Spontaneous words of the Holy Father to the XXV General Chapter of the Congregation
Good morning and thank you very much. I prepared a discourse in spanish, that Mons Gaenswein will hand you over later. But, I prefer to tell you what comes from within. Since it was in spanish…i had the bad thought while the General was speaking, when he said “when I read the Evangelii Gaudium, I had that great joy.” And I thought of the bookstore in Buenos Aires that … (laughter) used to publish all my books!
The claretians can be found everywhere. I have to acknowledge that whether in the field of theology, the former General, theologian of religious life, canon law. Really, one of the best canon lawyers here in Rome. Silently working, holy man who spent all his life in the congregation of religious and in the archives, and had been giving us life right there and in the mission (uncomprehendible word) Right? Having in mind those whom I know, I tend to tell you three words. Besides, God blessed me to be of friends with some of you, right. And … “I robbed Bariloche from you, who is a friend of mine” (laughter). But, and I’ll tell you three words that can serve you, right? Adore, walk, accompany.
Adore: for us in the world of efficiency we have lost the sence of adoration. Including in the prayer, it is not certain, we pray, we adore the Lord, we ask, we thank. But the adoration, that being infront of the one and only God, of that who do not have a price, who can not be negotiated, who can not be changed… and all that is out of him is an imitation of nothing, is idolatry. Adore. At this stage, make an effort to grow in this kind of prayer: the adoration. Adore, adore God. It is a lack of the Church at this time due to lack of education, that sense of worship we see in the opening chapters of the Bible, right, worship the one God. “You shall have, remember Israel, you have no other God than the only one” and worship, “only Him you shall worship,” right?
That spending time without asking, without thanking, even without praising, only adoring, only worship with the prostrate soul. I don’t know why I feel like telling you this, but i feel that I really have to tell you these, it just comes from within me.
Walk. God can not worship himself, but God wanted to walk, he would not want to stand still. From the very start, he walked with his people. That of Moises was so beautiful. Remember, imagine, which nation had a God so close who walks with you? Walk. And to walk is to open frontiers, to go out, to open up doors, to look for ways. Walk. Do not just sit. Do not to be installed in the bad sense of the word. It is true that things are to be organized, that there are ministries that requires sitting still but with the soul, the heart and the mind, walk, search. Go to the frontiers, to the different types of frontiers, including the that of the mind. The intelectuals of your congregation should go to the frontiers, open roads. Search. That is: not to be still. Because that which is still, that which do not move becomes corrupted. Like the water: still water quickly decays. On the other hand, the flowing water of the river does not decay. Walk the way God walked, who became a companion in the road, right? And the Bible can help us see how the Lord accompanied his people, he even took over their sins and forgave them and worse. Walk with that desire to gain one day to contemplate Him and not as unfortunately often happens – happens everywhere, people who rather come to secure their lives, or an institute or to sit still, they do not miss anything, no … Walk, walk.
And the third one, accompany. In other words, do not walk alone, right? Because it’s kind of boring, rather accompany the people because God walked accompanying them, right? And I am reminded of what Jesus did to the foolish disciple scaping from Jerusalem to Emmaus, right? He walked right next to them and accompanied them, accompanied them through a process until that cold heart was reheated and burning, and then realized what had happend. Accompany the moments of joy, the happiness of marriages, of families. Accompany them during the hard times, moments of crosses, moments of sin. Jesus was not afraid of sinners, he sought them. They will criticize you: “oh, you’re too advanced, this is unwise, this is it.” Accompany. Accompany people, accompany so many wishes that the Lord sows in the hearts, let them grow well right?
So I came to tell you this. Adore, walk and accompany. Then, if it serves, go! I leave them into your hands, huh. And since Mary is the Mother who takes care of you, I invite you to pray together a Hail Mary.
May the Almighty God bless you, the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.
Did you see how good I was, that I did not remind you that your founder had been a Jesuit?
