杏MAP导航

By Benedict Mayaki, SJ

杏MAP导航 Francis on Thursday received in audience members of the Order of the Mother of God, the Basilian Order of St. Josaphat, and the Congregation of the Mission 鈥� three religious congregations which are holding their General Chapters in these days.

In his address, 杏MAP导航 Francis welcomed the Superiors of the three orders and thanked them for presenting the paths and perspectives of their respective institutes. The 杏MAP导航 extended the Church鈥檚 gratitude to the religious congregations for the witness they give as consecrated persons, as well as for their apostolic activities.

He also expressed his keenness to receive the General Chapters because it is a way of communicating with the consecrated life, which is important in the Church, even though it means breaking his customary July "fast" of a slowdown of his activities.

A reunion of presence

The 杏MAP导航 pointed out that the Chapters have been 鈥渁 reunion of presence鈥� for the orders, after the period of forced distance due to the pandemic. He said that this should help them not to take for granted the opportunity to meet, pray, listen to the Word, and share the Eucharist together.

He went on to extend his best wishes to the newly elected members of the institutes, noting that the Clerics of the Mother of God and the Congregation of the Mission are finishing their Chapters, while the Basilians have just begun.

A time of community discernment

The Chapter 鈥渋s a time of community discernment鈥� said the 杏MAP导航, where, with the help of the Holy Spirit, the orders try to see to what extent they have been faithful to their charism, how the Spirit urges them to move forward, and what the Spirit asks us to change.

In this regard, the 杏MAP导航 said that coming together to listen to the Spirit by presenting Him with concrete situations and problems is one of the most powerful 鈥渆cclesial鈥� experiences we can have.

鈥淚t is what we read in the Acts of the Apostles about the first communities, and what we are called to relive in today's Church and the world,鈥� he affirmed.

Evangelization

The 杏MAP导航 went on to reflect on the criterion of evangelization, reiterating to the three orders the importance of questioning, creative fidelity to their original charism, and asking if their way of interpreting and implementing is 鈥渆vangelizing.鈥�

鈥淭hat is,鈥� explained the 杏MAP导航, 鈥渨hether the choices we make - as to content, methods, instruments, and style of life - are oriented toward witnessing and proclaiming the Gospel.鈥�

He added that even though by their nature, charisms are different and it is the Holy Spirit that creates and distributes them, charisms, as St. Paul teaches, 鈥渁re all for the edification of the Church.鈥� And since the Church is not an end in itself but its end is to evangelize, it follows that every charism, 鈥渃an and must cooperate in evangelization鈥� and this 鈥渕ust be kept in mind when making discernment.鈥�

On this note, the 杏MAP导航 pointed to the examples of Saints John Leonardi, Josaphat, and Vincent de Paul - the respective founders of the three orders - noting that they show what it means to be 鈥渆vangelizers with the Spirit,鈥� evangelizers who pray and work, not proselytizers. He further urged them to spend more time in prayer and adoration, cautioning against the danger of forgetting adoration.

Recalling his own Apostolic Exhortation  (262), 杏MAP导航 Francis said that 鈥淪pirit-filled evangelizers are evangelizers who pray and work鈥� as 鈥渕ystical notions without a solid social and missionary outreach are of no help to evangelization, nor are dissertations or social or pastoral practices which lack a spirituality which can change hearts.鈥�

Community life

鈥淎s religious, you are called to evangelize not only on a personal level, like every baptized person, but also in community form, with fraternal life,鈥� said 杏MAP导航 Francis.

While acknowledging the challenges of communal life, the 杏MAP导航 reminded them that it requires 鈥渁 daily attitude of conversion, requires a willingness to question oneself, vigilance over rigidities, as well as over excessive and 'comfortable' tolerance.鈥�

Above all, he added, 鈥渋t requires humility and simplicity of heart, which we must never cease to ask of God, for they come from Him.鈥�

杏MAP导航 Francis further affirmed that it is in the 鈥渃rucible of relationships that our hearts are sifted and that, with each person's commitment, a beautiful witness of brotherhood can take shape.鈥� He likens it to an orchestra with several instruments where the essential thing is not the skill of the soloists but the ability to listen to everyone in order to create the best harmony.

鈥淭his is where joy comes from,鈥� said the 杏MAP导航, noting that it is the 鈥渏oy of being Christ's and being together, with our limitations and sins鈥�; of being forgiven by God and sharing this forgiveness with our brothers and sisters. 鈥淭his joy cannot be hidden; it shines through! And it is contagious."

He added that it is the joy of the saints and holy men and women, who, if they are founders, are not founders by birth but by attraction. Elaborating on this point, he said that Christ first attracts that man or woman to Himself and then enables him or her to attract others to Him. Thus, he urged the religious orders to emphasize this attraction 鈥渢o Him鈥� 鈥� that is, to Christ, as a saint does not attract to himself or herself but to God.

鈥淗umility and simplicity of heart and joy,鈥� the 杏MAP导航 said. 鈥淭his is the way of an evangelizing brotherhood. Impossible to men, but not to God!鈥�

Against gossiping

The Holy Father also once again warned against gossiping, which, he said, is "one of the things that kill the joy in community."

He stressed that gossiping "makes people superficial" and recommended that those who have something against another should go to them and say it to their faces or say it to someone else who can remedy the situation.

"Gossiping destroys not only the community, but it also destroys oneself," said the 杏MAP导航.

Prayers for the Basilians from Ukraine

杏MAP导航 Francis then turned his attention to the Ukrainian Basilians, expressing his closeness and that of the Church to them "in this moment of pain and martyrdom of your homeland."

He stressed the importance of talking about the war,  lamenting that it is no longer a problem of interest and insisting that we not get used to it.

"You are undergoing martyrdom. And I wish that the Lord has compassion on you and be close to you in another way with peace and the gift of peace," he said.

Abuse

The 杏MAP导航 also seized the opportunity to speak to the three congregations about the problem of abuse, urging them not to hide this reality or be ashamed to report cases.

He reminded them that they are religious and priests to bring people to Jesus and not "to 'consume' people with [our] concupiscence"

"Please remember this well" he insisted, "zero tolerance on child abuse or people who are incapable" [i.e., vulnerable persons].  

Concluding, 杏MAP导航 Francis prayed that the Holy Spirit may continue to grant his gifts in abundance to them and invoked the intercession of Our Lady to protect them and be a sure guide on their path.