Vatican media broadcasts a preface written by the Vatican pope francisco for him Journalist’s last book Austin Ivey, “Belong to God First: Retreating with Pope Francis,” published by Courier Press and Loyola Press. In his text, the Pope denounces “ our common home Mass movements of people are symptoms of the crisis of ‘people not belonging’ to God. “
Faced with self-sufficiency
“When we The Lord saves us from self-sufficiency, we open ourselves to all creation and every living thing, and we become channels of the life and love of our Heavenly Father. Only in this way can we realize the true nature of life: gift from father Drawing on the experience of St. Ignatius of Loyola, the Pope explained: “He loved us deeply and wanted us to belong to him and to others.” For Francis, despite this faith conviction, “we remain Trying to shut down one’s own grace, live a secular life, in the illusion of sovereignty and self-sufficiency. ”
For Bergoglio, “all the deadly crises that plague us in the world, from ecological crises to wars and injustices against the poor and vulnerable, They are rooted in the rejection of our belonging to God and others. ” In this light, the Pope affirmed that the Church’s teachings are “channels of grace” to “receive the gifts that the Father wishes to pour into us,” such as the spiritual practices promoted by the Loyola saint as “recharging our batteries.” a method. “.
“Christian Retreat This is very different from a “wellness” vacation.. The focus is not on us, but on God, the Good Shepherd, who does not treat us like machines but responds to our deepest needs like the children he loves,” the pope claimed. “Love and service: they are the two axes of spiritual practice. “Jesus comes out to meet us and breaks our chains so that we can walk with him as his disciples and companions,” he noted. “Now is not the time to hunker down and lock ourselves in. I see clearly that the Lord is calling us to break away from ourselves and stand up and walk. He is asking us not to turn away from the pain and cry of our time, but to enter into it, Open the channels of his grace,” the pope encouraged.
Mental exercise is a “recharge”, not a “wellness vacation”
