Pope: Priests' hearts pierced by the love of the Lord
(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis
celebrated Holy Mass for the conclusion of the Jubilee for Priests on Friday,
the Solemnity of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus.
In his homily for
the feast, the Holy Father reflected on “two hearts: the Heart of the Good
Shepherd” and the hearts of priests.
“The Heart of the Good
Shepherd is not only the Heart that shows us mercy, but is itself mercy,” the
Pope said. He reminded priests that “the Heart of the Good Shepherd reaches out
to us, above all to those who are most distant.”
The contemplation of the
Sacred Heart of Jesus, the Heart of the Good Shepherd, is an invitation to
priests to reflect on the question, “Where is my heart directed?” Priestly
ministry, the Pope said, is often caught up in “plans, projects, and
activities.” While this is necessary, the Holy Father invited priests to
consider that the Heart of Jesus is directed to two treasures: the Father and
ourselves. Jesus’ days, he said, “were divided between prayer to the Father and
encountering people.” Like Jesus, the priest should have his heart turned
towards God and towards his brothers and sisters.
Pope Francis than offered
three suggestions to help priests’ hearts “burn with the charity of the Good
Shepherd”: seek out; include; and rejoice. Like the Good Shepherd who goes out
to find the lost sheep, priests must not only “keep the doors open,” but
actively go out to find those who are lost. Priests, too, must be inclusive,
welcoming all. No one, the Pope said, must be excluded “from his heart, his
prayer, or his smile.” Finally, the joy of Jesus “the Good Shepherd is not a
joy for himself alone, but a joy for others and with others, the true joy of
love” and this is “also the joy of the priest.”
The Holy Father concluded his
homily by recalling the words of consecration, prayed by priests each day at
the Mass: “This is My Body, which is given up for you.” This, he told the
assembled priests, “This is the meaning of our life; with these words, in a
real way we can daily renew the promises we made at our priestly ordination” —
and he thanked them for saying “yes” to giving their lives “in union with
Jesus.”
The full text of the Holy
Father's homily can be found here.
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