Vatican: Pope Francis tells nun that holiness is the goal of life

Pope Francis told a group of nuns that “holiness is the essential objective of our life,” recalling a speech that Saint John Paul II addressed to the same congregation 30 years ago.

When receiving this Saturday at the Vatican the participants of the general chapter of the Union of Saint Catherine of Siena of the Missionaries of the Schools, founded by the venerable Italian Luigia Tincani in 1924, the Holy Father recalled “three attitudes that Saint John Paul II summarized (in 1995) thus: ‘the effort of one’s own sanctification, a serious theological and professional preparation and an affable and loving lifestyle towards everything, especially towards young people.’”

Regarding the last aspect, Pope Francis commented that “sometimes in my life I have met a sister who had a ‘vinegar’ face and this is not affable, this is not something that helps attract people. Vinegar is bad and we better not talk about sisters with vinegar faces! In short: holiness, preparation and affability. “I ask you this.”

1. Pope Francis explains the importance of holiness

“First, holiness. It is a word that can challenge, that can frighten, to the point that we often find it difficult to apply to ourselves, but it is the vocation that unites us all and is the essential goal of our lives.”

According to the Press Office of the Vaticanthe Holy Father highlighted that “holiness is a joyful thing, holiness attracts, holiness is spiritual joy. It is true that it is not easy to find holiness, but with the grace of God we can do it. How important this mission is today, especially for young people!”

“You, as consecrated women, carry it out first of all in the sequela Christi, with the profession of the evangelical counsels, sacramental life, listening to and daily meditation on the Word of God, prayer and common life, as taught by the Dominican motto ‘contemplata aliis tradere’. Remain well rooted in these foundations so that your apostolate is solid and rich.”

Pope Francis highlighted the importance of speaking well, “with affability,” banishing “the gossip that poisons” from life.

2. Do not dialogue with the devil: A request from Francis to the nuns

Regarding preparation, the second aspect, the Holy Father encouraged the religious to study, to continually deepen their knowledge and abilities to stay updated.

In that sense, he continued, it is important to dialogue with everyone except the devil, following the example of Jesus who responded to the devil with Scripture. “Please, talk to everyone except the devil. The devil comes to the community, looks at the jealousy, all the things that belong to all people, not just women, and the devil goes there. There is no dialogue with the devil.”

Regarding the third aspect, Pope Francis encouraged religious women to “be messengers of affability, which is the gift of the Holy Spirit, and of joy, living each encounter with the high recognition of the other in their sacred uniqueness.”

Highlighting the lack of young people, the Pontiff encouraged consecrated women to carry out a vocational apostolate, constantly renewing themselves with “sanctity of life, preparation and affability.”