A Valuable Gift to the Local Church

Bishop Otto Separy, President ⁣of the Episcopal Conference of Papua New ‌Guinea and the Solomon Islands, thanked the Pope for his arrival.⁤ “For the⁤ Church and for ‌all of us in this country, the presence of ‌the Pope⁢ is a precious gift, because it ⁤strengthens our communion in the same faith,” he said.

Three‍ Aspects of the Missionary ⁣Journey

The Pope reflected on three aspects​ of Christians⁣ and missionary journeys: the courage to set out, ‌the beauty of presence, and the desire to grow.

The Courage to⁣ Set Out

The Pope mentioned that the missionaries arrived in the middle of the 19th century and that ‍”their initial work was ​not easy,” but “they ⁢did not ​give up” but “continued to ‍preach the​ Gospel with great faith and apostolic zeal and serve brothers and sisters, starting again and again where they failed and ‌made⁢ many sacrifices.”

“Thanks to them, to ‘start’ and ‘start again’, we are here. Today, despite the challenges, we continue to move forward ‌without fear, knowing ‍that​ we are ⁢not ⁢alone⁣ ourselves: we‌ the Lord ⁣work through‌ us and walk with us, making us, like them, vessels of His grace.”

Go to the ‍Edge

The Pope emphasized the importance of traveling ​to the outskirts ⁣of the country, thinking of “the poorest⁤ among the ​urban dwellers” and​ those‍ who live in “the most remote and​ abandoned, sometimes lacking the necessities of life.” He expressed concern for those who are marginalized and injured,⁢ “who are damaged spiritually and physically by prejudices and superstitious practices, sometimes even endangering their lives”.

“The church⁣ is willing‍ to come close to these brothers and sisters because Jesus is present among ⁣them in a special way. Jesus is the head of the church, and ​we are his members. Wherever he is, there we will be.”

The Most Beautiful Treasure

The Pope saw the beauty of presence in ‍the shells that decorate the church. He said: “They remind us that the most beautiful treasure in the eyes of our Heavenly⁢ Father is us, spiritually ⁣united under the mantle of ⁤the Virgin⁣ Mary ⁣with all ‌the brothers and sisters‌ entrusted to‍ us by Jesus and with those who cannot be here, Desire to make the gospel known to the world and share ⁣its strength‌ and‌ light with us.”

Regarding a question asked in⁤ the testimony at the beginning of this meeting: how to transfer a missionary seal to young people, the Pope‌ admitted⁢ that he did not consider this a “technical” problem. But a ⁢”proven ⁤way”, as Benedict ⁣XVI said, is ⁤to cultivate and share with them ⁤the joy of our Church as a home of hospitality, one by one with God’s chosen​ pieces Made of living‍ stone.

“So the beauty of presence is not in experiencing great events and achieving things, but in being faithful and loving and ‌growing together in our daily endeavors.”

Sow the Seeds of Kindness in the⁤ World

The Pope⁣ extended the image of crossing the Red Sea from the church to the ⁣third aspect of ‌missionary‍ work, ‌which is “the desire to grow.” The​ image, the Pope said, reflects the “fertility of faith” of Abraham, Isaac,⁢ and Moses. “This is an important ⁢sign because it also encourages us to have confidence⁢ today in the fruitful results of⁣ our⁤ mission and⁤ to continue sowing ⁢small seeds of good ‌in the world.”

The Pope affirmed ‍that although these seeds are “as small as mustard seeds,”⁤ as long as we continue to sow them with trust, they will, with the grace of God, “sprout, harvest abundantly, and grows into something that‍ the trees where‌ the birds are. from the sky dwells”. Therefore, we must “continue to preach the gospel patiently and ⁤not‌ be discouraged by difficulties and misunderstandings.”

“You must continue your mission like this and become witnesses of courage, beauty, and ⁤hope! ‍Never ⁤forget God’s style: intimacy, ‍compassion, and tenderness. You must always move ⁤forward in this style!”