Walking with Pope Leo during Easter, Episode 1

The Inseparable Bond Podcast

“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 this first episode of Walking with Pope Leo during Lent: The Inseparable Bond Podcast, Fr. Ron and Sandy Gagnon discuss how reading the letter Dilexi Te made them rethink the question, “Who is my neighbor?”

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.

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)

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

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[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.]

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

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