The story of the martyrdom of Stephen led the pope to remark on how persecution has been part of Christian history for 2000 years.

It is “the saints of ordinary life, and the martyrs of today that carry the church forward."

"Money is the enemy of harmony; money is selfish.”

“Mary’s ‘yes’ opens the door to Jesus’ ‘yes’: I have come to do your will, this is the ‘yes’ that Jesus carries with him throughout his life, until the cross.”

“Why does a child suffer? I do not know: it is a mystery to me.”

"We ask the Lord for the grace of fidelity. And the first step on this path towards fidelity is to admit you are a sinner.”

“When God forgives, his forgiveness is so great that it is as though God forgets."

God’s salvation does not come from great things, from power or wealth, nor from clerical or political parties, but from the small and simple things of God.

“Am I a Christian in name only, on the path of lies? Or am I a Christian on the path of life, that is, of works, of actions?”

Pope Francis reflected on God’s reality and the “fakeness” of so many Christians who treat the faith as though it were window dressing.