By Deborah Castellano Lubov
“To proclaim and spread the Word, dedicating one’s life to the cause of the Gospel in the footsteps of Jesus the Master, and seeking paths, instruments, and languages so that all may know and follow the Lord, this is the heart of your apostolate.”
Pope Leo XIV gave this encouragement to the Daughters of St Paul in the Vatican on Thursday morning who are in Rome to participate in their General Chapter, one hundred and ten years after the founding of their Institute.
The Daughters of St Paul are part of the Pauline Family, a group of religious institutes founded by Blessed James Alberione and inspired by St Paul.
Observing that the participants come from all five continents expresses the universality of the Church, he said their mission, carried out in many countries of the world, and the witness they bear in such diverse contexts, also attest to what the Holy Spirit has accomplished since the order’s founding.
In the Lord’s footsteps
Faced with the challenges of our time, he said their apostolate needs to be renewed and strengthened. Hence, he suggested, it was apropos that their chosen theme for their General Chapter is “Impelled by the fire of the Spirit, listening to contemporary humanity, we communicate the Gospel of Hope.”
Indeed, while the proclamation of the Gospel remains at the center of the mission, the Pope recognized, “it is equally true that this is not about conveying generic information or abstract truths, but about entering into concrete history, embracing the questions and anxieties stirred by real life, and speaking the languages of the women and men of our time.”
Two attitudes
Therefore, he proposed for them to live out two important attitudes with renewed enthusiasm, namely looking upward and immersing themselves within.
To look upward, he first explained, requires their ability to be driven by the Holy Spirit.
“Your vocation and mission come from the Lord, let us not forget this,” he said, as he reminded them that personal commitment, the charisms we bring into play, the zeal of the apostolate, and the tools we use must never lead us to the illusion or presumption of self-sufficiency.
The Holy Spirit rekindles our hearts
Rather, he reaffirmed, “It is the Spirit who is the protagonist of the mission; it is the Spirit who propels us forward, multiplying our talents, refreshing us in our labors, rekindling our hearts when the joy of the Gospel grows cold, illuminating our steps.”
The Pope then proposed the second attitude of immersing oneself in reality, “because looking upward is not an escape but, on the contrary, should help us to adopt the same condescension of Christ,“ who emptied himself, taking the form of a servant.”
This means, he said, descending into our flesh, humbled Himself to enter the depths of wounded humanity and bring the love of the Father there. In the same way, driven by the Spirit, you too are called to immerse yourselves in history, precisely in listening to today’s humanity.
This also means, he added, living the current culture and becoming incarnate in the real lives of the people you encounter.
Precious service to the Church and the world
“Dear Sisters, yours is a precious service to the Church and the world, working in publishing, in the digital world, in bookstore management, in radio and television projects, and in biblical animation,” Pope Leo said.
While acknowledging that the efforts they carry forward for their multiple activities “are sometimes burdensome, especially because the complex situations of today demand high-quality professional formation, which, unfortunately, at times clashes with the fact that your personal and material resources are limited,” he said, “let us not be discouraged!”
Therefore, the Pope invited the religious sisters to reflect on how to keep the charism alive, even if that may require courageous and demanding choices, and called for “careful discernment regarding the works tied to the apostolate—how they are carried out and the need to renew them with a balanced vision.”
Need for credibility
“One must be vigilant,” he cautioned, “so that there is no separation between what we preach and how we live daily.”
“Only in this way,” the Pope said, “will you be faithful to the integral method desired by your Founder for the entire Pauline Family: The Way, the Truth, and the Life—Mind, Will, and Heart,” and will their unifying approach, “which appears prophetic in a fragmented world, will be coherent and credible.”
The Holy Father urged them to “Look to the zeal of Saint Paul, to his tireless joy in proclaiming Christ even amid difficulties and persecutions and to let themselves “be guided by the Spirit and listen to humanity, and, to all—especially to the most vulnerable—bring the hope that comes from above.”
Finally, Pope Leo XIV reassured the Pauline Sisters of his prayers for them on this Feast of the Guardian Angels, invoking the intercession of Mary, Queen of the Apostles. – Vatican News
