Pope to Mercedarian Fathers:
Never stop being instruments of freedom
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| Pope Francis meets the members of the Order of the Blessed Virgin Mary of Mercy.(Vatican Media) |
Pope Francis meets with Mercedarian Fathers celebrating 800
years since the foundation of their order and urges them never to stop being
instruments of freedom, joy and hope.
By Francesca Merlo
Pope Francis on Thursday met with Mercedarian Fathers,
(members of the Order of the Blessed Virgin Mary of Mercy) who are celebrating
800 years since the foundation of their order. The order was founded in 1218
for the redemption of Christian captives.
Following Christ
The Pope addressed the Fathers, saying that first of all he
wished to “put before your eyes that first love which you express with the vow
of redemption”. The Pope reminds the Fathers that “following Christ
means giving life in order to save souls.”, going
on to say that “we all know the importance of following Christ”
although, he says, at times “rather than follow Him we approach our lives as
though He were the one who has to follow us.” The Pope explains that following
Jesus is not a question of methodology, but of letting “Him precede us and set
the pace for personal and community walks.”
Those who follow Christ, the Pope continues, do so by giving
life. This, the Pope says, “puts us before the central truth of our
religious consecration”.
The Pope goes on to say that “Trusting in the Lord means to
surrender ourselves to Him without reserve”, explaining that “the surrender of
one's life is not optional, but is the consequence of a heart that has been
‘touched’ by the love of God.”
Do not be tempted
“Please”, the Pope continues, “I ask you not to allow
yourselves to be dragged along by the temptation to regard your sacrifice and
your dedication as an investment for personal gain.” Instead, he urges the
Fathers to strive to render their oblation and consecration to the service of
God and men, a reality by “living the joy of the Gospel, the charism of
redemption”.
“Today” continues the Pope, “as in other eras of history,
the Christian is threatened by this triple enemy: the world, the devil and the
flesh”. Though they are often camouflaged, their consequences are evident; they
“numb the consciousness and cause a spiritual paralysis that leads to inner
death” says the Pope.
Be bearers of redemption
Pope Francis goes on to tell the Mercedarian Fathers that
“as members of a redeeming order”, they “must first experience in [them]selves
the redemption of Christ to help [their] brethren discover the God who saves”,
and invites them to continue to be “bearers of the Lord's redemption to
prisoners, refugees and migrants, to those who fall into the trap of human
trafficking, to vulnerable adults, to orphaned and exploited children... Bring
God's tenderness and mercy to all who are discarded by society.”
Finally, the Pope urges them “never to grow tired of being
instruments of freedom, of joy and of hope.”
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