I can't help it. I have to post this. I have watched the video several times now, and I have seen others post it on their facebook pages and on their blogs, and they've said the same thing: They cried. Yes, even grown men.
And for what?
An old man and a young boy, complete strangers, except that they know each other. Watch and you can see that they know each other. You and I know what we are witnessing: This is pure love. It's agape love. These two share one Faith, united in the love of Christ, and it's a love so primordial, so transcendent, so universal, that non-Catholics and non-Christians are caught up in it as well.
According to Catholic News Agency, this is the exchange that took place between little Nathan de Brito, age 9, and the Vicar of Christ, his Papa:
“Your Holiness, I want to be a priest of Christ, a representative of Christ,” de Brito whispered in the ear of Pope Francis July 26, after jumping hurdles and making his way to the Popemobile in his Brazilian national soccer team jersey.
“I am going to pray for you, but I ask you to pray for me,” Pope Francis responded, moved to tears and embracing him.
“As of today, your vocation is set.”
Be sure to watch the video all the way to the end, where you will be hit at the level of your soul:
**New photos
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| Getty |
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| Zenit News Agency |
This is the love of Christ. This is what it's all about, folks. Agape love, pure love, and nothing more and nothing less.
You are right, even grown men cry watching this ;-), including those who practically never cry otherwise. This happens especially in those moments of tenderness between the Pope and a child or youth. I'll never forget a video of JP II at a Mass in Canada many years ago hugging a paraplegic youth who opened his arms from his wheelchair. So much joy and love in both of them. Yes Leila, this is the love of God in full emotional display!
ReplyDeleteI couldn't stop crying!! Love this.
ReplyDeleteOk, I'm a fully grown Scotsman and I cried. Thank you so much.
ReplyDeleteSo beautiful!
ReplyDeleteI am crying, and I haven't watched the video yet! Even the still shots convey it!!
ReplyDeleteOk. So you said you cried. I watched this thinking I might shed a tear or 2. Well, I should have grabbed tissues because my face is wet and my nose is still dripping.
ReplyDeleteAmazing video!
I love this very much! It brought me to tears. You can really see how much Pope Francis loves us, especially the young ones. Thank you so much for sharing this wonderful video! May God bless you!
ReplyDeleteThis touched my soul.....AND of course there were tears. Tears of emotion that just love our faith and you are so right...our faith is deep and for a 9yr old to just love that much inspires me also.
ReplyDeleteI'm not Catholic and it brought me to tears! Such love, truly, is only possible through Christ.
ReplyDeleteIt is the Spirit Who led the little boy to declare his heart as fearlessly as he did!
ReplyDeleteIt is the Spirit Who moved His Holiness to respond as warmly as he did!
It is the Spirit Who is enabling you and me to discern His works with tears of joy!
How silently, how beautifully, His wondrous Gifts are giv'n!
All praise and glory to You, Lord Jesus Christ!
Wow, that's just it. All the mental exercise and reasoning gets blown away by that encounter, that all believers at some point have, when the reality of Christ and that exchange of Love, becomes more real than the shoes on your feet. When the little boy grabs his face I see St. Augustine's statement that " we cannot rest until we rest in Him" . Little Fr. Nate got a peek at his Heavenly Father through the love of his spiritual father. . Just beautiful.
ReplyDeleteAnd Francis mate, is that you? I knew you looked just like St. Augustine. Don't you ever visit San Diego without looking me up so I can buy you a tall cold one.
Oh I hadn't seen the video? That is so beautiful! I love Pope Francis!
ReplyDeleteThat sweet little boy is so overwhelmed. And Pope Francis showed such intimate tenderness and affirmation to him; that's the love of our God. A zealous love over all His children. The God of glory, the Lord of love. Thanks for posting.
ReplyDeleteOh, to have the faith, courage and determination of a child! I can only imagine the love Nathan felt when he pressed his hands to his heart. So beautiful - praise be to God!
ReplyDeleteI don't speak Portuguese, but I can understand "el futuro de Nathan esta en las manos de Dios." The future of Nathan is in the hands of God.
Thanks for posting it :)
I just saw it again and caught that beautiful white butterfly gracing the shot just as our Pope was giving Nathan the last blessing.
ReplyDeleteGod is so beautiful!
cynthiasolc, wow! I missed that!
ReplyDeleteI cannot get enough of this video and the photos. Can someone please interview this family? Little Nathan will be in my daily prayers. His bishop, his pastor, his parish priests, his teachers, his family members, his neighbors – all can help him or hinder him. My prayer is for the former!!!!! God bless his innocent and overflowing heart and his brave and loyal persistence in making known to our Holy Father his intention. We are all with you, Nathan!!
ReplyDeleteHere is a follow-up story in Portuguese with photos:
http://cabofrioeshow.blogspot.com/2013/07/fonte-blog-reporter-renata-cristiane_30.html
Nina, amen! Can someone tell me how to translate that? ha ha, I am lame!
ReplyDeleteThis world may be going to hell in a handbasket but I'll tell you this, God is still and will ever be with us. Look at that video and tell me how are we going to be able to withstand the pure unadulterated love of our Father in heaven when we meet him when we cry over the human love we see here? Unreal Leila...just wow.
ReplyDeleteOrdinary Catholic, that is such a great point! That is why we must strive to be saints on earth (saints are those who love perfectly or nearly so), because it will prepare us for the transcendent love that will overwhelm us in Heaven! We must learn here how to prepare! That is what loving through suffering and persecution will do for us; it will prepare us! It's also what welcoming all humans, marveling over all life, cherishing all that is good, embracing the virtues as beautiful and desirable….all of that will prepare us for a love that we cannot withstand otherwise! Ahhhh! God is so good.
ReplyDeleteAin't that the truth. Here we are on a trial run to prepare for heaven. St. Paul ran his race and all of those before us that strove for that crown prepared here in this world. When I watched that video it was so easy for me to see my own lack of love I have for others in my little circle of existence. I cringed at that thought. I pray beyond all measure that God instills in me a new heart, a pure heart, a loving heart. And from where I stand, only He can do that for me. I sure can't.
DeleteHow does anyone know that this was the dialogue between them if the little boy "whispered" to the pope?
ReplyDeleteLinda, the quote comes from the Catholic News Agency. You should contact them with your question. I have asked authors to verify quotes (especially ones that I agree with but want confirmation to before I believe them!) and I have always gotten a response. For instance, I heard a Catholic radio host make a horrendous statement about the Gosnell employees and I contacted the host to ask her to verify it. She gave me the source, and the source clearly shows the assistant DA herself making the statement in court. I've done this four or five other times because I think it is good to get that verification from the author.
ReplyDeleteThere is a lot to be said for agape love. What I liked is that when the little boy was leaving the Pope and going back to the crowd one of those suited security men reached and out to the little boy and ruffled his hair.
ReplyDeleteNow about the opposite of love and Christ, every time I come to your blog that annoying woman from a previous post starts talking. Can you fix that so the video doesn't automatically start playing? Really, if I have to hear her say that not every pregnancy is fairy tale again, I'm going to be really frustrated. Of course a pregnancy isn't a fairy tale; a pregnancy involves a real person growing inside another real person. Dear Leila, please make stupid annoying woman go away. Thank you.
Lena, I had the same issue when I came back to my blog!! That Harris-Perry woman's voice over and over again!! AHHHH! I don't hear it anymore, either because I turned the volume on the video off completely (I think you can do that) or it's broken. Not sure which!!
ReplyDeleteLinda, I suppose the child told his parents who told people all around them, or the people next to the pope (many of them) heard the pope say something afterwards, or the people heard the responses from the pope at the time the conversation was happening and then the rest of the story was told later (there were lots of people around both the boy and the pope). I agree with Sharon that a check with CNA would give you an official answer.
Leila,
ReplyDeleteHere's a rough translation (from Google, hence the broken grammar) of the story in the Portuguese blog. Seems the boy's birth was miraculous and his mother pledged him to God even before he was born. Bible history repeating itself - in the only truly Bible based Church! :)
Those who followed the World Youth Day was moved to the successful initiative of a boy of only nine years, which could pierce the safety fencing and found himself in the arms of Pope Francisco.
This kid is amazing Cabo Frio, a resident of the neighborhood Jd. Caiçara and called Nathan Mello Brito Pires. A rare opportunity to hug, kiss and talk exclusively to the Pontiff, who answered him with attention. And since then, everything changed. The boy turned celebrity without even like the idea:
- I'm not celebrity - he said. The star is Jesus and the Pope, I am not - he answered the reporter.
But what then he said to the Pope at that time very exclusive:
- I told him I want to be a priest - he explained. And according to Nathan, Francisco answered it even more surprising:
- Pray for me that I pray for you - asked the most important Roman Catholic priest, so unpretentious, that kid ear full of attitude.
Upon leaving the public conversation, view the world, Nathan wept copiously with hands on face. The Pope saw and was moved to tears, witnessed by the fact that the security protected. A scene that thrilled even the most skeptical of atheists. How to explain this emotion?
The mother, Ana Paula de Brito Mello, 35 years a practicing Catholic who attends Mass daily, faith is the explanation:
Asked N. Mrs. Aparecida that the Pope saw my son in this crowd. I was with a small image of her hands when the Popemobile approached and then I asked in faith - the mother confessed devotee of the saint.
Such devotion began before he was born, in fact, the birth of smart boy and decided, he said, was a grace achieved after a promise:
- I had toxoplasmosis. Dreamed of becoming pregnant, but illness prevented me. Whenever he saw a pregnant woman asked God to bless me with such grace. I made a promise to her (N.Sra. Aparecida) and a year later I got pregnant with Nathan. When he was born, with only five months, I took him to the Basilica of Aparecida (Aparecida do Norte - SP), which made crossing the walkway kneeling, with him in the stroller for her to bless and pay my vow - Ana said, clarifying this means that the name of God, a purposeful choice.
But anyone who thinks the little Nathan was taken by the excitement, he deceives. The boy said before being with the Pope, already wanted to be the priesthood:
- I want to be a priest since I was seven years old. After I talked to him I was sure in my heart. It was very exciting, so I cried too. Touched my heart background - repeat.
About many changes after this gesture, as is life?
- Photo, interview, everyone talks to me. And increased my responsibility too - said in a tone unusually early.
Responsibility? How so? (wanted to know more).
- Now I have to be a better boy. I can not be rude and be more friendly - answered with the help of "paidrasto", noting that now is a good friend.
To Aguinor Carlos de Oliveira, 50 years, "paidrasto" also a fervent Catholic, sacrifice to camp two nights in a row, it was worth it:
- Saturday and Sunday We were sleeping on the beach promenade in the sleeping bag. We spent cold, we were tired, it was quite difficult, but worth it. I am very happy - celebrating.
Francis, thank you!! Amazing!
ReplyDeleteHello!!
ReplyDeleteMy name is Ana Paula and I AM FROM BRASIL!
Fortunately I have watched this wonderful images on TV. Unforgetable!...
The boy is wearing a t-shirt with the national colors, BUT it is not of a national soccer team: it belongs to a catholic community called CANÇÃO NOVA (www.canacaonova.com), which is also present in the United States: www.cnusa.com.
Stay in the Love of God!
~~~
Hello again!...
DeleteThe right address of the catholic community site is cancaonova.com. I have written an "a" in a wrong place. Sorry!...
Ana, thank you so much! I am so glad you let us know, and thank you for hosting the most wonderful WYD! :)
ReplyDeleteAna, Hannah... Wouldn't it have been really something if of the child's name had been Samuel instead of Nathan?
ReplyDeleteVicky Hernandez