Pope Francis says "Dear sisters, it is true, there are difficult moments...but it is equally true that...you are precious instruments for God" and Offers 3 Guidelines to Religious
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SPEECH OF THE HOLY FATHER FRANCIS
TO THE PARTICIPANTS IN THE XII GENERAL CHAPTER
OF THE LITTLE SISTERS OF JESUS
Consistory Hall
Monday, October 2, 2023
_______________________________________________
Dear sisters, good morning!
I welcome you all and send a special wish to Sister Eugeniya-Kubwimana of Jesus, newly elected General Responsible, and to her Assistants, who begin their service at the helm of the Fraternity. And a warm thank you to Sister Dolors Francesca di Gesù, outgoing General Responsible, and to her Assistants, for the work carried out in the mandate that has ended. I don't really like talking about "responsible", because if one is responsible, it seems that the others are irresponsible, and this is not right!
You are celebrating the twelfth General Chapter which, in addition to being elective, is an important opportunity to reflect together and make significant choices. At your origins is the charismatic experience of Saint Charles de Foucauld, taken up again, about twenty years after his death, by Magdeleine Hutin and Anne Cadoret: a strong experience of searching for God, of bearing witness to the Gospel and of love for the hidden life. These seem to me to be three useful guidelines on which to reflect briefly, also in light of the Gospel story that you have chosen to guide the Chapter journey: the meeting of Jesus with the Samaritan woman (see John 4.5-42).
The first line is the search for God. It is the most important. The Master awaits you at the well of his Word, living water that quenches the thirst of our desires. It is beautiful to cultivate listening to it while standing at its feet in adoration, as Brother Charles did, who knew nothing sweeter than the hours spent in front of the Tabernacle, saying that "the more you drink of this sweetness, the more you thirst for it" (Thoughts and Maxims). Thus hearts open to the ways of God, who does not do violence to people, but inspires creative thoughts and feelings of adhesion, availability and service. As with the Samaritan woman, Jesus offers you his love, and it is up to you to accept the challenge, by putting aside the cumbersome amphorae of self-referentiality and habit, of obvious solutions and also of a certain pessimism that the enemy of God and of man always tries to insinuate, especially in those who have made their life a gift. But in the light of his Word you will be able to discern the desires of Jesus, and then set off again, towards the villages and cities to which you will be sent, freer and lighter, empty of yourself and full of Him, as in the artistic "logo" of Chapter that one of you created.
Thus we come to the second guideline, which has characterized you since the origins: the testimony of the Gospel, the gift of it to others with words, with works of charity and with the fraternal, prayerful and adoring presence of your small international communities. Saint Charles de Foucauld said: «Our whole being must shout the Gospel from the rooftops. Our whole person must exude Jesus... our whole life must shout that we belong to Jesus, it must present the image of evangelical life" (Meditations on the Holy Gospels). Even in this, the image of the woman of Samaria is precious, who went to share the joy of having met Christ with her fellow citizens, telling them: "Come and see" (Jn 4:29). Saint Charles wrote: «Think a lot about others, pray a lot for others. Dedicating yourself to the salvation of your neighbor with the means in your power, prayer, goodness, example, is the best way to demonstrate to the divine Spouse that you love him." And he added: "It is not enough to give to those who ask: we must give to those in need" (Spiritual Writings). Caring for others, giving to those in need without waiting for them to ask: these are the signs of love for the Spouse, characteristic traits of your caring closeness to the least, in whom He is present. Such a precious closeness in a society like ours where, despite the abundance of means, instead of multiplying good works, hearts seem to harden and close. Closeness is spontaneous, that's what counts, it arises from the spontaneity of the heart. Proximity, proximity. May your delicate proximity be a mild challenge to indifference - today we are in a culture of indifference -, a testimony of brotherhood, a sweet cry that reminds the world, as the "Universal Brother" wrote, that "all... the poorest, most loathsome, a newborn, a decrepit old man, the least intelligent human being, the most abject, an idiot, a madman, a sinner, the greatest sinner… he is a child of God, a child of the Most High » (Spiritual works). Here is therefore the heart of the testimony: "to be charitable, meek, humble with all men: this is what we have learned from Jesus. Do not be militant with anyone" (Letter to Joseph Hours, 3 May 1912).
In this way we arrive at the third guideline: love for the hidden life. It is the way of the Incarnation, the way of Nazareth, the one indicated by God with his undressing and making himself small to share the life of the little ones. «I want – said the father – to pass unknown on earth like a traveler in the night, poorly, laboriously, humbly, sweetly... imitating Jesus in everything in his life in Nazareth and, when the time has come, in his Via Crucis and in his death» (Spiritual works). The way of hiding is the way of God. This is beautiful, it is important. You are not nuns to advertise. The more hidden, the more divine. Continue to cultivate this path, it is a powerful prophecy for our time, polluted by appearances. It seems that due to this concern for appearances and appearances we live a culture of "make-up": everyone wears make-up, it is normal for women to do so, but everyone, everyone wears make-up, to appear better than we are, and this does not it is of the Lord.
Dear sisters, it is true, there are difficult moments and serious problems to face, such as the lack of vocations, the closure of some houses, the growing average age of religious women, but it is equally true that, faithful to the inspiration of Brother Carlo, you you are precious instruments for God to sow small pearls of evangelical tenderness in the world, which is your specialty, evangelical tenderness. And the Lord will continue to do so, to the extent that you remain simple and generous, in love with Christ and the poor. This will bear fruit in his time, do not doubt it.
I would also like to thank you for the silent work you do in the diocese of Rome, thank you! And then in every general audience there is your presence, in the person of the enfant terrible, Sister Geneviève, who always brings someone to bring them closer to the Pope, and this is good! Presence with the most marginalized. Thank you!
I thank you and bless you; and you, please, continue to pray for me, truly, because this job is not easy, in fact it is a bit "annoying"!
TO THE PARTICIPANTS IN THE XII GENERAL CHAPTER
OF THE LITTLE SISTERS OF JESUS
Consistory Hall
Monday, October 2, 2023
_______________________________________________
Dear sisters, good morning!
I welcome you all and send a special wish to Sister Eugeniya-Kubwimana of Jesus, newly elected General Responsible, and to her Assistants, who begin their service at the helm of the Fraternity. And a warm thank you to Sister Dolors Francesca di Gesù, outgoing General Responsible, and to her Assistants, for the work carried out in the mandate that has ended. I don't really like talking about "responsible", because if one is responsible, it seems that the others are irresponsible, and this is not right!
You are celebrating the twelfth General Chapter which, in addition to being elective, is an important opportunity to reflect together and make significant choices. At your origins is the charismatic experience of Saint Charles de Foucauld, taken up again, about twenty years after his death, by Magdeleine Hutin and Anne Cadoret: a strong experience of searching for God, of bearing witness to the Gospel and of love for the hidden life. These seem to me to be three useful guidelines on which to reflect briefly, also in light of the Gospel story that you have chosen to guide the Chapter journey: the meeting of Jesus with the Samaritan woman (see John 4.5-42).
The first line is the search for God. It is the most important. The Master awaits you at the well of his Word, living water that quenches the thirst of our desires. It is beautiful to cultivate listening to it while standing at its feet in adoration, as Brother Charles did, who knew nothing sweeter than the hours spent in front of the Tabernacle, saying that "the more you drink of this sweetness, the more you thirst for it" (Thoughts and Maxims). Thus hearts open to the ways of God, who does not do violence to people, but inspires creative thoughts and feelings of adhesion, availability and service. As with the Samaritan woman, Jesus offers you his love, and it is up to you to accept the challenge, by putting aside the cumbersome amphorae of self-referentiality and habit, of obvious solutions and also of a certain pessimism that the enemy of God and of man always tries to insinuate, especially in those who have made their life a gift. But in the light of his Word you will be able to discern the desires of Jesus, and then set off again, towards the villages and cities to which you will be sent, freer and lighter, empty of yourself and full of Him, as in the artistic "logo" of Chapter that one of you created.
Thus we come to the second guideline, which has characterized you since the origins: the testimony of the Gospel, the gift of it to others with words, with works of charity and with the fraternal, prayerful and adoring presence of your small international communities. Saint Charles de Foucauld said: «Our whole being must shout the Gospel from the rooftops. Our whole person must exude Jesus... our whole life must shout that we belong to Jesus, it must present the image of evangelical life" (Meditations on the Holy Gospels). Even in this, the image of the woman of Samaria is precious, who went to share the joy of having met Christ with her fellow citizens, telling them: "Come and see" (Jn 4:29). Saint Charles wrote: «Think a lot about others, pray a lot for others. Dedicating yourself to the salvation of your neighbor with the means in your power, prayer, goodness, example, is the best way to demonstrate to the divine Spouse that you love him." And he added: "It is not enough to give to those who ask: we must give to those in need" (Spiritual Writings). Caring for others, giving to those in need without waiting for them to ask: these are the signs of love for the Spouse, characteristic traits of your caring closeness to the least, in whom He is present. Such a precious closeness in a society like ours where, despite the abundance of means, instead of multiplying good works, hearts seem to harden and close. Closeness is spontaneous, that's what counts, it arises from the spontaneity of the heart. Proximity, proximity. May your delicate proximity be a mild challenge to indifference - today we are in a culture of indifference -, a testimony of brotherhood, a sweet cry that reminds the world, as the "Universal Brother" wrote, that "all... the poorest, most loathsome, a newborn, a decrepit old man, the least intelligent human being, the most abject, an idiot, a madman, a sinner, the greatest sinner… he is a child of God, a child of the Most High » (Spiritual works). Here is therefore the heart of the testimony: "to be charitable, meek, humble with all men: this is what we have learned from Jesus. Do not be militant with anyone" (Letter to Joseph Hours, 3 May 1912).
In this way we arrive at the third guideline: love for the hidden life. It is the way of the Incarnation, the way of Nazareth, the one indicated by God with his undressing and making himself small to share the life of the little ones. «I want – said the father – to pass unknown on earth like a traveler in the night, poorly, laboriously, humbly, sweetly... imitating Jesus in everything in his life in Nazareth and, when the time has come, in his Via Crucis and in his death» (Spiritual works). The way of hiding is the way of God. This is beautiful, it is important. You are not nuns to advertise. The more hidden, the more divine. Continue to cultivate this path, it is a powerful prophecy for our time, polluted by appearances. It seems that due to this concern for appearances and appearances we live a culture of "make-up": everyone wears make-up, it is normal for women to do so, but everyone, everyone wears make-up, to appear better than we are, and this does not it is of the Lord.
Dear sisters, it is true, there are difficult moments and serious problems to face, such as the lack of vocations, the closure of some houses, the growing average age of religious women, but it is equally true that, faithful to the inspiration of Brother Carlo, you you are precious instruments for God to sow small pearls of evangelical tenderness in the world, which is your specialty, evangelical tenderness. And the Lord will continue to do so, to the extent that you remain simple and generous, in love with Christ and the poor. This will bear fruit in his time, do not doubt it.
I would also like to thank you for the silent work you do in the diocese of Rome, thank you! And then in every general audience there is your presence, in the person of the enfant terrible, Sister Geneviève, who always brings someone to bring them closer to the Pope, and this is good! Presence with the most marginalized. Thank you!
I thank you and bless you; and you, please, continue to pray for me, truly, because this job is not easy, in fact it is a bit "annoying"!
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