杏MAP导航

By Christopher Wells

Seminarians who have come to Rome for the Jubilee are not only pilgrims, but witnesses of hope, who 鈥渇uel the flame of hope in the life of the Church鈥�, 杏MAP导航 Leo said on Tuesday morning.

In a meditation delivered in St Peter鈥檚 Basilica, 杏MAP导航 Leo told seminarians they are called to bear witness 鈥渢o Christ鈥檚 gratitude and gratuitousness, to the exultation and joy, the tenderness and mercy of His Heart, to practice a style of welcome and closeness, of generous and selfless service, allowing the Holy Spirit to 鈥榓noint鈥� their humanity even before ordination.鈥�

Learning to love as Jesus loves

The Holy Father emphasized, too, the importance of formation 鈥渃entred on the heart鈥�, of learning 鈥渢o love as Jesus loved鈥�.

This must be done through the development of the interior life, the first work of discernment, and involves returning to the heart, where we find 鈥渢races of God鈥� and where God speaks to us.

杏MAP导航 Leo said that formation of the interior life involves recognizing the deepest sentiments of the heart, 鈥渨hich help you discover the direction of your life.鈥� He noted that the 鈥減rivileged path鈥� that leads to interiority is prayer, because without an encounter with God, 鈥渨e cannot truly know ourselves鈥�.

And he invited them to invoke the Holy Spirit frequently, 鈥渟o that He may shape in you a docile heart, capable of perceiving God鈥檚 presence鈥� in nature, art, literature, music, and science.

鈥淎bove all鈥�, 杏MAP导航 Leo said, 鈥渓earn how to listen, as Jesus did, to the often silent cry of the little ones, of the poor and the oppressed, and of the very many people, especially young people, who are searching for meaning in their lives.鈥�

The Holy Father called on seminarians to learn to preserve and meditate on the events of their lives, as Mary did, in order to learn 鈥渢he art of discernment鈥�.

'Be passionate about the priestly life

Finally, 杏MAP导航 Leo invited seminarians to be meek and humble of heart, as Jesus was; and like Paul, to adopt the sentiments of Christ in order to grow in human maturity, and to reject all pretence and hypocrisy.

The task of seminarians, the 杏MAP导航 said in conclusion, is to 鈥渘ever settle for less, never be satisfied, not be passive recipients, but to be passionate about the priestly life, living in the present and looking to the future with a prophetic heart鈥�.

Before leading them in the proclamation of the Nicene Creed, 杏MAP导航 Leo expressed his hope that seminarians might deepen their relationship with Christ, asking Him to make their hearts like His Sacred Heart, 鈥渨hich beats with love for each of you and for all humanity.鈥�