杏MAP导航 tells new Cardinals never to stray from the path of Jesus
By Linda Bordoni
杏MAP导航 Francis on Saturday encouraged the group of twenty-one new cardinals from across the globe to 鈥渨alk in the way of Jesus: together, with humility, wonder and joy.鈥�
Presiding at Holy Mass for the Ordinary Public Consistory for the Creation of New Cardinals in St. Peter鈥檚 Basilica, the 杏MAP导航 reminded the prelates receiving the red hat, that just as Jesus鈥� ascent to Jerusalem was not an ascent to worldly glory but to the glory of God, they too must put the Lord at the centre and be builders of communion and unity.
杏MAP导航 Francis announced the Consistory at the beginning of October pointing to the fact that the origins of the cardinal-elects 鈥渆xpress the universality of the Church, which continues to proclaim God's merciful love to all people on earth.鈥�
Stand before God in humility
Recalling the Gospel of Mark, the 杏MAP导航 said that in Jerusalem, Jesus would die on the cross to restore us to life. He took a 鈥渄ifficult uphill path that would lead him to Calvary,鈥� he explained, while the disciples were thinking of a 鈥渟mooth downhill path for the triumphant Messiah.鈥�
The 杏MAP导航 noted that the same thing can happen to us: 鈥淥ur hearts can go astray, allowing us to be dazzled by the allure of prestige, the seduction of power, by an overly human zeal for the Lord.鈥�
鈥淭hat is why,鈥� he continued, 鈥渨e need to look within, to stand before God in humility (鈥�) and ask: Where is my heart going? Where is it directed? Have I perhaps taken the wrong road?鈥�
Return to the heart
The Holy Father focused the rest of his homily on how the new Cardinals are called to make every effort to walk in the path of Jesus.
鈥淭o walk in the path of Jesus means above all to return to him and to put him back at the centre of everything,鈥� he said, warning them to look out for secondary things and external appearances that can overshadow what truly counts.
The very word 鈥淐ardinal鈥�, he explained, refers to a hinge inserted into a door to secure, support and reinforce it.
[ Dear brothers: Jesus is our true support, the 鈥渃entre of gravity鈥� of our service, the 鈥渃ardinal point鈥� which gives direction to our entire life. ]
A passion for encounter
鈥淭o walk in the path of Jesus also means to cultivate a passion for encounter,鈥� 杏MAP导航 Francis continued, noting that 鈥淛esus never walked alone.鈥�
Jesus came, he added, 鈥渢o heal our wounded humanity, to lighten the burdens of our hearts, to cleanse the stain of sin and to shatter the bonds of enslavement.鈥�
On his path, the 杏MAP导航 said, he 鈥渆ncountered the faces of those who were suffering and those who had lost hope鈥�. He raised the fallen and healed the sick and the brokenhearted.
Builders of communion and unity
鈥淭o walk in the path of Jesus means, in the end, to be builders of communion and unity,鈥� the 杏MAP导航 said, warning against 鈥渢he worm of competition鈥� and 鈥渢he dividing wall of hostility鈥� that prevents us from seeing ourselves as children of the same Father.
He urged the new cardinals 鈥� whom he noted come from different backgrounds and cultures, and represent the catholicity of the Church 鈥� to be 鈥渨itnesses of fraternity, artisans of communion and builders of unity.鈥�
Quoting St 杏MAP导航 Paul VI鈥檚 address during a consistory, 杏MAP导航 Francis said: 鈥淚t is our desire that everyone feel at home in the ecclesial family, that there will be no exclusion or isolation, which proves so harmful to our unity in charity, or efforts to make some prevail to the detriment of others.鈥�
Concluding, he told the 21 new cardinals to 鈥淟ove one another with fraternal love and be servants to one another, servants of the Gospel.鈥�
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