Credible witness requires concrete acts of love, Pope tells Sacred Heart priests

By Christopher Wells

Pope Francis welcomed Priests of the Sacred Heart of Jesus (Dehonians) to the Vatican on Thursday, reminding them of their founder’s call to “make union with Christ, in His love for the Father and for all, the principle and centre” of their lives.

Members of the religious order are in Rome for their 25th General Chapter, which has for its theme, “Called to be One in a Changing World: ‘So that the world may believe’.”

In his remarks, Pope Francis focused on two aspects of that theme: unity and evangelization.

‘To be one’

The Holy Father began his reflection by reminding the religious that unity is a gift that is not attained through our own efforts, although we must nonetheless do our part.

He encouraged the priests to give priority to the sacramental life, to meditate on scripture, and especially to devote themselves to personal and communal prayer. He called on them to make room for Jesus, whose heart “eternally beats with love for us,” inviting them to bring everything into His presence, and reminding them that “without prayer, nothing will be accomplished.”

‘So the world may believe’

Turning to the mission of proclaiming the Gospel, Pope Francis asked, “How do we go about being missionaries today, in a world marked by immense and complex challenges?”

He recalled the words of the order’s founder, Fr Leon Dehon, who, meditating on the Passion, understood that all of Jesus’ sufferings were a result of His love for the Father and for all humanity.

“Herein lies the secret of credible and effective proclamation,” Pope Francis said: “Allowing, like Jesus, the word ‘love’ to be written upon our flesh, that is, in the concreteness of our actions.”

The Holy Father concluded his reflection with the hope that the Sacred Heart Fathers might persevere in their mission with the same faith and generosity that inspired their founder.