杏MAP导航

By Francesca Merlo

鈥淚 would like to thank you, Brother Bernardo, for your help these days鈥�. These are 杏MAP导航 Francis鈥� opening lines of gratitude, addressed to Brother Bernardo Francesco Maria Gianni, Abbot of Florence鈥檚 San Miniato al Monte, who has been leading 杏MAP导航 Francis and his collaborators at the Roman Curia in spiritual exercises over the past week.

The 杏MAP导航 says he was struck by the work put in by Brother Bernardo, 鈥渢o help us understand that God is always present in humanity鈥�. This work, continues the 杏MAP导航, helped all those attending the spiritual exercises to 鈥渆nter, as the Word has done, into the human being鈥� 鈥� explaining that this was first done by God, in the Incarnation of the Word 鈥渦ndivided, and unconfused鈥�.

Going forward

This is the road the Benedictine Monk, paved for the 杏MAP导航 and his collaborators, and 杏MAP导航 Francis acknowledges that now their work 鈥減erhaps, is to go forward鈥�, along this path.

杏MAP导航 Francis thanks brother Bernardo for discussing hope, work and patience with them, which he says, are all virtues which will help to obtain the 鈥渕emory of the future鈥�. A memory, which the 杏MAP导航 says, 鈥渁lways carries us forward鈥�.

Leading with courage

杏MAP导航 Francis ends his thanks by saying that he saw in Fr Bernardo, the 鈥渟ame courage the Council fathers had when they signed鈥� the document Gaudium et Spes, a document which he describes as the one which has, perhaps, 鈥渆ncountered the most resistance 鈥� even today鈥�.

He explains this though admitting to having felt a little 鈥渄isorientated鈥� when attending the first of the meditations. 鈥淏ut then鈥�, he concludes, 鈥淚 understood the message鈥�.