From the very beginning of his papacy, Pope Francis and the word “joy” have been inseparable. For years, I have been amazed by him and his joyful presence. Joy is one of the first words that he tried to envision throughout his papacy. This joy always radiates every time he meets others and as time passed by, that same joy has become one with him that those drawn to him also felt its profound effect.

In his first exhortation Evangelii Gaudium, Pope Francis began his papacy with joy, and he urged all Christian to share the joy of the Gospel from the Risen Lord. He described this joy as “the breath of a Christian.” A breath meant to be shared to all not only to Catholics. These words were not merely spoken, but also fully lived out by him in every letter he wrote, every visit he made, every dialogue he engaged with, and every truth he defended. He carried this mission until the very last day of his papacy, where he still strove to bring joy to others during the Holy Triduum till Easter Sunday amidst his illnesses.

Many writers wrote: “His death was too good to be coincidence. It is, as if, he had waited so not to take the spotlight from his Master, the Risen Lord.” For me, it is too good also to be coincidence for him to die in a year he declared as the Jubilee Year of Hope, as if, he was trying to say: “Hope not only does not disappoint, but also there is no end until the Eternity.” The gate of the Jubilee of Hope has been opened and not closed. He revealed to the world the hope for eternal joy with the Lord.

Personally, I met him. It was a moment that I would never forget and I can recall vividly every minute of it. Until now, I am still amazed with what he shared to us during that encounter. The meeting with him was held last September during his apostolic visit to our country.  It started with the day he arrived in our country. For the very first time, I witnessed a huge crowd with grand enthusiasm. The atmosphere was a mixture of emotions: excitement, exhaustion, and impatience due to excessive heat. Yet as soon as he passed by, all of these feelings transformed into one feeling: joy. I have often wondered how such transformation of emotions emerged at that time, but as I looked back, it purely stemmed from him. It was his joy, the joy of Christ’s vicar, that resonated with people and left a great mark on the Timorese people.

For me, this mark of joy was deeply imprinted during a private meeting with Pope Francis wherein we, Timorese Jesuits, had the honor of sharing a fraternal moment with him. At that time, it was already lunchtime so we thought the meeting might be canceled due to concerns about Pope Francis’s health. Yet as soon as he entered the room, the tense atmosphere shifted to a warm and fraternal meeting, and it started as we looked at his enthusiasm and joyful presence to meet us. Throughout the meeting, I never ceased wondering how he keeps on exuding the same joyful disposition amidst his busy schedule. Later on, as the meeting went on, I realized that his joy was not merely a disposition but has become the essence of his very being. He is the living presence of joy itself. He incarnated that joy in his being that drew everyone near him to experience the same breath of joy, the joy of Christ. It was such a beautiful and joyful meeting I ever had in my life. I was more in awe when I looked into his joyful eyes, as if he had been freed from the worries of life; as though, he had surrendered everything to God; and as if, joy has always been with him and never left him. My heart is filled with deep gratitude whenever I try to remember this moment of fraternal gathering of a Jesuit with his fellow Jesuits. Being a Jesuit is always a call of joy from the Lord and Pope Francis has been a living witness of this joy in his entire life. He started from living with joy until it took flesh in his being.

In comparison, Pope Francis is like John the Baptist who was a friend of the bridegroom that found his complete joy when he looked at his Bridegroom, Christ our Lord. As I write this tribute, I was overwhelmed with many things but for me, it is more of a prayer for Pope Francis. A prayer that may his “joy” inspire and guide many to realize that joy is the very breath of the Christian life. A life where Christ is the center of joy and the stronghold of our hope. Joy is not merely a feeling; it is the fruit of our hope in the Risen Lord and there was a man who lived that joyful hope; He was Pope Francis: a man of incarnated joy. [Sch. Novario Martins, SJ]

Pope Francis, pray for us.

Our Lady, Mother of the Society of Jesus, pray for us!

St. Joseph, pray for us!

St. Ignatius of Loyola, pray for us!