Last week I linked to David Moxon’s Lord of the Rings reflection published in the Vatican newspaper L’Osservatore Romano. The link I added took the reader to the online PDF of L’Osservatore. A friend commented to me a few days later that after reading David’s essay he scrolled down further and found Pope Francis reflection on dialogue from the Casa Santa Marta morning Mass homily on 24 January.  I went back to look at the reflection and found it deeply encouraging and challenging.

The pope is talking about the difference that faith makes when difficulties arise in human relationships. It is so easy to let time pass until we end up “isolated in the bitter broth of our resentment.”  The pope encourages us to take “another path.”

It is this choice that makes all the difference – and provides a fundamental evidence of the presence of Christ in the life of the believer. The person of faith is able to transcend gossip and hatred moving towards true life by “choosing another path.”

You might be familiar with Robert Frost’s “The Road Less Travelled”.  Taking the path less trod, can make all the difference.

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