Giving the “best of my heart.”

In his March 11 general audience, Pope Francis recalled the encouraging holy words from his grandmother.

“I still treasure the words my grandmother wrote to me on the day of my ordination. I carry them with me to this day inside my breviary,” he told pilgrims gathered in St. Peter’s Square.

The text reads, “May these my grandchildren, to whom I have given the best of my heart, have a long and happy life, but if on some painful day, sickness or the loss of a loved one fills you with grief, remember that a sigh before the Tabernacle, where the greatest and most august martyr resides, and a gaze at Mary at the foot of the Cross, can make a drop of balm fall on the deepest and most painful wounds.”

Donna-Marie with her beloved grandmother and two of her five brothers

I am very grateful for the love and guidance of my own grandmother who was indeed a holy role model to me. I speak about her in many of my books. Hopefully, some time soon I will write more about the role of grandmothers in the lives of their grandchildren. And, that’s not because I am about to become a grandmother soon!

But, for now, I want to at least bring attention to Pope Francis’ grandmother’s poignant words. May all Christian parents and grandparents reflect on this beautiful sentiment and ask themselves, “Am I giving the “best of my heart” and setting a holy example for my children, grandchildren, nieces, and nephews with my words and actions?

[You can see an article here.]