your effort and time. Therefore, in your ministry, “Work hard, but do not worry,
because above our limitations there is a Providence that watches over us and car-
ries ahead the work began by God” (Father LUIGI GUANELLA). And when
something not according to our desire happens, do not forget that even Christ was
unsuccessful (“And many left him”, Jn 6, 66), and died shamefully (“Cursed is
the one who hangs on the tree!” Gal 3, 13), among two thieves as he was the
worst of all (Mt 27, 38-44). The Father, however, who reserved to himself the last
word, raised him up (1 Cor 15; Phil 2, 6-11).
8. The respect you should show to your brother or sister who comes to you
should be modeled on St. Paul: “When I came to you in weakness and fear and
much trembling... so that your faith might rest not on human wisdom but on the
power of God” (1 Cor 2, 3-5).
Do not be afraid to acknowledge your limitations and incompetence: it is a
sign of honesty and truth! The truth will set you free (Jn 8, 32). It is when you
are weak that you are strong (2 Cor 12, 9-10), because you could do everything
in Him who gives you strength (Phil 4, 13).
9. Be not alone in your life: “Woe to him who is alone: for if he should
fall, he has no one to lift him up...! A three-ply cord is not easily broken” (Eccl.
4, 9-12). Have always a confrere at your side, a confrere you trust. Go to him
when you are going through difficult moments. Do not be afraid to ask for help,
to extend your hand, to ask for strength and support, and, if necessary, to
recognize your sinful life! You too are a human being! You were chosen, not
because you were holier, more intelligent, better than others, but because God
wanted so. He called you to be at the service of others through your talents,
limitations, and miseries.
Be always ready to welcome, with a brotherly and fatherly heart, the
confrere or the priest that may come to you for help and forgiveness! As
Religious do not forget your Community, Province, and Congregation. They are
the family that God has given you, your “family”, as the whole people of God is
(Mt 12, 46-50). Be grateful, fraternal, friendly, generous: “Without cost you have
received; without cost you have to give” (Mt 10, 8), and “God loves who gives
with joy” (2 Cor 9, 7; Rom 12, 8).
In short, do not forget that you are, like Christ, “the man for others” (D.
BONHÖFFER), the Christian par excellence who feels happier in giving than
receiving (Acts 20, 35).
This means that others should have you at their service. Consequently, you
need to be available, and ready to be chosen and to be discarded as well, not
when you decide to, nor by whom you like to, but when others want so.
Nevertheless, maintain always an attitude of availability. That demands a lot of
faith, humility and evangelical poverty, much detachment from the brothers (in
87
spite of your love toward them) in order not to place them at your disposal, but
the other way around, like Christ, who came not to be served, but to serve and
give his life for others ( Mt 20, 28).
10. Find in the ministry the unending source of your prayer life. Pray al-
ways for those brothers and sisters who came to you in the past, who come in the
present, and will come in the future, so that the Lord – who remembers them well
and already knows them – help you not to do any harm to them, and may leave
holding a stronger faith, a more joyful hope, a more ardent charity, a little more
altruism, and more Christ in their life.
Pray above all for those whom you did not want to help, could not help, or
did not know how to sufficiently help when in need. Perhaps you may not be able
to see them again, but you could still do a lot for them: loving them, praying for
them, and being more cordial to those who come to you. Never forget that you are
more convincing when on your knees (praying) than when speaking or endlessly
running around doing many things.
11. Finally, prepare yourselves culturally through your studies, so that you
are not only cordial and simple, but also competent. People have the 87 right to
meet culturally prepared priests. You had, and have lot of time for this! It is a
great responsibility.
12. Dear brother priests and seminarians, if you possess this spirit, or you
strive to acquire it, we, priests for a long time, would like to say to you: “Go
forth! You will never regret being a priest! Your priesthood is a risk that you can
run! Run this risk!
In spite of your limitations, you could run it, because God himself has
chosen us, and not we ( Jn 15, 16), and He will run it together with us! And, if
God is with us, who could be against us? ( Rom 8, 31-39).
I would like to conclude my conversation by quoting the words of a priest,
who worked for a long time in the pastoral ministry:
“At the end of the journey they would ask me only one thing:
Have you loved? And I would say nothing;
I would open my empty hands
And my heart full of names” (J. M. D
E
L
A
T
ORRE
).
Dear confreres,
this is the greatness and the fragility of a priest.
This is the treasure in earthen vessels ( 2 Cor 4, 7).
88
This the sublime and joyful daily hard work that awaits you.
As the psalmist says:
“The lot marked out for me is my delight:
welcome indeed the heritage that falls to me!” ( Ps 16, 6).
5. Pontifical Council for Social Communications: the
Church and Internet
We think to do something useful in offering you an interesting document of
the Church regarding the use of modern means of communication and
specifically of the INTERNET. There are still too many confreres, and not just
the elderly ones, who shrink the use of this very important means of social
communication, as an unnecessary and harmful waste of time.. It is necessary to
understand the value, the power, the vastness of researches, the significant
amount of time we save and much more... that a proper use of internet offers. Of
most interest, Chapter II and the Conclusion that offer words of encouragement
to different groups working in the Church.
I
INTRODUCTION
1. The Church’s interest in the Internet is a particular expression of her
longstanding interest in the media of social communication. Seeing the media as
an outcome of the historical scientific process by which humankind “advances
further and further in the discovery of the resources and values contained in the
whole of creation”,
1
the Church often has declared her conviction that they are,
in the words of the Second Vatican Council, “marvellous technical inventions”
2
that already do much to meet human needs and may yet do even more.
Thus the Church has taken a fundamentally positive approach to the
media.
3
Even when condemning serious abuses, documents of this Pontifical
89
1
G
IOVANNI
P
AOLO
II, Lettera Enciclica Laborem Exercens, n. 25; cfr Concilio Vaticano II,
Costituzione Pastorale sulla Chiesa nel mondo contemporaneo, Gaudium et spes, n. 34.
2
Concilio Vaticano II, Decreto sui mezzi di Comunicazione sociale Inter mirifica, n. 1.
3
Per esempio, Inter mirifica; i messaggi di Papa Paolo VI e Papa Giovanni Paolo II in occa-
sione delle Giornate Mondiali delle Comunicazioni Sociali; Pontificia Commissione delle Comu-
nicazioni Sociali, Istruzione Pastorale Communio et progressio; Pontificio Consiglio delle Comu-
Dostları ilə paylaş: |