Vatican City - "The young people do not need us; they need God!" emphasized Pope Francis to participants in the XVIII General Chapter of the Congregation of the Oblates of St. Joseph on Monday at the Vatican.
Addressing the religious congregation founded by St. Joseph Marello in 1878, the Holy Father recalled, "As you know, my family also has roots in Asti."
"We share common origins in that land of Piedmont, which gave birth to your founder, St. Joseph Marello," he reminded them.
Reflecting on their Chapter’s theme, which is inspired by St. Paul’s words to Timothy: "I remind you to rekindle the gift of God that is within you" (2 Tim 1:6), the Holy Father said, "these are demanding words."
In these words, he noted, they "recognize yourselves as beneficiaries of a gift," namely, "the holiness of your founder," and "commit yourselves to the responsibilities that come with it, to safeguard and make fruitful the talents received by placing them at the service of others today."
St. Joseph, guardian of the Holy Family
The Holy Father remarked that these two attitudes of gratitude and responsibility are well reflected in the figure of St. Joseph, "the guardian of the Holy Family," who, he emphasized, "is the model, the inspirer, and the intercessor of your Congregation."
Reflecting on this beloved Saint, the Holy Father reminded them that he himself keeps a 'sleeping St. Joseph' statue in his room.
"One of the striking things about the Holy Spouse of Mary is the generous faith with which he welcomed into his home and life a God who, contrary to all expectations," the Holy Father marveled, "presented Himself at his door in the son of a fragile girl, lacking any possibility of making claims."
Keeping this in mind, the Holy Father urged each of them to root their lives of faith and their religious consecration in "a daily 'being' with Jesus."
“Root your life of faith and religious consecration in a daily 'being' with Jesus.”
Sustains us amid our fragility
This, as the Holy Father who declared a Year of St. Joseph observed, "is primarily how St. Joseph responded to the immense gift of having the Son of God made man in his home: by being with Him, listening to Him, speaking to Him, and sharing daily life with Him."
The Holy Father recognized that each of us, with our own fragility, cannot remain standing without the Lord who sustains us.
Therefore, he encouraged them to always cultivate a strong life of prayer, through participation in the Sacraments, listening to and meditating on the Word of God, and Eucharistic Adoration, both personally and as a community.
Calling on those before him to reflect on their own sins, the Holy Father suggested that we all need to stay so close to the Lord that, when we start to slip into sin, we can cling to Him to stay afloat.
Their prayerfulness and closeness to God, the Holy Father encouraged, "will positively reflect on your apostolate, especially on that mission that characterizes you as 'apostles of the youth.'”
Young people need God
"The young people do not need us; they need God!" Pope Francis underscored, saying, "The more we live in His presence, the more we are capable of helping them encounter Him." The youth, the Holy Father reminded, have great potential for good and are "just waiting to bloom and bear fruit if supported and accompanied by wise, patient, and generous guides."
“Young people do not need us; they need God! The more we live in His presence, the more we are capable of helping them encounter Him.”
While it "is a great task that takes a lot of work," he said that especially in our times it remains "indispensable."
Pope Francis concluded by thanking the Oblates of St. Joseph for their service and generosity to the Church and society.
About Oblates of Saint Joseph
The Congregation of the Oblates of Saint Joseph is composed of religious priests and brothers who, in faithfulness to the charisms of our Founder, St. Joseph Marello, are called to serve the interests of Jesus like St. Joseph. By virtue of his ordination, the Oblate priest is “at the service of the ecclesial community and to live not for himself but for others” (C 13). Likewise, every Oblate religious brother dedicates himself to “a great variety of apostolic and social services” (C 14). Both priests and brothers, “with equal rights and obligations, with the exception of those which stem from Holy Order” (VC 61), carry out their apostolate according to the Oblate spirit.
The congregation was founded by St. Joseph Marello on March 14, 1878, in Asti, Italy. United in a common spirit and common purpose, priests and brothers gradually fulfill their founder's dream of a community dedicated to the service of the Church.