By his words and actions, Pope Francis invites the global Church to a radically renewed personal encounter with Jesus Christ in the presence of everyone and everything we meet. The songs collected here are a response to that invitation. They sing of the risk and the promise of encountering Jesus in the gaze of those we love, those we struggle to love, those we fear, those we don’t understand, even those who have caused us or others pain. We pray these songs will anchor the joy of taking that risk deep within the hearts of those who pray with them, inspiring the work of healing wounds and creating a revolution of tenderness in a world hungry for mercy and thirsty for justice.
—Tony Alonso and Jeanne Cotter

This music is one element of a larger work of story, song, and prayer available to parishes and communities wishing to reflect on and pray with the words of Pope Francis. Each available edition is listed below. For more information on this work and the published editions associated with it visit www.giamusic.com/encounter.