Pope Francis received the missionaries of the Society of the Sacred Heart on the morning of October 2. The Pope emphasizes knowing Christ through the Gospel, deepening mutual understanding through loving sharing, and joyfully proclaiming God’s love in their mission.
(Vatican News) On the morning of October 2, Pope Francis received all the religious present at the General Assembly of the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart. The Pope encouraged these religious to support their mission with compassion and kindness in their interactions and, above all, with prayer. In his speech, the Pope mentioned that the Missionary Order of the Sacred Heart of Jesus was founded by Father Jules Chevalier in 1854, and that the mission of the order is to spread the “Holy Love of God”. “He has considered you from the beginning as missionaries, dedicated to proclaiming God’s love in the world so that people can respond with love.”
Know the Sacred Heart of Jesus
The Pope emphasized the importance of understanding the Sacred Heart of Jesus through the Gospel, calling the Gospel the “Book of the Sacred Heart.” He urged the missionaries of the Society of the Sacred Heart to meditate on the life of Jesus and discover His endless mercy, love and compassion in the Gospels. The Pope pointed out that in the Gospel, Jesus’ actions and teachings give people a deep understanding of the divinity and human life of his Sacred Heart. The resurrected Lord, the Pope explained, “made himself known in the breaking of bread, who conquered death by giving life, who loved mankind infinitely with his divine and human heart, and who showed mankind what heaven is like. The great love of the Father.”
Friendly sharing
The Pope then stressed the importance of deepening understanding through brotherly sharing, referring to the Gospel account of the two disciples who shared with each other the amazement they felt after recognizing Jesus on the road to Emmaus. The Pope said that this kind of sharing of joy and wonder when encountering the Lord should also be the behavior of missionaries of the Sacred Heart.
The Pope also emphasized the role of “sharing” in the life of Father Chevalier, and mentioned how he shared his passions and dreams with his companions, whom he called “Knights of the Sacred Heart.” . The religious of the Sacred Heart share their experiences of encountering Christ in hearing the Word, in the sacraments and in daily life, which is important in promoting unity and constructive engagement within the order.
Preaching of joy
The Pope then pointed out the importance of the proclamation of joy in the mission of the Sacred Heart religious. He praised the motto of the Society of the Sacred Heart, “Regarding others as oneself,” which means from oneself to the common home, to the family, to the social group, and to all creation.
Missionaries face many challenges today, such as serving the poor and immigrants and confronting injustice around the world. The Pope encouraged the religious to embrace the compassion of the Sacred Heart of Christ and let His tenderness and kindness fulfill the mission of their work. “This is what God is like: closeness, compassion, tenderness and kindness.”
“You will feel this closeness, this compassion and tenderness and kindness in your dialogue with Jesus. Prayer is very important to move this forward. Without prayer, the mission cannot unfold and cannot move forward,” the pope said.
Finally, the Pope encouraged all the religious present: “Dear brothers, please continue to work with passion. I bless you from the bottom of my heart. I ask you to pray for me, because I need your prayers. This job is not that easy! Thank you.”
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2023-10-03 14:40:52
