Pope Francis Tells Religious "To live the divine call well, we must remain in His love, through constant dialogue with Jesus in daily prayer and fidelity to vows..."
Message from the Holy Father participating in the Congress of his consecrated religious life in Brazil, 05/30/2024
Religious men and women in Brazil are celebrating the 70th anniversary of the Conference of Religious of Brazil with a congress focused on the theme: “CRB 70 years: Grateful Memory, Mysticism, Prophecy, and Hope.”Pope Francis sent a message on Thursday to participants, encouraging their vocations to serve the Church in the Latin American nation.
In Fortaleza, Brazil, 30 May on 2 days 2024:
Religious men and women in Brazil are celebrating the 70th anniversary of the Conference of Religious of Brazil with a congress focused on the theme: “CRB 70 years: Grateful Memory, Mysticism, Prophecy, and Hope.”Pope Francis sent a message on Thursday to participants, encouraging their vocations to serve the Church in the Latin American nation.
In Fortaleza, Brazil, 30 May on 2 days 2024:
Message of the Holy Father
Dear religious men and women of Brazil,
With a heart full of gratitude to the Lord, I address all the participants in the Congress of consecrated religious life, promoted by the Conference of Religious of Brazil, in celebration of its 70 years of foundation, with the theme “CRB 70 years: Grateful memory , Mystic, Prophecy and Hope”. I want to assure you of my closeness and my prayers for the good progress of the meeting and for it to produce abundant fruits in the lives of each religious community and the Church in Brazil.
I am grateful for the immense gift of the vocation to consecrated life which, in its most diverse charisms, enriches ecclesial communion and greatly contributes to the mission of the Church throughout the world. In fact, in many places on the planet the first proclamation of the Gospel comes from consecrated men and women who undertake with great commitment, and with the dedication of their lives, the Lord's mandate: “Go into the whole world and proclaim the Good News to every creature” (Mc 16, 15).
We know, however, that the gift of vocation must be guarded and cultivated every day, so that it produces good fruit in the life of each religious man and woman. Therefore, I was very happy to know that the motto chosen for this Congress was Jesus' recommendation to the apostles, during the Last Supper: “Remain in my love” (John 15:9). In fact, to live the divine call well, it is necessary to remain in His love, through constant dialogue with Jesus in daily prayer and fidelity to the vows that express our consecration in a beautiful way, as I recalled a few years ago: “The consecrated life, if Stand firm in the love of the Lord, see the beauty. See that poverty is not a titanic effort, but a superior freedom, which God and others present to us as true riches. See that chastity is not an austere sterility, but the way to love without taking possession. See that obedience is not discipline, but victory, in the style of Jesus, over our anarchy” (Homily, February 1, 2020).
As already expressed in the Congress theme, I hope that this meeting will be a time to remember the past with gratitude – 70 years of history! –, of living the present supported by the mystique of the specific charisms of each religious family and committed in a prophetic way to the proclamation of the Gospel, and of looking to the future with hope.
I entrust these desires and prayers to the intercession of the Blessed Virgin of Aparecida, Mother of the consecrated men and women of Brazil, to whom I cordially impart my blessing, also asking them not to stop praying for me.
Rome, Saint John Lateran, April 14, 2024
Dear religious men and women of Brazil,
With a heart full of gratitude to the Lord, I address all the participants in the Congress of consecrated religious life, promoted by the Conference of Religious of Brazil, in celebration of its 70 years of foundation, with the theme “CRB 70 years: Grateful memory , Mystic, Prophecy and Hope”. I want to assure you of my closeness and my prayers for the good progress of the meeting and for it to produce abundant fruits in the lives of each religious community and the Church in Brazil.
I am grateful for the immense gift of the vocation to consecrated life which, in its most diverse charisms, enriches ecclesial communion and greatly contributes to the mission of the Church throughout the world. In fact, in many places on the planet the first proclamation of the Gospel comes from consecrated men and women who undertake with great commitment, and with the dedication of their lives, the Lord's mandate: “Go into the whole world and proclaim the Good News to every creature” (Mc 16, 15).
We know, however, that the gift of vocation must be guarded and cultivated every day, so that it produces good fruit in the life of each religious man and woman. Therefore, I was very happy to know that the motto chosen for this Congress was Jesus' recommendation to the apostles, during the Last Supper: “Remain in my love” (John 15:9). In fact, to live the divine call well, it is necessary to remain in His love, through constant dialogue with Jesus in daily prayer and fidelity to the vows that express our consecration in a beautiful way, as I recalled a few years ago: “The consecrated life, if Stand firm in the love of the Lord, see the beauty. See that poverty is not a titanic effort, but a superior freedom, which God and others present to us as true riches. See that chastity is not an austere sterility, but the way to love without taking possession. See that obedience is not discipline, but victory, in the style of Jesus, over our anarchy” (Homily, February 1, 2020).
As already expressed in the Congress theme, I hope that this meeting will be a time to remember the past with gratitude – 70 years of history! –, of living the present supported by the mystique of the specific charisms of each religious family and committed in a prophetic way to the proclamation of the Gospel, and of looking to the future with hope.
I entrust these desires and prayers to the intercession of the Blessed Virgin of Aparecida, Mother of the consecrated men and women of Brazil, to whom I cordially impart my blessing, also asking them not to stop praying for me.
Rome, Saint John Lateran, April 14, 2024
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