In his annual address to the Roman Curia to exchange Christmas greetings, Pope Francis urges us to listen, discern and walk, without losing sight of Christ’s call to be merciful, loving and courageous.
Catarina Agorilios – Vatican City
On Thursday morning, December 21, Pope Francis received his closest collaborators in the Roman Curia, as is his custom before Christmas. His speech was in the spirit of the ongoing synodal process: listen, discern and walk with the faithful.
Listen with your heart
The Pope explained that the role model is the Virgin Mary, calling for listening and also “with the ear of the heart,” as Saint Benedict called her. The Pope said that Mary’s reception of the angel’s message with an open heart is a reminder that true listening includes an inner openness that goes beyond the mere exchange of information, because more important than any prescription is our need to enter into a relationship with Jesus. God accepts the gift of love that He comes to give us.”
The Pope stressed the importance of humility in listening, and said: “There is no better way to listen than ‘on your knees.’” He explained that this humble stance shows the desire to put aside preconceived notions and prejudices so that we can truly understand the desires and needs of others. The Pope warned against the temptation To be like “hungry wolves” who devour words without truly understanding, saying that “truly listening to another person requires inner silence and a space of silence between what we hear and what we say.”
Therefore, he encouraged members of the Curia to develop a “culture of listening” that transcends everyday tasks and situations, places value on relationships and maintains the evangelical spirit, characterized by the ability to listen sincerely and without judgement.
“Brothers and sisters, even in the Korea, we need to learn the art of listening. More important than our daily tasks and responsibilities, or even the positions we hold, is our need to appreciate the value of relationships.”
In his annual address to the Roman Curia to exchange Christmas greetings, Pope Francis urges us to listen, discern and walk.
Excellence
In the field of distinction, the Pope recalled the story of John the Baptist. He said that despite the Prophet’s powerful sermons, he faces a crisis of faith when faced with Jesus’ unexpected mercy and compassion.
The Pope said that John the Baptist realized that he needed to discern and have new eyes. “In short: Jesus was not what people expected, and even the former had to be converted to the newness of the Kingdom. He had to have the humility and courage necessary to discern.”
The Pope explained that discernment is necessary in our spiritual journey, because he warns against strict application of rules without a deep understanding of God’s will. It frees us from the illusion of absolute knowledge and challenges the temptation to maintain familiar patterns. “It is an explosion of love that distinguishes between good and best, between what is valuable in itself and what is valuable here and now, between what can be good in general and what needs to be done now,” he said.
“Discernment, even in the work of the Curia, should help us to obey the Holy Spirit and choose actions and make decisions not based on worldly standards or simply by applying rules, but according to the Gospel.”
On Thursday morning, December 21, Pope Francis received his closest collaborators in the Roman Curia, as is his custom before Christmas.
promenade
Finally, the Pope explained the verb to walk, using the story of the wise men, which he said reminds us of “the importance of walking.” Pope Francis said that the joy of the Gospel leads us to discipleship and invites us to embark on a journey towards meeting the Lord. “He sends us on a journey, takes us out of our comfort zones, out of our complacency with what we have already done, and thus frees us. He changes us and enlightens the eyes of our hearts so that we understand the great hope to which he has called us.” The Pope warned of the dangers of fear, rigidity and monotony that lead to stagnation and a lack of a permanent vision of the world. The novelty of God’s call, and stressed that the Curia is called to continually search for truth and be open to growth.
“Even in our service here in the Curia, it is important to keep moving forward, to keep searching and growing in our understanding of truth, to overcome the temptation to stand still and never leave the ‘labyrinth’ of our fears,” the pope said. He urged attendees to avoid falling into the trap of bureaucracy and mediocrity and to beware of “rigid ideological positions” that separate us from reality and prevent us from moving forward. The journey begins “from above,” guided by the Lord’s call and the light of God’s Word.
A call to love and humility
Pope Francis concluded his speech with a call to courage, love, and humility in our journey of faith and service and with a story about a “zealous priest” and acknowledged that it is not easy to “rekindle the flame under the ashes of the Church.”
“Today we seek to rekindle the suffering of those who have long lost it. Sixty years after the Council, we still discuss the divide between ‘progressives’ and ‘conservatives’, when the real difference is between lovers and those who have lost love.” “Original suffering. That’s the difference. Only those who love move forward.”
In particular, Pope Francis thanked for all the work that the Curia does in silence, by listening, discerning and walking, and asked the Lord for the grace of joy in humble and generous service: “May we never lose our sense of humour.” !
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