杏MAP导航

By Vatican News

It was at the Angelus of 15 October 2017 that 杏MAP导航 Francis first announced he was convoking a Special Assembly of Bishops in order to 鈥渋dentify new pathways for the Church and for an integral ecology鈥�.

Paul to Timothy

On Sunday, the 杏MAP导航 celebrated Mass for the opening of that Synod, invoking Saint Paul, 鈥渢he greatest missionary in the Church鈥檚 history鈥�. The Apostle 鈥渉elps us to make this 鈥榮ynod鈥�, this 鈥榡ourney together鈥欌��, he said.

杏MAP导航 Francis quoted Paul鈥檚 words to Timothy, when he writes: 鈥淚 remind you to rekindle the gift of God that is within you through the laying on of my hands鈥�.

Hands

The 杏MAP导航 went on to remind the Bishops gathered from all over the world for this Synod that hands were laid on their heads, so that they might raise their hands to intercede before the Father, and extend their hands to help their brothers and sisters.

Gifts

鈥淲e received a gift so that we might become a gift鈥�, said the 杏MAP导航. 鈥淕ifts are not bought, traded or sold; they are received and given away鈥�, he added. 鈥淚f we hold on to them, if we make ourselves the centre and not the gift we have received, we become bureaucrats, not shepherds鈥�.

Service

鈥淭hanks to the gift we have received, our lives are directed to service鈥�, continued 杏MAP导航 Francis. 鈥淲e do not serve for the sake of personal profit or gain, but because we received freely and want to give freely in return鈥�, he added, insisting that the Bishops 鈥減ut God鈥檚 gift at the centre鈥�.

Fidelity

The 杏MAP导航 returned to Saint Paul when he spoke of how that gift must be rekindled, like a fire, 鈥渋f we are to be faithful to our calling鈥�. A fire does not burn by itself, he continued, 鈥渋t has to be fed or else it dies and turns to ashes鈥�. We cannot spend our days 鈥渄efending the status quo鈥�, said the 杏MAP导航. 鈥淛esus did not come to bring a gentle evening breeze, but to light a fire on the earth鈥�.

Prudence

杏MAP导航 Francis identified that fire as the Holy Spirit, 鈥渢he giver of gifts鈥�. Saint Paul tells Timothy: 鈥淕od did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power and love and prudence鈥�. Paul places prudence in opposition to timidity, explained 杏MAP导航 Francis. He then quoted the Catechism鈥檚 definition of prudence as: 鈥渢he virtue that disposes practical reason to discern our true good in every circumstance and to choose the right means of achieving it鈥�.

Discernment

鈥淧rudence is the virtue of the pastor who, in order to serve with wisdom, is able to discern, to be receptive to the newness of the Spirit鈥�, continued the 杏MAP导航. 鈥淩ekindling our gift in the fire of the Spirit is the opposite of letting things take their course without doing anything鈥�. 

杏MAP导航 Francis prayed that the Spirit may 鈥済ive us his own daring prudence鈥�, and 鈥渋nspire our Synod to renew the paths of the Church in Amazonia, so that the fire of mission will continue to burn鈥�.

Fire

鈥淲hen peoples and cultures are devoured without love and without respect鈥�, said 杏MAP导航 Francis, 鈥渋t is not God鈥檚 fire but that of the world鈥�. 鈥淢ay God preserve us from the greed of new forms of colonialism鈥�, he added.

Referring to the fire that recently devastated Amazonia, the 杏MAP导航 said it 鈥渋s not the fire of the Gospel鈥�. God鈥檚 fire 鈥渋s fed by sharing, not by profits鈥�, he added. 鈥淭he fire that destroys鈥�, said 杏MAP导航 Francis, 鈥渂lazes up when people want to promote only their own ideas鈥� in the attempt to make everyone and everything uniform鈥�.

Witness

The 杏MAP导航 concluded by repeating Saint Paul鈥檚 request to Timothy 鈥渢o bear witness to the Gospel鈥�. To preach the Gospel, said 杏MAP导航 Francis 鈥渋s to live as an offering, to bear witness to the end, to become all things to all people, to love even to the point of martyrdom鈥�. He noted, too, that there are some Cardinals who have themselves experienced 鈥渢he cross of martyrdom鈥�.

We serve the Gospel, said the 杏MAP导航, 鈥渂y persevering in humble love, by believing that the only real way to possess life is to lose it through love鈥�.

Amazonia

杏MAP导航 Francis鈥� last words were for our brothers and sisters in Amazonia: they are 鈥渂earing heavy crosses and awaiting the liberating consolation of the Gospel, the Church鈥檚 caress of love鈥�, he said.

鈥淪o many of our brothers and sisters in Amazonia have poured out their life鈥�, the 杏MAP导航 added. He quoted 鈥渙ur beloved Cardinal Hummes鈥�, who, he noted, regularly goes to the cemeteries of the small towns he visits in the Amazon. 鈥淎nd then, with a little shrewdness鈥� the 杏MAP导航 said, the Cardinal told him not to forget them, saying, 鈥淭hey deserve to be canonized.鈥�

鈥淔or them鈥�, the 杏MAP导航 concluded, 鈥渇or these [people] who are giving their life now, for those who have poured out their life, and with them, let us journey together鈥�.