On March 6, Pope Francis met with the teachers and students of the major seminary of the diocese of Cleveland in the United States. He pointed out to the seminarians how to prepare for their mission of service according to the process of the World Bishops Conference, and invited them to deepen the spirit of fraternity and communion. Become builders of the Mystical Body of Christ.
(Vatican News Network) Listening, walking together and witnessing are the hallmarks of the ongoing Synod process, an essential element of formation for those preparing to receive the priestly ordination. This is what Pope Francis emphasized when he received the priests and seminarians of the Diocese of Cleveland, Ohio (Cleveland, Ohio) in the Vatican on March 6.
listen to the word of god
Speaking of listening, the Pope reminded the seminarians to “make space every day” for the Lord, to “meditate on His Word” and to be guided along the way “with the help of a spiritual teacher”; “the most important thing is to take time Be with God in prayer and listen to him in silence before the Eucharistic altar”. “Listening to the voice of God in the depths of our hearts and discerning his will are necessary conditions for our inner growth, especially when we are faced with urgent and difficult missions,” the Pope said.
Monastic life “already offered the possibility of developing the habit of prayer” which would contribute to the fulfillment of the priestly mission. “Listening to the Lord also requires a faithful response to all that he reveals”, so that priests can “teach and proclaim to others the truth and goodness of the Gospel in a true and joyful way”.
Deepen the spirit of communion
Regarding walking together, the Pope pointed out to the seminarians the importance of experiencing the communion of the Church in the process of forming priests. He said: “Your period of formation in the monastery is an opportunity to deepen the spirit of fraternal communion not only among you, but also with your bishops, with priests of the local Church, with consecrated persons and lay people, and with the world. The Church. We must recognize that we are part of a great People of God who have accepted God’s promises, which are gifts and not privileges.”
The vocation of those who choose the priestly life “is also a gift, a service to the building up of the Body of Christ”, walking with the flock “sometimes in the lead, to show the way; sometimes in the middle, to encourage; sometimes In the back, to accompany those who have had the hardest time on the road”, never separated from the flock.
Priests are the symbol of a “going out church”
Finally, the Pope said that listening to God and walking together will naturally become “a sign of Christ’s presence in the world”, and hoped that these future priests would dedicate the time spent in the seminary as a gift to God and Him. of the people. The Pope concluded his speech by assuring the seminarians of his prayer that in their future apostolic work they “will always be a sign of the Church ‘going out’, witnessing and communicating with all members of the human family, especially with the poor and needy. people share in the compassionate love of Jesus”.
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