. Inspired by discussion during these study sessions, Fr. Ron wanted to have deeper conversations on themes and ideas the group brought up.

Pope Leo’s letter is itself a response to Pope Francis’ last encyclical letter, “Dilexit Nos” (I Have Loved You), which was a moving mystical mediation on the Sacred Heart of Jesus and God’s immeasurable, inexhaustible love of all creation, especially the least among us.

During this Easter Season, let’s pray together for the coming of the Holy Spirit to inspire and energize us to love those whom God loves.

Listen in every Tuesday during the Easter Season, leading up to the celebration of Pentecost.

All of the videos in this series can be found here: The Inseparable Bond Podcast

Never miss an article published on the Renewal Center website: Sign up to receive our newsletters.

[Fr. Ron Will, a Precious Blood priest and spiritual director, is a graduate of Catholic Theological Union and Creighton University’s School of Christian Spirituality. He has a special interest in helping form intentional disciples of Jesus, encouraging others to go spiritually deep-sea diving to explore a deeper relationship with God, and walking with people as they dive into the ocean of God’s mystery experiencing God rather than simply dipping one’s toe into the water.]

We encouraged you to read the apostolic letter. You can download a copy for free from the Vatican’s website or buy a copy at your favorite bookstore.

Learn more about “Dilexi Te” (I Have Loved You)

Photo Credit: ID 345998791 | Homeless Jesus © Bumbleedee | Dreamstime.com; Music Credit: “Sail on Stranger” by Dan “Lebo” Lebowitz.

We’d Like to Hear from You!

We’d like to know what you think about this article. Send us a comment using the form below. Do you have a suggestion? Is there something you want to learn more about? Send us a note.