Pope Francis and the Joy of the Gospel by Edward Sri

This past December our pastor gave each member of the parish staff a copy of Pope Francis and the Joy of the Gospel: Rediscovering the Heart of a Disciple by Edward Sri. He asked us to read it because his focus for the parish in 2018 is on our baptismal call to share the Good News. Sri’s book fits this focus because it’s is a distillation and explanation of The Joy of the Gospel, an apostolic exhortation published by Pope Francis in 2013.

A pope writes an apostolic exhortation in order to encourage the faithful to live in a certain way. To exhort is to encourage or to urge, and in The Joy of the Gospel Pope Francis wants “to encourage the Christian faithful to embark upon a new chapter of evangelization marked by this joy, while pointing out new paths for the Church’s journey in years to come.”

I read The Joy of the Gospel shortly after Pope Francis published it, and I found it inspirational, challenging, and encouraging. Edward Sri’s book does an excellent job of breaking it open and giving concrete examples of how to put its message into practice. It’s an excellent introduction to The Joy of the Gospel and would make a great book for a parish book study. Each chapter includes questions for personal reflection which could also be used for group discussion. It would also be a good book for Catholic educators and catechists to read and discuss for professional development.

With eleven short chapters totaling 112 pages, Sri’s book is an easy read. The challenge is to let it sink in, to allow it to help you rediscover your disciple’s heart. An excellent read.

Pope Francis and the Joy of the Gospel: Rediscovering the Heart of a Disciple by Edward Sri
Huntington (IN): Our Sunday Visitor, 2014
Printed length: 112 pages