VATICAN - New Encyclical by Pope Francis: “Dilexit nos” and Mission

Vatican City (Agenzia Fides) - "Dilexit nos". He loved us. Pope Francis’ Encyclical, published today, follows the golden thread of devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus in order to enter into the Mystery of divine love manifested in the gift of Creation and in the "more admirablel" gift of Redemption. A mystery, that of the "Dilectio" of Christ - suggests the Pope - to which every dynamic of the salvific mission that Christ himself entrusted to his Church also refers.

The new document of the Pontifical Magisterium, written in Spanish, was announced by Pope Francis in June, the month traditionally dedicated to devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus.

The Pontiff, who has had a special devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus since his youth, has now dedicated an encyclical to it, consisting of five chapters divided into 220 paragraphs, as the universal Church celebrates the 350th anniversary of the first revelation of the Sacred Heart of Jesus to Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque in 1673 (the celebrations began on December 27, 2023, and will end on June 27, 2025, ed.).

In the Encyclical, the mercy and grace that the Sacred Heart of Jesus pours into the lives of His followers are also referred to as the source of all authentic apostolic and missionary work. The word "mission" appears a total of 16 times in various sections of the text.

Drawing on the Gospel account, Pope Francis points out that when Christ "calls you and summons you for a mission, he first looks at you, plumbs the depths of your heart and, knowing everything about you, fixes his gaze upon you" and then "speaks to us inwardly, calls us and leads us to a better place", "to let us find fresh strength and peace", that is, "his Heart" (nn. 39-43).

A heart that "frees" the Church from a dangerous "dualism": "that in communities and pastors excessively caught up in external activities, structural reforms that have little to do with the Gospel, obsessive reorganization plans, worldly projects, secular ways of thinking and mandatory programmes". The result is often "a Christianity stripped of the tender consolations of faith, the joy of serving others, the fervour of personal commitment to mission, the beauty of knowing Christ and the profound gratitude born of the friendship he offers and the ultimate meaning he gives to our lives. This too is the expression of an illusory and disembodied otherworldliness." (n 88).

The mission of those who are looked upon by Jesus, therefore, can draw impetus by looking to his Sacred Heart because "at the same time in which the Heart of Christ leads us to the Father, he sends us to our brothers. In the fruits of service, fraternity and mission that the Heart of Christ produces through us, the will of the Father is accomplished" (n 163).

Pope Francis quotes his predecessor Saint Paul VI, who, addressing religious Congregations dedicated to the spread of devotion to the Sacred Heart, recalled: "There can be no doubt that pastoral commitment and missionary zeal will fan into flame, if priests and laity alike, in their desire to spread the glory of God, contemplate the example of eternal love that Christ has shown us, and direct their efforts to make all men and women sharers in the unfathomable riches of Christ" (n 208).

"As we contemplate the Sacred Heart, mission becomes a matter of love". Mission, Pope Francis emphasizes, "as a radiation of the love of the heart of Christ, requires missionaries who are themselves in love and who, enthralled by Christ, feel bound to share this love that has changed their lives. They are impatient when time is wasted discussing secondary questions or concentrating on truths and rules, because their greatest concern is to share what they have experienced. They want others to perceive the goodness and beauty of the Beloved through their efforts, however inadequate they may be. Is that not the case with any lover?" (n 209).

To better understand the dynamics of love proper to the mission, Pope Francis cites the words of the great Italian poet Dante Alighieri who, "in love, tried to express this logic" in the Vita Nova as follows: "I declare that, in thinking of its worth, love so sweet makes me feel that, if my courage did not fail me, I would speak out and make everyone else fall in love" (n 209).

In every apostolic work, the Pontiff says, "we should not think of this mission of sharing Christ as something only between Jesus and me. Mission is experienced in fellowship with our communities and with the whole Church. If we turn aside from the community, we will be turning aside from Jesus. If we turn our back on the community, our friendship with Jesus will grow cold. This is a fact, and we must never forget it. Love for the brothers and sisters of our communities – religious, parochial, diocesan and others – is a kind of fuel that feeds our friendship with Jesus", adds the Pope, who suggests practicing "acts of love for our brothers and sisters in community" because these "may well be the best and, at times, the only way that we can witness to others our love for Jesus Christ. He himself said, “By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another” (Jn 13:35)" (n 212).

“If we are concerned with helping others, this in no way means that we are turning away from Jesus. Rather, we are encountering him in another way. Jesus is calling you and sending you forth to spread goodness in our world. His call is one of service, a summons to do good, perhaps as a physician, a mother, a teacher or a priest. Wherever you may be, you can hear his call and realize that he is sending you forth to carry out that mission", underlines the Pontiff, who concludes his fourth encyclical with an appeal addressed to all the baptized: "In your own way, you too must be a missionary, like the apostles and the first disciples of Jesus, who went forth to proclaim the love of God, to tell others that Christ is alive and worth knowing. Saint Therese experienced this as an essential part of her oblation to merciful Love: “I wanted to give my Beloved to drink and I felt myself consumed with a thirst for souls”. That is your mission as well. Each of us must carry it out in his or her own way; you will come to see how you can be a missionary. Jesus deserves no less. If you accept the challenge, he will enlighten you, accompany you and strengthen you, and you will have an enriching experience that will bring you much happiness. It is not important whether you see immediate results; leave that to the Lord who works in the secret of our hearts. Keep experiencing the joy born of our efforts to share the love of Christ with others" (nn 214-215-216).

(F.B.) (Agenzia Fides, 24/10/2024)

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