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On March 27, one of the most crucial events of 2020 occurred. With the pandemic expanding throughout the world, Pope Francis gave the Urbi et Orbi blessing from St. Peter’s Square in the Vatican. It was a ceremony that millions of people followed through the Internet, television and radio.
That singular act affected the personal lives of many believers and non-believers. The Urbi et Orbi blessing (which means “to the city and the world”) is exclusive to the Pope and is usually reserved for the great special moments of the year, Christmas and Easter. However, Francis considered that revealing the palpable presence of God among us was necessary, at a time when the whole earth was suffering.
Six months after it happened, “Christ in the Storm: An Extraordinary Blessing for a Suffering World” appears as the book that gathers the crucial components of that event. It includes color photos, the readings and prayers that were offered, the Pope’s homily as well as the blessing. Added to this is an explanation of the symbolism and history of each elementof the event.
As Jaymie Stuart Wolfe, editor of the book at Ave Maria Press, the publisher responsible for the publication, explained, “the book is not just a record of what happened on March 27. It goes further. It can be a prayer program, a devotional master-class. The reader can take this little book to its place of prayer and have a beautiful holy hour.”
Wolfe explains how the idea of publishing “Christ in the Storm” came about: “At that moment (the day of Urbi et Orbi) we saw the Church at its best. No matter what kind of Catholic you are, if you are more oriented towards social justice, more oriented towards personal devotion, or however you look at this pope, and whoever your great spiritual teachers are, this was a unifying experience and it occurred to me with my colleagues at Ave Maria Press that this historic event could take the form of a book.”
The editor did not want to waste a minute: “So I approached the Vatican and asked them for the rights to publish the pope’s homily, the prayers in Latin, and we collected the photos of the event in full color.”
The title of “Christ in the Storm” refers to the reading of the Gospel that pope Francis chose for that moment:
“Why are you afraid? Have you no faith? ”– Mark 4:40. Jesus calms the storm and then questions the apostles for their lack of faith. How many storms, how much tribulation, how many problems and fears are in the human heart and need the comfort and strength of God.
Having this beautiful and profound 5”x7” hardcover book will be an extraordinary way, for Catholics and non-Catholics alike, to experience the hope that Pope Francis offered to the world on March 27.
In the book, each reader will find explanatory texts of each of the elements that were part of the event:
- the icon of Mary, Health of the Roman People
- the Miraculous Crucifix
- plenary indulgence
- prayers such as the Litany of Supplication
- Eucharistic Adoration
- Chants such as the Tantum Ergo
The book has an introduction by Timothy O’Malley and a preface by John L. Allen Jr.
Get your copy of “Christ in the Storm” by clicking here.
Also available at:
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Christ-Storm-Extraordinary-Blessing-Suffering/dp/1646800532
Barnes and Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/christ-in-the-storm-pope-francis/1137052483
