Pope Francis affirmed that secularity consists in inhabiting the mission of “dedicating oneself to God’s project in history.”
The Pontiff emphasized that “the prophecy of secular consecration is incompatible with the fear of places and situations of risk.”
On the contrary, “it is precisely these situations that are conducive to such consecration so that in them the members of the secular Institutes can offer their contribution with humility and courage to the history of salvation, where people suffer exclusion, marginalization and their dignity is hurt “.
The Pope thus expressed himself in an audience held this Saturday, 20 November with members of the Secular Institute of Cooperators Oblate Missionaries of the Immaculate Conception on the occasion of the 70th anniversary of its foundation and the 20th anniversary of its pontifical approval.
This he Holy Father recalled the founder of the Institute, Father Gaetano Liuzzo, who transmitted the charism of Saint Eugene de Mazenod, founder of the Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate.
This culture allows “to embrace the evangelizing mission, imitating the audacity of Saint Eugene in the proclamation of Christ the Savior, in his passionate love for Him, for the Church and for every brother and sister.”
“You are called to live this charism in secularity, inserted in the world with your heart immersed in God. Being consecrated in a secular Institute does not mean taking refuge in ‘no man’s land’, but fully sharing, like Jesus, the condition of ordinary people, the daily life of work, of the house, of neighborhood relationships ”.
All of this “animated by the light of faith, the warmth of charity, the horizon of hope. And to live the spirit of the Incarnation in the time and in the place where God has placed us, assuming reality with an open heart, to sow the love of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit ”.
The Pope explained the charism of the members of the Secular Institute of Oblate Missionary Cooperators of the Immaculate as “living like others in the midst of others, in the same professions, in the same functions, in the same difficulties, but with a union to God who sanctifies projects and actions ”.
In his speech, the Pope explained the meaning of the three attitudes of the members of the secular Institute: to be prepared, to be Oblates, to trust in God like Mary.
Being prepared “means living fully in the present, engaging in the promise of eternity. Our whole life is aimed at eternal life and we must be prepared. A person is ready when he gives himself completely to God and to his brothers ”.
Being Oblates means “giving oneself completely to Christ in order to identify oneself spiritually with Him.”
Finally, trusting in God like Mary consists in “imitating her in listening to and accepting God’s will, so that her Word also becomes flesh in us. Thanks to her faith, to her ‘yes’, to her ‘here I am, the Father’s universal plan of salvation was fulfilled. “