“This is a symbol, it is a sign — washing your feet means I am at your service. Help one another. This is what Jesus teaches us. This is what I do. And I do it with my heart.“ – Pople Francis

I recall reading about

Pope Francis washing the feet of 12 people —

not the usual 12 soft feet of Catholic priests,

Papa washed the feet of teenaged inmates,

tattooed, brown, calloused, young women among them.

These are disciples too.

I aspire to love like Francis.

To see the beauty and joy in everyone.

To be so

-humble, helpful

-a heart for service

-respectful

And I love the saint for whom he named himself, Saint Francis

-simple

-voluntarily impoverished

-in love with nature – the birds, the animals

-the saint of ecology

We still have heroes.

When my daughters and I visited Rome in 2017, one early morning, we went to Vatican City, we stood in a long line with hundreds or thousands of faithful disciples – speaking many languages –

and we caught a glimpse of him – he was nearby.

We saw him on a jumbo screen.

In that glimpse,

our padre was smiling – happy, playful, loving.

It was beautiful to see him and to see the love so many felt for him and one another.

We were blessed to have a world leader who was a gentle man.