Later, he highlighted that in today’s secularized society, “we run the risk of being very active and at the same time feeling powerless, with the result of losing enthusiasm.”
“If, on the contrary, bitterness and compunction, instead of being directed towards the world, are directed towards one’s own heart, the Lord will not fail to visit us and lift us up again,” he explained.
Finally, Pope Francis clarified that “compunction is not the fruit of our work, but rather it is a grace and as such it must be requested in prayer.””.
For this reason, he advised “not to look at life and the call from a perspective of effectiveness and immediacy, linked only to today and its urgencies and expectations, but rather in the past and future as a whole.”
He also encouraged us to rediscover “the need to dedicate ourselves to a prayer that is not commitment and functional, but free, serene and prolonged.”
“Thank you, dear priests, for your open and docile hearts; Thank you for your efforts and your tears, thank you for bringing the wonder of God’s mercy to the brothers and sisters of our time,” he concluded.