May is a rich month as we celebrate the Feast of Pentecost in which Christ filled his disciples, and his mother Mary with the power of his Spirit. They were sent out into the world to bring God’s peace, joy, hope and forgiveness to all humankind. We are missioned to walk our personal journey, proclaiming God’s love.  How beautiful is our 2025 LCM Motto “Let the Spirit descend upon (their) our hearts, filling (them) us with PEACE”. This is the month of mothers, the mother of mothers, Mary of Nazareth, and Mary’s visitation to her older pregnant cousin, Elizabeth.

As I still my mind and reflect on these events, my heart and thoughts are drawn to the recent death and funeral of Pope Francis.  Pope Francis was for all people and creation; his love, compassion, humility and encouragement for all in this Jubilee Year of Hope; his vision and mission was to encourage a world where we will live in peace, justice and love.  The importance of hospitality, to have respect for one another and for creation, to listen attentively to the suffering of the marginalized, migrants, refugees, the poor were his teachings. We live in a world of increased social media coverage.  The world awaits in anticipation of the process of the election of the next Pope.

In my LCM resources, I found a prayer for election of a new Pope. This prayer was from an Associate’s National Team Meeting March 4, 2013, the year Pope Francis was elected.   {Not all paragraphs are included}

“Heavenly Father, we the People of God,

gathered in solidarity as were the disciples in the Upper Room,

pray for the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the Cardinals

who will be in conclave for the election for the next Vicar of our Lord Jesus Christ.

We invoke our Mother Mary, united in prayer with the disciples in the Upper Room,

to intercede for our Cardinals to select the next Holy Father,

 in docility to the promptings of the Holy Spirit, her divine Spouse.

Holy Mary, Mother of God and of the Church,

we entrust this conclave to your Maternal and Immaculate Heart,

and offer these prayers for your guidance and protection

 over the choosing of the next Vicar of your Son.  Amen.”

“Life is for all its confrontations, the art of encounter.

No one can experience the true beauty of life

without relating to others, without having real faces to love.

Life exists where there is bonding, communion, fraternity.

Life is stronger than death

when it is built on true relationships and bonds of fidelity”

Pope Francis, Fratelli Tutti 215, 87