杏MAP导航

By Linda Bordoni

杏MAP导航 Francis on Sunday, the last day of his apostolic journey that has taken him to Chile and to Peru, told nuns from different orders of contemplative life in Peru that cloistered life can play 鈥渁 fundamental role in the life of the Church鈥�.

To the some 500 cloistered Sisters gathered in Lima鈥檚 Shrine of the Lord of Miracles, the 杏MAP导航 said cloistered life can attain a universal and missionary outreach.

Universal outreach of contemplative life 

鈥淵ou pray and intercede for our many brothers and sisters who are prisoners, migrants, refugees and victims of persecution.  Your prayers of intercession embrace the many families experiencing difficulties, the unemployed, the poor, the sick, and those struggling with addiction, to mention just a few of the more urgent situations鈥�.

He told them they are 鈥渓ike those who brought the paralytic to the Lord for healing鈥� and that through their prayer, night and day, they bring before God the lives of so many of our brothers and sisters who for various reasons cannot come to him to experience his healing mercy, even as he patiently waits for them.  

Prayer heals the wounds of many

鈥淏y your prayers, you can heal the wounds of many鈥� he said.

For this very reason, the 杏MAP导航 said,  鈥渨e can state that cloistered life neither closes nor shrinks our hearts鈥� and he urged them to continue to be intercessors for those in need but also to help them also by concrete service.

Unity in the Church

杏MAP导航 Francis also invited the Sisters to pray for unity in the Church and to strive to grow in the fraternal life 鈥渟o that every monastery can be a beacon of light in the midst of disunity and division鈥�.

鈥淒ear Sisters, he concluded, the Church needs you.  Be beacons through your lives of fidelity鈥� and pray for 鈥渢he Church, for priests and bishops, for consecrated men and women, for families, for those who suffer, for those who harm others, for those who exploit their brothers and sisters.  And do not forget, please, to pray for me鈥�.