Sally Leroy tears up each time she listens to her beloved song during Mass. The Arizona resident also finds herself in tears nearly every morning as she sits peacefully in her prayer nook reflecting on heartaches and family concerns or expressing gratitude for received blessings. Nevertheless, Leroy wouldn’t trade this experience for anything.

“I genuinely think it’s a blessing to have tears running down my face,” Leroy remarked. “A friend of mine mentioned that I was fortunate to cry, as she is unable to do so. I found it hard to believe her when she claimed she hasn’t shed a tear in years. I’m thankful that tears trickle down my cheeks whenever it occurs. I cherish tears. I understand that they are gifts from our compassionate Father.”

The tears that Leroy goes through are what Pope Francis has described as “the gift of tears.”

Grace of God

During a homily at Casa Santa Marta on April 2, 2013, the pope discussed “the blessing of tears as a charism frequently associated with the saints,” and he urged those in attendance to shed tears as Mary Magdalene did at the tomb of Christ.

“Each one of us has experienced happiness, grief, and despair in our lives, [but] have we cried in our most difficult times? Have we been blessed with tears that enable us to gaze, to perceive the Lord?” he inquired. “We can also seek from the Lord the blessing of tears. It is a wonderful grace … to shed tears while praying for all things: for goodness, for our transgressions, for blessings, for joy itself. … [It] readies us to recognize Jesus.”

With the expression, “the gift tears,” which he has frequently employed since then, Pope Francis is alluding to excerpts from St. Ignatius’ spiritual journal, where he narrates experiencing an overwhelming feeling of God’s consolation. The saint frequently found himself in tears during Mass, as he was moved by the magnificence of the worship and the depth of God’s love. His tears stemmed from a profoundly intimate relationship with God. He documented these encounters in his Spiritual Exercises.

“For Pope Francis, the gift of tears represents a similar encounter with God’s grace — an overwhelming sensation of being cherished and cared for by the One who has made us and summoned us to himself,” stated theologian and writer Tim Muldoon. “It’s an awakening to the depth of that love which saturates one’s feelings and leaves an individual capable of conveying that sense of inundation only through tears. It is an experience of surplus, not based on reason or emotion, but rather a profound, preconscious belief in the existence of the Holy One. This experience is mystical, in the sense of being concealed or secret (mystikos in Greek) from one’s clear comprehension.”

Showing mercy

Asking for tears at Auschwitz Pope Francis asked for the “gift of tears” ahead of his recent visit to Auschwitz during World Youth Day. On the return flight from his apostolic journey to Armenia, June 26, the pope said, in answer to a question by Father Federico Lombardi, that he would prefer to go to the concentration camp “in silence. … I would like to go to that place of horror, without speeches, without people, other than the few necessary … to enter alone, to pray, and to ask that the Lord may give me the grace to weep.” During his visit to the camp July 29, Pope Francis prayed in silence, met with survivors of the camp and signed the visitors’ book “Lord, have mercy on your people. Lord, forgive so much cruelty.”

Although tears can certainly be regarded as a blessing, they often also bring about feelings of shame. Deacon Greg Kandra has felt both aspects of this duality. Serving as a deacon for the Diocese of Brooklyn in New York, he also holds the position of executive editor at ONE Magazine, which is produced by the Catholic Near East Welfare Association. He understood that while delivering a homily regarding his recent visit to Rome and his meeting with Pope Francis during the Jubilee for Deacons in May, he was deeply touched and brought to tears. He appreciated that his pastor, Bishop Paul Sanchez, subsequently referred to his tearful moment as “the gift of tears” in a warm manner.

“Certain individuals, I am confident, view shedding tears as a display of fragility,” he remarked. “However, I believe our beliefs suggest a different perspective. Frequently, it represents something beyond that — empathy, compassion, openness. It can also signify mercy. We exist in a skeptical and frequently spiteful era, where individuals often feel more at ease being sarcastic or ‘ironic’ rather than sincere. Tears serve as a reminder that we are meant to connect with one another on a more profound level — one that is true and perhaps slightly soulful.”

Deacon Kandra observes a significant amount of this type of soulfulness in his role with CNEWA. He asserts that “the gift of tears” arises from being receptive to the Holy Spirit awakening the heart, “not through superficial emotionalism or shallow sentimentalism, but with something that resonates profoundly at the essence of our humanity.”

“I frequently journey across the nation representing CNEWA, and the majority of my presentations focus on the struggles faced by persecuted Christians in the Middle East. Even though I have delivered almost the same speech numerous times, there are still instances that nearly move me to tears when I recount the experiences of Iraqi and Syrian Christians, as well as the profound faith that supports them. I believe some individuals in the audience are taken aback to witness that level of empathy and feeling,” he stated.

Empathy of Christ

Certain individuals weep so frequently that they become recognized for their emotional outpourings. Kelly Wahlquist, an evangelist and the founder of Women In the New Evangelization, is a prime example. She is so readily touched that her family tends to observe her instead of the screen in a cinema or during family gatherings. They anticipate the onset of her tears.

Wahlquist thought her inclination to cry indicated that she was merely too emotional, and she would rationalize her behavior. However, after reading a statement from Pope Benedict XVI regarding St. Catherine of Siena, she began to recognize beauty in what she had perceived as a flaw.

He remarked, “Another aspect of Catherine’s spirituality is associated with the gift of tears. They convey a delicate, deep sensitivity, an ability to be touched and to show tenderness. Numerous saints have experienced the gift of tears, echoing the emotions of Jesus himself, who did not restrain or conceal his tears at the grave of his friend Lazarus and during the sorrow of Mary and Martha or when he beheld Jerusalem in his final days on this earth.”

“How wonderful to contemplate that God would bestow upon me a present, a present not bestowed upon all, a present that aids me in forging a unique connection with his Son,” she expressed. “In an instant, my perception of ‘the gift of tears’ transformed from a source of weight to a source of joy. I ceased to be concerned about who might be observing me as I wept during films; I celebrated the way my family’s beautiful harmony resonated with me; and I no longer struggled to suppress the tears when they began to rise during my speaking engagements.”

Sharing the gift

“Gift” is undeniably a fitting term for the tears that arise from God’s love and compassion, as it represents something that is bestowed upon us and that we cannot earn for ourselves, according to Mark Shea, a Catholic speaker and author of “The Work of Mercy” (Servant Books, $14.99).

Pope Francis requested the “gift of tears” prior to his recent trip to Auschwitz during World Youth Day. On the flight back from his apostolic mission to Armenia on June 26, the pope stated, in response to a query from Father Federico Lombardi, that he preferred to visit the concentration camp “in silence. … I wish to go to that site of horror, without speeches, without individuals, aside from the few needed … to enter alone, to pray, and to seek that the Lord may grant me the grace to weep.” During his visit to the camp on July 29, Pope Francis prayed quietly, met with survivors of the camp, and signed the visitors’ book with the words “Lord, have mercy on your people. Lord, forgive so much cruelty.”

“‘The blessing of tears’ is akin to the blessing of well-being,” he remarked. “You cannot obtain it through effort. It cannot be compelled, nor can you create it at will. Naturally, we’re urged to request it, but we must be patient for it to be bestowed upon us.”

Shea makes a comparison between “the gift of tears” and the blessings.

“When you really consider it, they are all aspects that no one truly desires. Who wishes to be impoverished? Who longs to be famished and parched? Who seeks to grieve? And yet, these experiences are blessings,” he stated.

He additionally highlights another aspect of “the gift of tears” that is particularly touching in this Year of Mercy. Mercy, in fact, is an integral part of the gift.

“Numerous occasions in the confessional leave me in tears of shame,” he remarked. “This is why I hold deep gratitude for David. He committed some dreadful acts, yet he discovered God’s grace and felt His mercy. After that, he accomplished remarkable things. It’s akin to this: They provide comfort with the solace they themselves have received.”

Peter serves as a remarkable illustration of this, as he personally encountered Jesus’s compassion and “the gift of tears,” as stated by Shea.

In contrast to Judas, who took his own life after rejecting Christ, Peter moved forward with repentance and faith in God’s compassion. Jesus exhibited his mercy towards Peter by asking him three times, “Do you love me?”

“The blessing of tears” is essential now more than ever, considering the currents of the contemporary era leaning towards animosity and away from affection.

“‘The gift of tears’ holds significance because, as Dostoevsky expressed, beauty will redeem the world,” Muldoon remarked. “Our ability to appreciate beauty — be it aesthetic, moral, or spiritual — mirrors our nature as capax Dei, or capable of God. Being touched to tears is the appropriate reaction to beauty because we are beings able to recognize it, even in unexpected forms. It embodies the fundamental essence of being human in a world that has been created by a loving God.”