A Reaction Paper from the Message of Pope Francis

Come and see, Pope Francis' message serves as an inspiration for all communication that strives to be clean and honest.  This line confronts oneself with truth, understanding, and respecting differences.  Permitting me to listen, spend time, and appreciate the people's stories.  It helps me to demonstrate candor and ethical behavior.  This is a challenge for all to become fair and transparent with others.

The ability to listen to other people's testimonies and stories is a gift from the Holy Spirit that I need to exercise every day.  The assurance of trust comes from understanding other people's situations and putting myself in their shoes before anything else.  Inspiring and bringing a positive impact to the community requires me to listen, respect, and allow their stories to warm my heart so that God may use me as an instrument to serve His people according to His plan.  Listening is a form of kindness, patience, and a way of communicating myself to open my eyes from the beauty that lies with the affirmation of personal experiences among different individuals.  The act of listening is one way of welcoming the Holy Spirit and allowing God to teach us life lessons.

The occurrence of fake news is rampant in the present and previous generations.  News reports in various social media platforms and information system remains uneven.  Decimating lies adheres crisis and misinformation to the voiceless of the society, where trusted people such as reporters, DJs, and writers crossed the line of not acknowledging the truth.  Their main goal is to present their beliefs to society without verifying the rightful information, creating a survey, and conducting research.  The act of sinning with the consciousness of dishonesty comes with great responsibility.

Christian faith begins with knowledge to understand.  Curiosity, openness, and compassion must go together to embrace and show gratitude with the commitment to becoming a source for reliable information about what a good journalist, editor, and reporter should do.  I am overwhelmed with how I should use my voice based on hearing other people's experiences in bringing justice to the voiceless in the community, especially for the poor.  The essence of using our voice to change the world by avoiding misinformation and oppression will undoubtedly save lives, bring peace, and build good relationships with the people around us.  "Come and see" is a method of God reaching out to the hearts and minds of everyone who chooses to live with honesty, purity, and love.

Subsequently, during this pandemic, I am inspired to "come and see" the beauty of reality in helping the poor, obeying the government's protocols, and avoiding culture shaming the difference and uniqueness of other people.  Life is more than just reading books, traveling the world, and enjoying the luxury that comes with it.  Living means loving God without conditions and trusting that all He promises will appear right before our eyes in His perfect time.  Pope Francis's message reminds me to reflect on myself and encounter Jesus in this lifetime.  Life is worth living with God as the center of it.