Pope Francis in the Philippines (3 page)

For
us
priests
and
consecrated
persons
,
conversion
to
the
newness
of
the
Gospel
entails
a
daily
encounter
with
the
Lord
in
prayer
.
The
saints
teach
us
that
this
is
the
source
of
all
apostolic
zeal
!
For
religious
,
living
the
newness
of
the
Gospel
also
means
finding
ever
anew
in
community
life
and
community
apostolates
the
incentive
for
an
ever
closer
union
with
the
Lord
in
perfect
charity
.
For
all
of
us
,
it
means
living
lives
that
reflect
the
poverty
of
Christ
,
whose
entire
life
was
focused
on
doing
the
will
of
the
Father
and
serving
others
.
The
great
danger
to
this
,
of
course
,
is
a
certain
materialism
which
can
creep
into
our
lives
and
compromise
the
witness
we
offer
.
Only
by
becoming
poor
ourselves
,
by
stripping
away
our
complacency
,
will
we
be
able
to
identify
with
the
least
of
our
brothers
and
sisters
.
We
will
see
things
in
a
new
light
and
thus
respond
with
honesty
and
integrity
to
the
challenge
of
proclaiming
the
radicalism
of
the
Gospel
in
a
society
which
has
grown
comfortable
with
social
exclusion
,
polarization
and
scandalous
inequality
.
Here
I
would
like
to
address
a
special
word
to
the
young
priests
,
religious
and
seminarians
among
us
.
I
ask
you
to
share
the
joy
and
enthusiasm
of
your
love
for
Christ
and
the
Church
with
everyone
,
but
especially
with
your
peers
.
Be
present
to
young
people
who
may
be
confused
and
despondent
,
yet
continue
to
see
the
Church
as
their
friend
on
the
journey
and
a
source
of
hope
.
Be
present
to
those
who
,
living
in
the
midst
of
a
society
burdened
by
poverty
and
corruption
,
are
broken
in
spirit
,
tempted
to
give
up
,
to
leave
school
and
to
live
on
the
streets
.
Proclaim
the
beauty
and
truth
of
the
Christian
message
to
a
society
which
is
tempted
by
confusing
presentations
of
sexuality
,
marriage
and
the
family
.
As
you
know
,
these
realities
are
increasingly
under
attack
from
powerful
forces
which
threaten
to
disfigure
God
’
s
plan
for
creation
and
betray
the
very
values
which
have
inspired
and
shaped
all
that
is
best
in
your
culture
.
Filipino
culture
has
,
in
fact
,
been
shaped
by
the
imagination
of
faith
.
Filipinos
everywhere
are
known
for
their
love
of
God
,
their
fervent
piety
and
their
warm
devotion
to
Our
Lady
and
her
rosary
.
This
great
heritage
contains
a
powerful
missionary
potential
.
It
is
the
way
in
which
your
people
has
inculturated
the
Gospel
and
continues
to
embrace
its
message
(
cf
.
Evangelii
Gaudium
, 122).
In
your
efforts
to
prepare
for
the
fifth
centenary
,
build
on
this
solid
foundation
.
Christ
died
for
all
so
that
,
having
died
in
him
,
we
might
live
no
longer
for
ourselves
but
for
him
(
cf
. 2
Cor
5:15).
Dear
brother
bishops
,
priests
and
religious
:
I
ask
Mary
,
Mother
of
the
Church
,
to
obtain
for
all
of
you
an
outpouring
of
zeal
,
so
that
you
may
spend
yourselves
in
selfless
service
to
our
brothers
and
sisters
.
In
this
way
,
may
the
reconciling
love
of
Christ
penetrate
ever
more
fully
into
the
fabric
of
Filipino
society
and
,
through
you
,
to
the
farthest
reaches
of
the
world
.

Dear
Families
,
Dear
Friends
in
Christ
,
I
am
grateful
for
your
presence
here
this
evening
and
for
the
witness
of
your
love
for
Jesus
and
his
Church
.
I
thank
Bishop
Reyes
,
Chairman
of
the
Bishops
’
Commission
on
Family
and
Life
,
for
his
words
of
welcome
on
your
behalf
.
And
,
in
a
special
way
,
I
thank
those
who
have
presented
testimonies
and
have
shared
their
life
of
faith
with
us
.
The
Scriptures
seldom
speak
of
Saint
Joseph
,
but
when
they
do
,
we
often
find
him
resting
,
as
an
angel
reveals
God
’
s
will
to
him
in
his
dreams
.
In
the
Gospel
passage
we
have
just
heard
,
we
find
Joseph
resting
not
once
,
but
twice
.
This
evening
I
would
like
to
rest
in
the
Lord
with
all
of
you
,
and
to
reflect
with
you
on
the
gift
of
the
family
.
Joseph
’
s
rest
revealed
God
’
s
will
to
him
.
In
this
moment
of
rest
in
the
Lord
,
as
we
pause
from
our
many
daily
obligations
and
activities
,
God
is
also
speaking
to
us
.
He
speaks
to
us
in
the
reading
we
have
just
heard
,
in
our
prayer
and
witness
,
and
in
the
quiet
of
our
hearts
.
Let
us
reflect
on
what
the
Lord
is
saying
to
us
,
especially
in
this
evening
’
s
Gospel
.
There
are
three
aspects
of
this
passage
which
I
would
ask
you
to
consider
:
resting
in
the
Lord
,
rising
with
Jesus
and
Mary
,
and
being
a
prophetic
voice
.
Resting
in
the
Lord
.
Rest
is
so
necessary
for
the
health
of
our
minds
and
bodies
,
and
often
so
difficult
to
achieve
due
to
the
many
demands
placed
on
us
.
But
rest
is
also
essential
for
our
spiritual
health
,
so
that
we
can
hear
God
’
s
voice
and
understand
what
he
asks
of
us
.
Joseph
was
chosen
by
God
to
be
the
foster
father
of
Jesus
and
the
husband
of
Mary
.
As
Christians
,
you
too
are
called
,
like
Joseph
,
to
make
a
home
for
Jesus
.
You
make
a
home
for
him
in
your
hearts
,
your
families
,
your
parishes
and
your
communities
.
To
hear
and
accept
God
’
s
call
,
to
make
a
home
for
Jesus
,
you
must
be
able
to
rest
in
the
Lord
.
You
must
make
time
each
day
for
prayer
.
But
you
may
say
to
me
:
Holy
Father
,
I
want
to
pray
,
but
there
is
so
much
work
to
do
!
I
must
care
for
my
children
;
I
have
chores
in
the
home
;
I
am
too
tired
even
to
sleep
well
.
This
may
be
true
,
but
if
we
do
not
pray
,
we
will
not
know
the
most
important
thing
of
all
:
God
’
s
will
for
us
.
And
for
all
our
activity
,
our
busy
-
ness
,
without
prayer
we
will
accomplish
very
little
.
Resting
in
prayer
is
especially
important
for
families
.
It
is
in
the
family
that
we
first
learn
how
to
pray
.
There
we
come
to
know
God
,
to
grow
into
men
and
women
of
faith
,
to
see
ourselves
as
members
of
God
’
s
greater
family
,
the
Church
.
In
the
family
we
learn
how
to
love
,
to
forgive
,
to
be
generous
and
open
,
not
closed
and
selfish
.
We
learn
to
move
beyond
our
own
needs
,
to
encounter
others
and
share
our
lives
with
them
.
That
is
why
it
is
so
important
to
pray
as
a
family
!
That
is
why
families
are
so
important
in
God
’
s
plan
for
the
Church
!
Next
,
rising
with
Jesus
and
Mary
.
Those
precious
moments
of
repose
,
of
resting
with
the
Lord
in
prayer
,
are
moments
we
might
wish
to
prolong
.
But
like
Saint
Joseph
,
once
we
have
heard
God
’
s
voice
,
we
must
rise
from
our
slumber
;
we