By Deborah Castellano Lubov
“You are called to be bearers of friendship and peace,” said Pope Leo XIV as he welcomed the Servants of Mary in Rome on the occasion of their 215th General Chapter.
In his remarks, he praised the religious for their faith and service, highlighting the importance of returning to their roots while projecting their efforts toward the future.
To continue enriching the Church, Pope Leo called on them to embrace the Gospel and the Rule of St Augustine, and to listen to the cry of the poor.
In this context, he recalled how St Paul marveled at the beauty of living for Christ and adhering oneself to His Word and example.
The Rule of St Augustine and the spiritual patrimony that comes from their history, the Pope said, offer them “the ‘exegetical key’ with which, with the help of the Spirit, to read and interpret what the Word of God says to you.”
Whereas “listening to the cry of the poor,” Pope Leo said, offers the religious a moment of grace in which they can find great meaning.
Fraternity, service, Marian spirituality
The Pope then urged them to follow the three means “typical” of their tradition, namely fraternity, service, and Marian spirituality.
Pope Leo recalled that they were not founded by one “founder,” but by several persons bound by a strong friendship in Christ.
“In a world like ours,” the Holy Father underscored, “this is a sign of a particular task and vocation: to live and bring fraternity, especially where people are divided because of conflicts, wealth, cultural differences, race, or religion.”
“In all these contexts,” he explained, “you are called to be bearers of friendship and peace, as were the “Seven,” who, in their own cities—also divided by fratricidal hatred—became bearers of reconciliation and charity.”
“Life according to the Gospel,” Pope Leo said, “entails a passion for God and for the human person, which leads to loving heaven and earth with the same intensity.”
“Only within this union,” the Pope continued, “are born and mature the right choices which, today as then, allow one to be present where the brother or sister is most wounded, where the Lord wants us.”
In this sense, the Pope encouraged them in serving the poor, including migrants, prisoners, and the sick, as well as in their commitment to “promote an integral ecology in the protection of creation and of persons in the places where they work.”
Lastly, he recalled their immense love for Our Lady and called for them to continue cultivating prayer and devotion to her.
Before imparting his Apostolic Blessing, the Holy Father prayed that Mary, present at the Cross, strong and faithful, “may show you how to remain beside the innumerable crosses where Christ still suffers in his brothers and sisters, in order to bring them comfort, communion, help, and the precious bread of affection.” – Vatican News
