An intimate moment at the heart of the Vatican
The sisters were taken to a small side room in the Paul VI Hall, where they excitedly awaited the arrival of the Holy Father. The arrangement was simple:
the spiritual teachings of St. Thomas of Villanova
He defined him as the master of Christian love.
“God doesn’t give you things, he gives himself.”
Taking the words of the Augustinian saint, the Pope stated:
“You [Lord] are not you [Lord] one thing and another thing your reward, but you yourself are the immeasurable reward.”
He recalled that every path of perfection in the consecrated life can be summed up in two waysactive mercy active mercy and contemplative truth.He added that true love, like that of Martha and Mary. He added that true love is not born of effort, but is received as a gift from God.and only with this love burning in the heart does religious life religious life has meaning and fecundity..
“God doesn’t look at how much you do, but how much you love. Without love, every effort becomes a burden. Where there is love, there is no sorrow.”
Mother Bertha’s testimony: “We feel like sisters of the Pope”.
The
Mother Bertha
Federal Mother of the Federation of Mexico, shared with emotion:
“We didn’t know how it was going to be, but it was very close. Friar Freddy accompanied us and helped us with everything. When we entered, the Pope blessed the image of the Virgin and told us that he had already seen us in the square in previous days. It was very nice.
On a personal level, the mother entrusted him with a very special intention:
“I asked for his blessing for all the sisters of the Federation and for vocations. I told him that I respect him as a Holy Father, but I felt him as our brother. That’s how I lived it.
He added that what struck him the most was when the Pope, quoting St. Thomas, insisted that
“true love is born of truth, and when there is love, things don’t cost”.
The Prior General: “Thirty meters of aisle, thirteen minutes of grace”.
Friar Miguel Angel Hernandez, Prior General of the Augustinian Recollects
Miguel Hernandez, Prior General of the Augustinian Recollects, described the meeting in detail:
“The Pope arrived at the scheduled time. He greeted those present one by one, handed them a rosary and gave us a beautiful message, all centered on St. Thomas of Villanova. It was brief, but very intense: thirteen minutes full of simplicity and depth”.
At the end of the audience, a group of sisters accompanied by the Prior General and Friar Freddy visited the
Dicastery for the Institutes of Consecrated Life, where they were able to visit the
where they were able to see the rooms and contemplate St. Peter’s Square from the balcony.
St. Peter’s Square from the balcony.
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A gesture of the Pope, a gift for the whole family
This encounter leaves an indelible mark on the lives of the sisters and the entire Augustinian Recollect family. In this Holy Year,
the fraternal and spiritual gesture of Pope Leo XIV has been lived as a gift of ecclesial communion.
A blessing that strengthens the daily dedication of so many religious who, like St. Monica, pray, intercede and support the heart of the Church with their hidden life.