At 11:15 this morning, in the Sala Clementina at the Apostolic Palace, the Holy Father, Pope Francis received in audience a group who are participating in the General Chapter of the Comboni Missionaries of the Heart of Jesus
Dear brothers,
I cordially greet you, at the invitation of your Superior General. You have come in the context of your General Chapter and this offers me an occasion to express to you and to your entire Institute, the recognition of the Church for your generous service to the gospel.
You have been called, and here you are: Comboni Missionaries of the Heart of Jesus. I want to reflect with you on these words that are part of your name and your identity.
Missionaries. You are servants and messengers of the gospel, especially for those who do not know it or who have forgotten it. At the beginning of your mission, there is a gift: the free initiative of the love of God who has sent out a double call: to stay with Him and to go out to preach (cf Mk 3:14). At the root of everything is the personal relationship with Christ, rooted in Baptism and, for some, strengthened by Ordination so that we can say with the apostle Paul: It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me (Gal 2:20). This living with Christ determines every facet of our being and our action; we find this life and are fed above all through prayer, by staying close to the Lord, through adoration and in heart-to-heart talks with Him.
In this very space of prayer, we find our truest treasure (Lk 12:34) which we share with the faithful through proclamation. In fact, the missionary makes himself a servant of God-who-speaks, who wishes to speak to men and women of our times, like Jesus spoke to those of his time, and to conquer the hearts of people who come from all places to listen to him (cf Mk 1:45), and who marvel as they listen to his teachings (cf Mk 6:2). This relationship of the missionary ad gentes with the Word of God is not so much defined by doing but by being. The mission, if it is authentic, must refer to and focus on the grace of Christ which flows from the cross: believing in him, you can preach the Word of God which enlivens and strengthens every missionary's commitment. For this reason, dear brothers, we must always feed on the Word of God in order to be a faithful echo; welcome it with the joy of the Spirit, internalize it, make it flesh of our flesh, like Mary did (cf Lk 2:19). In the Word of God, we find the wisdom that comes from on high, and which allows us to find languages, attitudes and tools so that we can respond to the challenges of the changes experienced by all humanity.
As Comboni Missionaries of the Heart of Jesus, you contribute with joy to the mission of the Church, bearing witness to the charism of Saint Daniele Comboni, which is key to the merciful love of the Hear of Christ for defenceless men and women. In this Heart we find a font of mercy that saves and that creates hope. Therefore, as men who are consecrated to God for the sake of his mission, you are called to imitate the merciful and meek Jesus, by living your service with humble hearts, taking care of those who have been abandoned in our time. Never stop imploring from the Sacred Heart, the gift of meekness that, as sons of charity, you may be patient, able to bear all things, hope all things and endure all things (cf 1 Cor 13:4-7). It is the gentleness of the gaze of Jesus when he looked upon Peter during the night of Holy Thursday (cf Lk 22:61), or when he invited Thomas, the doubter, to put his hand into his pierced Heart (cf Jn 20:27). There, from that heart, we learn the meekness that is needed in order to undertake apostolic action even in sometimes difficult hand hostile contexts.
That Heart which has so loved mankind drives you to the peripheries of society in order to bear witness to the perseverance of patient and faithful love. From contemplating the wounded love of Jesus, you can always renew within yourself a passion for the men and women of our time, which is expressed with freely-given love expressed in your commitment to solidarity, especially with those who are weak and disadvantaged. In this way, you can continue to promote justice and peace, respect and dignity for every person.
Dear brothers, I hope that profound reflection on the themes of the Chapter, to which you are dedicated during these days, will illuminate the path your Institute will take in the coming years and help you to rediscover the inspiration of your great tradition of spirituality and missionary activity. In this way, may you continue with trust, your appreciated collaboration with the mission of the Church. May you find encouragement in the example of many confreres who, having given their lives for the sake of the gospel, were also willing to give the supreme witness of shedding their blood. It is in fact well known that the history of the Comboni Institute is marked by an unbroken chain of martyrs, which continues even to our times. They are fertile seeds for the spread of the Kingdom and protectors of your Apostolic commitment.
I invoke upon you and upon all the Comboni Missionaries of the Heart of Jesus, the protection of Mary, the mother of the Church and mother of all missionaries.
Before giving you my blessing, I want to say one thing that is not written here; it is something that I feel: I always, always ... I have always had great admiration for you, for the work that you do, for the risks you face ... I have always felt this great admiration for you. Thank you.
Greetings of His Holiness, Pope Francis
to the participants in the General Chapter
of the Comboni Missionaries of the Heart of Jesus
Dear brothers,
I cordially greet you, at the invitation of your Superior General. You have come in the context of your General Chapter and this offers me an occasion to express to you and to your entire Institute, the recognition of the Church for your generous service to the gospel.
You have been called, and here you are: Comboni Missionaries of the Heart of Jesus. I want to reflect with you on these words that are part of your name and your identity.
Missionaries. You are servants and messengers of the gospel, especially for those who do not know it or who have forgotten it. At the beginning of your mission, there is a gift: the free initiative of the love of God who has sent out a double call: to stay with Him and to go out to preach (cf Mk 3:14). At the root of everything is the personal relationship with Christ, rooted in Baptism and, for some, strengthened by Ordination so that we can say with the apostle Paul: It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me (Gal 2:20). This living with Christ determines every facet of our being and our action; we find this life and are fed above all through prayer, by staying close to the Lord, through adoration and in heart-to-heart talks with Him.
In this very space of prayer, we find our truest treasure (Lk 12:34) which we share with the faithful through proclamation. In fact, the missionary makes himself a servant of God-who-speaks, who wishes to speak to men and women of our times, like Jesus spoke to those of his time, and to conquer the hearts of people who come from all places to listen to him (cf Mk 1:45), and who marvel as they listen to his teachings (cf Mk 6:2). This relationship of the missionary ad gentes with the Word of God is not so much defined by doing but by being. The mission, if it is authentic, must refer to and focus on the grace of Christ which flows from the cross: believing in him, you can preach the Word of God which enlivens and strengthens every missionary's commitment. For this reason, dear brothers, we must always feed on the Word of God in order to be a faithful echo; welcome it with the joy of the Spirit, internalize it, make it flesh of our flesh, like Mary did (cf Lk 2:19). In the Word of God, we find the wisdom that comes from on high, and which allows us to find languages, attitudes and tools so that we can respond to the challenges of the changes experienced by all humanity.
As Comboni Missionaries of the Heart of Jesus, you contribute with joy to the mission of the Church, bearing witness to the charism of Saint Daniele Comboni, which is key to the merciful love of the Hear of Christ for defenceless men and women. In this Heart we find a font of mercy that saves and that creates hope. Therefore, as men who are consecrated to God for the sake of his mission, you are called to imitate the merciful and meek Jesus, by living your service with humble hearts, taking care of those who have been abandoned in our time. Never stop imploring from the Sacred Heart, the gift of meekness that, as sons of charity, you may be patient, able to bear all things, hope all things and endure all things (cf 1 Cor 13:4-7). It is the gentleness of the gaze of Jesus when he looked upon Peter during the night of Holy Thursday (cf Lk 22:61), or when he invited Thomas, the doubter, to put his hand into his pierced Heart (cf Jn 20:27). There, from that heart, we learn the meekness that is needed in order to undertake apostolic action even in sometimes difficult hand hostile contexts.
That Heart which has so loved mankind drives you to the peripheries of society in order to bear witness to the perseverance of patient and faithful love. From contemplating the wounded love of Jesus, you can always renew within yourself a passion for the men and women of our time, which is expressed with freely-given love expressed in your commitment to solidarity, especially with those who are weak and disadvantaged. In this way, you can continue to promote justice and peace, respect and dignity for every person.
Dear brothers, I hope that profound reflection on the themes of the Chapter, to which you are dedicated during these days, will illuminate the path your Institute will take in the coming years and help you to rediscover the inspiration of your great tradition of spirituality and missionary activity. In this way, may you continue with trust, your appreciated collaboration with the mission of the Church. May you find encouragement in the example of many confreres who, having given their lives for the sake of the gospel, were also willing to give the supreme witness of shedding their blood. It is in fact well known that the history of the Comboni Institute is marked by an unbroken chain of martyrs, which continues even to our times. They are fertile seeds for the spread of the Kingdom and protectors of your Apostolic commitment.
I invoke upon you and upon all the Comboni Missionaries of the Heart of Jesus, the protection of Mary, the mother of the Church and mother of all missionaries.
Before giving you my blessing, I want to say one thing that is not written here; it is something that I feel: I always, always ... I have always had great admiration for you, for the work that you do, for the risks you face ... I have always felt this great admiration for you. Thank you.
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