Tuesday, December 17, 2013

ABANDON COMFORT AND TAKE THE LIGHT OF THE GOSPEL TO ALL PERIPHERIES


Vatican City, 17 December 2013 (VIS) – The Holy Father has written a letter to Fr. Jose Narlaly, minister general of the Order of the Holy Trinity for the Redemption of the Captives, to commemorate the eighth centenary of the death of its founder St. Juan de Mata, and the fourth centenary of the passing of St. Juan Bautista de la Concepcion, reformer of the order. In his letter, Pope Francis joins with the Order in giving thanks to the Triune God for saints' outstanding contribution to the Church and conveys a “simple message of encouragement and spiritual closeness, and the hope that they will serve as an impulse to and company in enthusiastic and determined progress on the spiritual path they have traced, for the glory of the thrice Holy and the good of those who face various trials”.

The Pope recalled the exemplary lives of the two saints who, upon hearing the call of God, dedicated themselves fully to the most needy. “We are all called to to experience the joy that springs from the encounter with Jesus, to conquer our selfishness”, he said, “to reach out of our 'comfort zone' towards all the peripheries in need of the light of the Gospel”.

The Trinitarians are clear - and from this we should all learn – about the fact that in the Church, responsibility and authority should be lived as service. Therefore, our action must be removed from any desire for wealth or personal promotion, and must seek to put all the talents we receive from God to the service of the common good, to be able to manage them, like good administrators, for the purpose for which they have been granted; that is, to alleviate the suffering of the most disadvantaged. This is Christ's will, and for this reason the houses of your Family always keep their doors open, offering a brotherly welcome”.

The Pope encouraged the Order to continue to imitate Christ and, with the strength of His Spirit, to offer themselves with humility in the service of the poor and the imprisoned. “Today there are many … do not seek, therefore, for your works and apostolic initiatives, any basis other than 'the root of charity' and 'the will of Christ', which my predecessor, Innocent III, considered to be the essential pivots of this new way of life, approved by his apostolic authority”.


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