Evangelii gaudium: Esortazione apostolica sulla conclusione dell’Anno della fede

In Evangelii Gaudium or The Joy of the Gospel, Pope Francis continues to establish himself as a follower of Christ who defies easy categorization and thus manipulation by any known group either within or outside the established church. So far, Pope Francis seems very unconcerned with impressing anyone. Rather, he’s very determined—like his brown-robed, bare-footed name-sake—to get down to the business of rejoicing in ‘the Gospel, radiant with glory of Christ’s cross.’(And yet as of t [...]

Like many outside of the Catholic faith, I am a great admirer of the current pope. Francis was elected upon Pope Benedict XVI’s retirement in 2013. When he chose the name Francis (after the 12th Century Franciscan founder) and wowed the world with his simple, generous lifestyle, many have seen fresh winds of change blowing in Rome. In terms of theology, he is not significantly different from his predecessors. He lacks Benedict’s keen theological acumen (no insult here, Ratzinger is brillant! [...]

This lengthy letter from Pope Francis is brilliant.He calls for believers to be transformed by their encounters with Jesus and joyfully share their faith with others.Francis urges us to draw closer to God through the sacraments, prayerful reading of Scripture, Eucharistic adoration and a dynamic relationship with Mary, our mother and model. He urges us to pursue a fruitful balance between prayer and missionary works. Don't worry, reading the letter is much more exciting and inspiring than readin [...]

Read as part of a Lent study group. Much has been written about Francis, and about this apostolic exhortation. Despite having followed the news and commentary, I was blown away by the actual document. It is much more radical, uncomfortable, uplifting, and agitating than I thought. It's also a good read - the writing is accessible but still requires something of the reader. How lovely to be spoken to by the Pope as if we were adults, capable of forming consciences. But how scary that we are so ve [...]

I loved reading this Apostolic Exhortation of Pope Francis.The theme is quite obvious from the title itself - It is a Missiological statement.The proclamation of Gospel in Today's world should begin with understanding of the present day context. And Pope does exactly that by beginning the document with the analysis of the contemporary society and the possible dangers that could be faced by the committed evangelizers. This then is followed by the address of proclaiming the Good News. Here, he cle [...]

Rarely do I read a book from cover to cover while finding something totally new on each page. With this book, Pope Francis exemplifies the title, The Joy of the Good News. I found a refreshing new idea expressed in each new paragraph. I literally savored every page.As I see it, Francis took the Catechism of the Catholic Church and brought it to life.Chapter One can be seen as the Creed transformed from being the Heart of the Gospel into Our Mother Church on a Mission. In Chapter Two, Francis cha [...]

From the pope's letter, "Evangelii Gaudium (The Joy of the Gospel)": "It is impossible to persevere in a fervent evangelization unless we are convinced from personal experience that it is not the same thing to have known Jesus as not to have known him, not the same thing to walk with him as to walk blindly, not the same thing to hear his word as not to know it, and not the same thing to contemplate him, to worship him, to find our peace in him, as not to. It is not the same thing to try to build [...]

I really loved this book while reading it. But as I prepared to write a review I kept asking myself number of questions:Who am I to judge a book by Pope Francis?Who do I review a papal letter?As well as many other questions. But I came to the conclusion that by engaging the writings of Pope Francis I was deeply challenged by this work, and other writings of Pope Francis. For a while now I have been struggling with and praying to live more joy. I do not want to be the grumpy old man sitting on th [...]

This book, Pope Francis' first encyclical was a joy to read (pun intended). Francis reflects on the importance of the gospel of Jesus from numerous angles. I can't imagine a person reading this book and not being motivated to do something. As someone who is non-Catholic, I probably agreed with 95% of the stuff here. Highly recommended not just for Catholics, though all Catholics should read it, but for all Christians.

So glad I finally read this. I had been meaning to do so since it was written and after struggling with the pdf format online, bought it in print. Very heavy and not something that should be used for bedtime reading, but also meaningful and enjoyable.

Pope Francis: prophet, scholar. This book is revolutionary because it is so accessible. He connects Christ and evangelization to our work and personal lives, to matters of politics and justice. Christ belongs to neither conservative nor liberal schools of thought, but to the poor, the outcast, the abandoned. An authentic faith privileges the least of these because that's where Jesus said He would be, and also because their humanity is ours. I will be revisiting this. So glad I underlined as many [...]

There is NO DOUBT that Pope Francis represents the best of Christian Leaders in the world today. This book might well be a devotional and contains great wisdom for all.

Feb. 25, "Harmony and Humility" And a Review of The Joy of the Gospel by Pope FrancisMk. 9:30-37 St. WalburgaBeing first nor last is not what is important. Sharing our gifts with humanity. Pope Francis writes a great book in his "Joy of the Gospel". He calls us to: . Move outside the doors of the building and be in the streets; calls us to give of our goods so that all may have--he condemns an economy based on wealth; he calls us to be inclusive in our relationships with all religions and he cal [...]

Let Pope Francis speak for himself: "I prefer a Church which is bruised, hurting and dirty because it has been out on the streets, rather than a Church which is unhealthy from being confined and from clinging to its own security. I do not want a Church concerned with being at the centre and which then ends by being caught up in a web of obsessions and procedures. If something should rightly disturb us and trouble our consciences, it is the fact that so many of our brothers and sisters are living [...]

Compared to Pope Francis' first encyclical, the 25 page Lumen Fideii, this Apostolic Exhortation was much longer, coming in at 225 pages. But there are treasures to be found on every page!In Evangelii Gaudium, Pope Francis calls for a rebirth of the New Evangelization. He wants Catholics to take seriously their baptismal missionary promise to be apostles and to go out and proclaim the news that Christ died for us and that He is alive in our modern world.Pope Francis explains the new direction fo [...]

A very nice look at evangelism. The first and final chapters build a theological framework and the middle sections discuss the realities of evangelism including both the challenges and joys. What I really appreciated that Pope Francis was able to talk openely about the challenges of the day but was not overcome with fear as many do when they go on and on about how bad the world is. The Pope offers another way to look at it. Things are different and not necessarly bad. I wish in the middle sectio [...]

The first apostolic exhortation from the new Pope. There has been much made of this document that has been taken way out of context. The Pope is calling for all Catholics to evangelize; to bring the good news of Jesus Christ to all people. In doing so the Pope challenges us to rethink the way we live our lives so that the way we live does as much to bring Christ to people as what we say. This includes how we perceive right economic order and the order of material goods. Too often, the Pope tells [...]

I am not a Roman Catholic, but I highly recommend this book to all who want to live out their faith in the world: a key point is that there really is no faith if there is not loving action in the world in the name of Jesus. There are so many amazing quotes to ponder, it's difficult to pick out just one, but here goes: "[Jesus] hopes that we will stop looking for those personal or communal niches which shelter us from the maelstrom of human misfortune and instead enter into the reality of other p [...]

I truly enjoyed this book! It made me even more grateful for such a wonderful man to be leading the Catholic church. Pope Francis touches on the pure joy that Christ meant for each of us to have within our lives. If we would just follow this simple way of living there would be an overabundance of joy for every single man, woman, and child. God bless you Pope Francis I. May you continue to live the Joy of the Gospel and bring joy to the world! <3 :)

If you want to change the world and be challenged by a holy and authentic man, read this exhortation. As a Catholic, I now understand much more about how to share my faith in humility and joy with other people. Pope Francis got me pumping my fist and getting excited about bringIng the Gospel to others.

So much to think about and challenging to all. Amazing how papal documents let you "hear" the unique voice of each shepherd while referencing so many previous witnesses. So many individual voices and expressions of faith woven into one personal and distinctive presentation. Not only do I have a lot to reflect on personally, but I also "got to know" the new Pope more deeply.

Such an amazing book. It gives tremendous insight into who Pope Francis really is. Through his words we learn much more about him, his thinking, his motivation, and his direction than any book about him.I would recommend it to any Christian, regardless of denomination, in addition to any former Catholic.

Mostly what I felt from reading this is challenged. Very well written and in down-to-earth language. The Holy Father has touched on many key pieces of Christian life today and what our focus is to be. Any Christian could benefit from reading this. Reflections on all parts of life included.Highly recommended!

Francis challenges each of us. Despite media reports, he is not a liberal. He's a Catholic. My only issue is that he focuses on government and politics while paying little attention to individual charity. Regardless, I'll read this again.

Pope Francis is a spectacular person in his humility. He is easy to read. The first week of our discussion proved that. No one had trouble understanding what the Pope is about - love and compassion for all people.

The first book of the year! Pope Francis speaks directly from the heart. He gives pastoral advice on interactions between laty , homilies, and social structures. He encourages the laity to be courageous, contemplative, active and above all compassionate towards all of wounded humanity.

I found this book interesting and inspiring, deeply inspiring--thoughtful about the world we live in and wise about the truth of the gospel's mandate. We're blessed to have this man around and in the position he's in--and I'm a Protestant, a Calvinist, no less. There's just so much grace here.

I have never read an apostolic exhortation but was given this book by my brother. I am so glad I read it as I found it not very difficult to read like I had expected. It was very informative and helped me learn more on my faith journey.

Apostolic exhortation of Pope Francis this inspire me personally to share the Gospel to those people around me and to those who need to hear them

One of the most down to earth, true expressions of the Gospel