杏MAP导航

In his homily during Mass for the Opening of the XXI General Assembly of Caritas Internationalis, 杏MAP导航 Francis reflected on the 鈥渇irst great meeting in the history of the Church鈥�, described in the day鈥檚 reading from the Acts of the Apostles. He warned against the temptation of a 鈥�cult of efficiency鈥�, of wanting the Church to have everything in order. 鈥淭he Lord does not work that way,鈥� but instead sends the Holy Spirit. The Gospel, he insisted 鈥渋s our program of life. It teaches us that questions should not be confronted with a ready-made recipe, and that the faith is not a road map, but a 鈥榃ay鈥� to travel together鈥� with a spirit of trust.鈥�

Three essential elements

杏MAP导航 Francis described 鈥渢hree essential elements for the Church 鈥榦n its way鈥�: the humility of listening, the charism of togetherness, the courage of renunciation.鈥�

He began with the 鈥渃ourage renunciation,鈥� letting go of our own 鈥渉uman convictions and traditions鈥� in order to find the best way of proclaiming the Gospel. He emphasized the importance of reforming ourselves, first of all 鈥� and not a cosmetic reform, but a 鈥渃onversion of the heart which happens through renunciation.鈥�

We can do this, he said, beginning with the 鈥渉umility of listening鈥�, allowing the voices of all, and especially the least among us, to be heard. The 杏MAP导航 said that in order to really hear others, we must be disinterested in ourselves, willing to listen to and accept other people鈥檚 ideas. Further, we must also 鈥渓isten to life,鈥� that is, look at reality as it is, rather than focusing solely on ideas.

鈥淔rom the humility of listening to the courage of renunciation, it all passes through the charism of togetherness,鈥� 杏MAP导航 Francis said. At the meeting in Jerusalem, the Church was gathered around St Peter, through charity 鈥渨hich does not create uniformity, but communion.鈥� Although there were strong personalities present, each with their own ideas, they worked together on account of 鈥渢he strength of loving each other in the Lord.鈥�

"Remain in my love"

Finally, 杏MAP导航 Francis turned to the Gospel, where Jesus calls on His disciples to 鈥淩emain in my love.鈥� We do this, the 杏MAP导航 said, especially by remaining close to Jesus, present in the Holy Eucharist in the tabernacle; and in the 鈥渕any living tabernacles who are the poor.鈥� Jesus, he said, asks us 鈥渢o remain in Him, not in our own ideas.鈥�

鈥淟et us ask the Lord that He might free us from the cult of efficiency, from worldliness, from the subtle temptation of worshipping ourselves and our own prowess, of obsessive organisation,鈥� 杏MAP导航 Francis said in conclusion. 鈥淟et us ask the grace of welcoming the way indicated by the Word of God: humility, communion, renunciation.鈥�