In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.

Peace be with you!

Good morning, everyone. Welcome!

I am pleased to meet you this morning on the occasion of your General Chapters and Assemblies. I greet the Superiors present and all of you, along with some of your confreres who are accompanying you in these gatherings.

A common trait of the Institutes to which you belong is the courage that marked their beginnings. I would therefore like to draw inspiration for a brief reflection from a passage in the Book of Proverbs, which says, “A strong woman who can find? She is far more precious than jewels” (cf. Prov 31:10).

I believe your histories offer an answer to that question; in them, God found not one, but many strong and courageous women who did not hesitate to take risks and confront problems in order to embrace his plans and respond “yes” to his call. Moreover, they paved the way for many others who, like you, have followed Christ in his poverty, chastity and obedience, carrying on his work, sometimes even to the point of martyrdom.

We are speaking of extraordinary women who went forth as missionaries in difficult times. They stooped down to care for those suffering moral and material misery, reaching the most neglected areas of society. To remain close to those in need, they accepted the risk of losing their lives, even to the point of dying as victims of brutal violence in times of war.

An ancient hymn from the Liturgy of the Hours sings the praises of women like them, revealing their secret with these words: “With fasts her body she subdued, but filled her soul with prayer’s sweet food: in other worlds she tastes the bliss” (cf. Hymnus Fortem virili pectore: Commune Sanctarum Mulierum, Ad I Vesperas).

These are wise and profound words, which recall the roots of your consecrated life, both in contemplation and in apostolic service. The strength to remain faithful in both areas comes from the same source: Christ. The Church’s experience over millennia teaches that the means by which we draw on the richness of his grace include asceticism, prayer, the sacraments, intimacy with God, his Word, and the things of heaven (cf. Col 3:1-2).

Perhaps some people in our overly immanentist world might dismiss this as a type of “spiritualism,” but such a view is easily refuted by the testimony of what your Congregations have accomplished over the centuries and continue to do today. Indeed, it is only through the strength that comes from God that all this has been possible. After all, we experience this truth every day: our work is in the Lord’s hands, and we are only small and inadequate instruments, or “unworthy servants,” as the Gospel says (cf. Lk 17:10). Yet, if we entrust ourselves to him and remain united with him, great things can happen, precisely through our poverty.

In this regard, Saint Augustine advised virgins: “Set out for the heights with the foot of humility. He [God] lifts up those who follow him with humility… Entrust to him the gifts he has given you, so that he may preserve them; lay your strength before him (cf. Ps 58:10)” (De sancta virginitate, 52-53). Saint John Paul II, reflecting on religious life in light of Christ’s Transfiguration (cf. Mt 17:1-9), spoke of “an ‘ascent to the mountain’ and a ‘descent from the mountain’” (Vita Consecrata, 25 March 1996, 14). As a consequence, “The disciples who have enjoyed this intimacy with the Master, surrounded for a moment by the splendour of the Trinitarian life and of the communion of saints, and as it were caught up in the horizon of eternity, are immediately brought back to daily reality, where they see “Jesus only,” in the lowliness of his human nature, and are invited to return to the valley, to share with him the toil of God’s plan and to set off courageously on the way of the Cross” (ibid.).

In this light, we look to Regina Protmann, Maria Gertrude of the Precious Blood, Marie-Anne de Tilly, together with Father Louis Chauvet, Saint Teresa of Avila and the hermits of Mount Carmel, as examples of those intimately united with God and thus consecrated to his service and to the good of the whole Church. They were committed to planting and strengthening in the hearts of their brothers and sisters that same kingdom of Christ they firstly experienced within themselves, and to spreading it throughout the world (cf. Lumen Gentium, 44).

Dear Sisters, this is the legacy you have received, and it is what makes your presence here so meaningful. Even today, in fact, there is a need for generous women. In this regard, I extend a special greeting to the Discalced Carmelite Sisters of the Holy Land who are present here: what you are doing is important, through your vigilant and silent presence in places sadly torn apart by hatred and violence, through your witness of trusting abandonment to God, and through your constant entreaties for peace. We all accompany you with our prayers and, through you, draw close to those who suffer.

Thank you to all of you, Sisters, for the good you do in so many countries and diverse contexts around the world. I bless you from my heart and remember you in my prayers to the Lord.