Book Review: Pope Francis and friends, Sharing the Wisdom of Time, Loyola Press. 2018
Reviewer: Mary Lou Codman, PhD, Pastoral Psychology, Psychological Anthropology, Christian Education, Buddhism June 2nd , 2025 5 Stars
Excerpts
Eustaquia repurposes what others throw away. This woman does not waste, but from what is thrown away, she finds items of value. She selects scraps to offer them a new usefulness. How much wisdom there is in this simple gesture! So much care and discernment. Nowadays everyone just wants to throw things away. That is the triumph of the culture of the garbage bin, which, in the end, renders each one of us not more than a piece of plastic thrown into the garbage can or used and crushed bottles that are no longer useful. Even though many of our children end up discarded l like that. We become numbed day by day to the “existential waste” in our culture. And what’s more, because of our narcissism our elders, too, are seen as disposable. People long to see themselves in what is beautiful and new and so what does not seem useful anymore, we throw away. (Francis, P.19)
Jesus Saguillo’s story is a truly human story. Like our own, it is made of successes and failures. Many older people are good examples of how to face failures with strength. When they face their failures with wisdom, they show how wide they are. Failure is the source of much wisdom. Some people facing failures get angry and complain. No complaining allowed! It does not help. It does us more harm than good. The elder’s wise vision of things is actually rooted in knowing how to accept failures.. . . Jesus was a promising soccer player when he experienced failure. And what did he do? He trained more. He fought hard. He practiced kicking the ball, and he got better at it, better than ever before. (Francis. P.25).
Clay requires patience. I am moved by Martin’s patience. In his patience I sense a profound wisdom that takes a dream and gives it shape. An elder, at work modeling clay, offers us a beautiful image. Martin’s own life was a vase shaped by the hands of God. Indeed, the craftsman who has patience can avoid the waste of mass production. The industrial mindset makes and then wastes and then discards. The patience of the artisan, however, requires care and dreams. (Francis, p.35)
There are opportunities and inspirations that bring you forward in your vocation. There are opportunities, of course, and there are some mistakes. With all of this mixed together, you create your life. Life is a mixture that the elder knows well. Hiding mistakes is useless. You learn from your mistakes and failures, as Martin says. To say, “My life is already written,” is a meaningless excuse, a useless abstraction. Your life is not determined. You need to take what comes to you. Use what you have in your mind and in your heart. Use it on your journey to discern and discover what you most desire. What really leads you forward is a sense of vocation. It is a call, which is far more than a choice. And this brings you to give yourself without holding back. You have to take everything in your life, mix it all together, and with this mixture, move forward. Success of life is not glory but patience. Sometimes you need a lot of it. The wise elder has so much patience and this is the wisdom that leads you to dream. (Francis, p.45)
Making history is not the same thing as surviving! God created human beings to make history, not just to survive in the jungle of life. God says to Adam and Eve: “Go ahead, grow, multiply, make history.” To Abram He says, “Go ahead, get up, walk, look at the sky, look at the horizon, Go. Make history!” Our God wants to join us in our history. He mixes Himself into our sin and into our failures. Just read the genealogy of Jesus in the gospel of Matthew. God walks in the personal story of so many people, so many sinners. God is not ashamed to enter the story of so many sinners; He is not ashamed of His people. (Francis. P. 49)
I talked to so many refugees in Lampedusa and in Lesbos. . . sometimes just for a few moments. I looked into their eyes, touched their hands, exchanged words, and saw their tears. These are courageous men and women who will not let themselves be overcome by difficulties. They struggle despite everything. In the confusion of war, there are people like Janet who have learned to be decisive. They may be in fragile circumstances, but they have not allowed themselves to be paralyzed by uncertainty or by swinging back and forth between “yes” and “no.” Some are even willing to give up everything to save life, family, and memories. I came to know the wisdom of elders who had to flee from their roots. They spoke a “yes” to life. . . . There is a fight for life that arises from an inner wisdom. After so many setbacks, people can weaken in the struggle. They can grow tired and say, “All right. Enough. It’s over!” When people say that they accept defeat. Unfortunately, I have seen that attitude many times. But, when I listen to Janet and her story [“our lives grew dark controlled by the rhythm of bombshells” and so she and her family are fleeing to Italy], it confirms my faith in the inner strength that humans have to overcome the negative. That strength is the grace of God. An elder who has fought for the future has a vision and it is a hymn to human possibilities (Francis, p.55)
“’Is suffering necessary in the experience of faith? Did not Christ Himself undergo suffering to save us all? Our suffering puts us in tune with Him. I do not wish suffering on others, but it can lead to an awakening of faith. It must be accepted as such. From this adventure through illness, I received new ardor. Every day that God gives me, I feel devoted to serve others as God and others have served me.’” (Yvan Boquet. P. 60)
I feel so much pain in Erwin’s experience. . .who experienced the tragedy of World War II [including imprisonment and family death by the Nazis at Auschwitz]. Today he has eyes to see the tragedies of the present. And the wisdom of his 89 years causes him to ask the question, ‘What can I do for the future?’ His dream is for a world that no longer has the marks and scars of what he experienced as a young man. As an older man, Erwin reminds us of one simple thing: you can fight with a smile and with the readiness to be kind to others. (Francis. P.65)
Prayer can mean engaging in a heart-felt struggle with God. (Francis, p. 69).
I like recalling a song of the Alpine Troops; “What is important is not the falling, but to not keep lying there on the ground.” You say, “I’ve lost everything, I fell down!” Yes, but do not stay there on the ground! Get up and go forward. I love those brave families who struggle to go on, even though they may have to ration out bread so that there will be enough for later. They are going forward. These families know how to fight. They also know how to make good decisions. They know how to discern and feel within them the courage that comes from God. (Francis, p.79)
Life sometimes gets us in a touch spot. We can react to a failed marriage with bitterness. But I must say that even behind a broken marriage, there is always a caress of God. Failure is not the last word. Failure always has a door that opens woe to you if you turn it into a wall. You will never be able to get free. It can be quite difficult to find that door! And yet it is the only door that opens up a future for you and gives you a larger horizon. Bitterness traps you in a lump of resentment. (Francis, p.83)
The beauty of love is gentleness (Francis, p.88)….“Love does not exist in boasting or showing off. On the contrary, love is silent and often hurts inside. I think that the face of love, although bruised, cannot be anything other than the face of God.” (Berta Golob, p. 105).
Danilo is courageous. He is willing to fight life’s battles well. Our task is to try to make our lives as beautiful and good as possible. Our task is to bring out the joy and the smile of life. Danilo sings despite his back pain. Even if you get riled up by the pain, you can offer it up to God and then keep walking. (Francis, p. 119)
I was a bomber pilot in World War Two. . .It was very touch and go and we lost an awful lot of people. But I was fortunate enough to survive. All I can say is that ‘when I started down a bomb un, I prayed “Into Thy hands O Lord, I commend my spirit. Lord Jesus, receive my soul.” That was my prayer every time because I didn’t know if I was going to be alive in the next 5 minutes. At that age, it may happen to you once or twice. It happened to me 72 times. It’s a remarkable thing to have been so close to dying at that time, and today I stand here and have another birthday [He is 98 in this recorded memoir.] But somehow, somewhere, my God always was my Savior. And He still is until this moment. I never could have survived that was without my God. He was my co-pilot, my friend, and my helpmate. He was everything I needed.’ (Joe Schneider, p. 121).
It is easy to judge a human life, but in the end, what I see are people who have lived. They can confess to having lived up to the end! And thinking about it does me much good. To behold wrinkles is, for me, a devotion. (Francis, p.144)
Walking with hope comes from a life of faith, sustained by prayer and entrusting oneself to the Lord. (Francis, p.147)
We need to cultivate the ability to see that which opens our hearts to hope for a better world. (Francis, p.159)
When you are young, you feel strong; you have so many commitments, work, family. You are running after many things, and you are less likely to notice the needs of other people. At least that’s what happened to me. As you age and life situations change, you begin to feel a sense of loneliness and sometimes even sadness knocking on the door of your heart. Still, in spite of this, there is a flame that continues to burn, that continues to make us want to live and seek genuine human relationships, which continues to keep us desirous of hope. And despite the difficult situations we experience, there are reasons to be hopeful. Being useful for others is a great strength that allows us to continue to live serenely with a vision for the future. In the world around me, I find hope of seeing how some of the foreign children I teach Italian to have asked us to help people living on the streets. They have brought meals to those who have no homes and to those who have lost their jobs, including many Italians. Indeed, it is true that today we are witnessing continued violence in the world and in our societies. Having experienced World Wat II and the negative consequences it brought to society, I would like to emphasize to everyone, particularly to those who are also elderly, the importance of peacemaking in human relationships, always, on every occasion. I believe that elders, starting from our experience of life, have the task of bearing mildness and peace in our societies.” (Fiorella Bacherini, p. 164).
When I was a young [Catholic] sister, I tended to complain. It can still happen from time to time if I don’t watch it. The difference now is that I am happy and content. I have learned to pray this prayer: “Jesus, I praise You, thank You for the miracles, and wonders you work in my life and for your perfect plan for me. . . .(Mother Gilchrist, Ocso, p.166).
Praise disposes you to have the ability to see things through different eyes. (Francis, p. 167)