杏MAP导航

By Linda Bordoni

杏MAP导航 Francis received some 60 Pauline delegates from across the globe as their 11^th General Chapter draws to a close in the town of Ariccia, in the Alban hills south of Rome.

The theme of the Chapter, that began on 5 September and concludes on 5 October, and that included the election of a new Superior General, is 鈥�Arise, Go on your Journey Trusting in the Promise.鈥�

The 杏MAP导航 reflected on the chosen theme noting that 鈥渋n these delicate and hard times, as 杏MAP导航 John Paul II said in his Apostolic Exhortation Vita Consecrata, faith is more necessary than ever鈥�.

Many, he said, believe that consecrated life is going through a winter.

鈥淚t may be so, because vocations are scarce, the average age is advancing and fidelity to the commitments made by profession is not always what it should be,鈥� he said.

In this situation, the 杏MAP导航 continued, the 鈥済reat challenge is to survive the winter in order to flourish and bear fruit鈥�.

Winter is not a time of sterility and death

He said 鈥渢he chill of society is to be found sometimes even within the Church and in consecrated life.鈥� But just as in nature, the 杏MAP导航 continued, winter in the Church and in consecrated life is not a time of sterility and death, it is a favourable time that allows us to go back to our roots and  to focus on the essential.

For you, he said to the Pauline religious, it is a time 鈥渢o rediscover the elements of Pauline prophecy鈥�, to rediscover the mission that takes the Daughters of St Paul to go forth and live their vocations in 鈥渢he peripheries of thought and on the peripheries of existence鈥�.

Missionary boldness

杏MAP导航 Francis noted that the charism of the Pauline Order is to proclaim the Word.

鈥淵ou carry a missionary boldness in your DNA,鈥� he said, and urged them never to let this boldness diminish in the knowledge that the protagonist of their mission is the Holy Spirit.

鈥淚 hope that the Chapter that you are experiencing may be a good time to ask yourselves which is the best way to express the Pauline prophecy in response to the calls that we receive in our time,鈥� he said.

鈥楲et yourselves be disturbed by reality of our time 鈥�

He encouraged those present to set out, 鈥渙n the streets of the world, with a contemplative gaze full of empathy for the men and women of our time who are hungry for the Good News of the Gospel.鈥�

He told them to be part of an 鈥渙utgoing Institute鈥� and to put all their strength at the service of evangelization.

鈥淟et ourselves be challenged by the reality in which we live, let ourselves be disturbed by reality,鈥� he said.

And he told them to constantly seek ways of proximity, and keep in their hearts the ability to feel compassion.

Proclaiming the Gospel through communications

In particular, to the Pauline religious, whose charism is to evangelize through communication, the 杏MAP导航 said 鈥渂e missionaries by bearing witness to a life centered in Christ, through editorial, digital and multimedia production, and by promoting critical formation in the use of the media and biblical animation.

Noting that the road travelled so far by the sisters is a long and fruitful one, he said 鈥渢here is still a long way to go鈥� and he encouraged them to revive the gift of faith by always letting themselves be enlightened by the Word.

The Word

The Word, 杏MAP导航 Francis said, 鈥渋s the center of your personal and community life, in the liturgy and in lectio divina. It is the Word that keeps the apostolic spirit alive in your Institute鈥�.

鈥淪et out, with the boldness that comes from the Spirit and the creativity that characterized your Founder,鈥� he concluded, and he bestowed his apostolic blessing on the sisters present whom, he noted, came from 52 different nations: 鈥渢he whole world!鈥�