By Christopher Wells
Seminarians who have come to Rome for the Jubilee are not only pilgrims, but witnesses of hope, who “fuel the flame of hope in the life of the Church”, Pope Leo said on Tuesday morning.
In a meditation delivered in St Peter’s Basilica, Pope Leo told seminarians they are called to bear witness “to Christ’s gratitude and gratuitousness, to the exultation and joy, the tenderness and mercy of His Heart, to practice a style of welcome and closeness, of generous and selfless service, allowing the Holy Spirit to ‘anoint’ their humanity even before ordination.”
Learning to love as Jesus loves
The Holy Father emphasized, too, the importance of formation “centred on the heart”, of learning “to love as Jesus loved”.
This must be done through the development of the interior life, the first work of discernment, and involves returning to the heart, where we find “traces of God” and where God speaks to us.
Pope Leo said that formation of the interior life involves recognizing the deepest sentiments of the heart, “which help you discover the direction of your life.” He noted that the “privileged path” that leads to interiority is prayer, because without an encounter with God, “we cannot truly know ourselves”.
And he invited them to invoke the Holy Spirit frequently, “so that He may shape in you a docile heart, capable of perceiving God’s presence” in nature, art, literature, music, and science.
“Above all”, Pope Leo said, “learn how to listen, as Jesus did, to the often silent cry of the little ones, of the poor and the oppressed, and of the very many people, especially young people, who are searching for meaning in their lives.”
The Holy Father called on seminarians to learn to preserve and meditate on the events of their lives, as Mary did, in order to learn “the art of discernment”.
‘Be passionate about the priestly life
Finally, Pope Leo invited seminarians to be meek and humble of heart, as Jesus was; and like Paul, to adopt the sentiments of Christ in order to grow in human maturity, and to reject all pretence and hypocrisy.
The task of seminarians, the Pope said in conclusion, is to “never settle for less, never be satisfied, not be passive recipients, but to be passionate about the priestly life, living in the present and looking to the future with a prophetic heart”.
Before leading them in the proclamation of the Nicene Creed, Pope Leo expressed his hope that seminarians might deepen their relationship with Christ, asking Him to make their hearts like His Sacred Heart, “which beats with love for each of you and for all humanity.” – Vatican News
