Pope : make " pilgrimages " to elderly priests and nuns , who have dedicated their lives to God
Vatican City ( AsiaNews) - "Visit - and it will be a real pilgrimage! - These sanctuaries of apostolicity and holiness, which are the homes of priests and nuns ", " good priests and good nuns , aged , with the weight of loneliness , "who, like Moses, John the Baptist and St. Paul have dedicated their lives to God.
There is this request made by
Pope Francis in the Mass celebrated today in the Casa Santa Marta , taking his
cue from the Letter of St. Paul who, now aged , writes about those who have gone,
who caused him damage railing against his preaching. He says that no one
assisted him in court.
The
Pope, as reported by Vatican Radio, pointed out at the beginning of the
apostolic life , the disciples were " young" and " strong"
and also the "demons were banished " by " their preaching."
Even
St. Paul " has a joyful , enthusiastic, excited beginning with God, is not
it ? But even he is not spared the twilight years. And to me it is good to think of the Apostle in
his twilight years ... I can think of three icons: Moses , John
the Baptist and Paul. Moses is the one who is head of the People of God, brave,
fighting against enemies and who also wrestled with God to save the people! and
in the end it is only on Mount Nebo , looking at the promised land, but robbed
from entering there. He could not enter the promised land. John the Baptist: in
his final years he was not spared anguish . "
John
the Baptist also faces a ' "doubtful anguish that tormented him "and"
fell under the power of a weak, drunk and corrupt ruler , under the power of
envy of an adulteress and the whim of a dancer." And
even the Apostle Paul in the first reading, speaks of those who have abandoned
him , who caused him damage railing against his preaching. He says that no one
assisted him in court. Everyone abandoned him . But
St. Paul says , " the Lord stood by me . Gave me strength so that I could
carry through the proclamation of the Gospel" :
"
This is the great Apostle, who, with his life did what John the Baptist said, 'He
must increase, but I decrease ' . An Apostle is someone who gives his or her life
for the Lord to grow . And in the end this twilight ... Peter also with the
promise : ' when you get older they will take you where you do not want to go
.' and when I think of the Apostle at sunset, in my heart the memory comes to
me of those sanctuaries of apostolicity and holiness that are
the homes of priests and nuns : good priests and good nuns , aged , with the
weight of loneliness , waiting for the coming of the Lord knocking on the door
of their heart. These are true sanctuaries of apostolicity and holiness that we
have in the Church . We
must not forget them!"
If
we look at "deep within," said the Pope , these places " are
beautiful ." I
often hear people say "I am making a pilgrimage to the Shrine of Our Lady
", " St. Francis, St. Benedict ", " many pilgrimages "
"
But I wonder if we Christians have the desire to make a visit - a real
pilgrimage ! - to these sanctuaries of apostolicity and holiness, which are the
homes of priests and nuns ? One of you told me , days ago
that when he went to a mission country and went to the cemetery and saw all the
graves of the old missionaries , priests and nuns, 50, 100, 200 years old,
unknown . And he said, ' But , all of these can be canonized because
in the end the only thing that counts is this everyday holiness everyday, this every
day care. In nursing homes , these sisters and these priests wait upon the Lord
a little likePaul a bit ' sad , really, but also with a certain peace, a cheerful
face. "
"
There will be good for all of us - concluded the Pope - think about this stage
of life that is the twilight of the Apostle and pray to the Lord : 'Safeguard those
who are in those last moments, only to say again 'Yes, Lord , I want to follow
you .'
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