“The joy of The gospel fills the hearts and lives of all who encounter Jesus.” With these remarkable words Pope Francis opens his recent Apostolic Exhortation “Evangelii Gaudium” calling for a “new chapter of Evangelisation” whereby “no one is excluded from the joy brought by the Lord.”

Interestingly the Pope stated that one of the biggest problems we face today is when the message of Christ is preached and seems to identified with those secondary aspects of Faith (Even the Church’s Moral Teaching) which, important as they are, “do not in and of themselves convey the heart of Christ’s message.” He went on to say, “we need to be realistic and not assume that our audience understands the full background to what we are saying, or is capable of relating what we say to the very heart of the Gospel which gives it meaning, beauty and attractiveness.” (Para 34). He used the word “attractive“, “attractiveness” and “beauty” 49 times in his letter and the word ‘”heart” 113 times.

It is with these sentiments that this blog has been initiated. A blog which is the product of a “burning heart”, a heart that has had a personal encounter with Christ, similar to that of the disciples of Emmaus. A ‘Burning heart’ that found renewed motivation in Pope Francis’ words. 

My aim is to share the Joy of the Gospel with my fellow Pilgrims. In a world where the message of Christ can be distorted by many people including some who profess the faith and do so sometimes with good intentions, this blog serves to be that drop in the ocean that goes to the heart of the message which is always is the same: “the God who revealed his immense love in the crucified and risen Christ” (Para 11) and “works of love directed towards one’s neighbour” (Para 37).

I hope to do this through regular reflections and articles that cover a number issues following “The way of Beauty” (Para 161) prescribed by the Pope. I aim to go to the heart of the matter, following my passion for Scripture not as a theologian or an expert but as a fellow pilgrim reflecting on God’s SPIRIT in my life and in the world I belong to. It will be as Pope Francis called a “heart-to-heart communication“.

I am a son of Vatican II who has been inspired by Blessed Pope John XXIII words in the opening address of the Council. I feel the need to echoe his words again today that:  “At times we have to listen, much to our regret, to the voices of people who, though burning with zeal, lack a sense of discretion and measure. In this modern age they can see nothing but prevarication and ruin … We feel that we must disagree with those prophets of doom who are always forecasting disaster, as though the end of the world were at hand. In our times, divine Providence is leading us to a new order of human relations… where…even human setbacks, leads to the greater good of the Church.”

This is a unique way, “a Marian ‘style’ to the Church’s work of evangelization… The interplay of justice and tenderness, of contemplation and concern for others”.