“This book shows Pope Francis as a master contemporary interpreter of the Gospel of Mark. Readers will likely want to digest each chapter slowly in order to get the full benefit of the pope’s insights…. It shows once more the capacity of Francis to inspire and educate the faithful with a down-to-earth, pastoral, and ultimately deeply spiritual message.”
—From the Foreword by Ronald D. Witherup, PSS
“A profound spiritual guide, pointing out the path to living, praying, and risking our lives with Jesus. Laity as well as clergy and religious will find deep wisdom here, insight into the life of faithful discipleship, but also into the temptations and challenges of life in this world.”
—Mary Doak, author, A Prophetic Public Church
“This collection of excerpts of Pope Francis’s homilies and reflections on Mark’s Gospel offers an energetic reading of the biblical text. The Pope’s inimitable delivery brings forth Mark’s message in a fresh way, portraying Jesus and the life of discipleship with great vividness.”—Thomas D. Stegman, SJ, Boston College School of Theology and Ministry
Drawn from sermons, talks, and writings since the Pope’s election The Gospel of Mark offers readers a way to discover hidden treasure in the scripture and to encounter Jesus in the evangelist’s words. All readers including preachers and teachers, will be guided by the Pope’s reflections to a simple and living intimacy with the Word made flesh.
Pope Francis, born Jorge Mario Bergoglio on December 17, 1936, is the 266th Pope of the Catholic Church, having been elected Bishop of Rome and absolute Sovereign of Vatican City. Throughout his life, both as an individual and as a religious leader, Pope Francis has been noted for his humility, his concern for the poor, and his commitment to dialogue as a way to build bridges between people of all backgrounds, beliefs, and faiths.