Pope to Spanish pilgrims: Comply with Jesus with the saints' examples

[ad_1] Pope Leo XIV encourages pilgrims from a parish in Spain to observe the witness of their namesake, St. Thomas of Villanova, in his love for the poor, profound inside life, tireless work, and apostolic zeal.

By Kielce Gussie

Chatting with a bunch of Spanish pilgrims from the Parish of Santo Tomás de Villanueva (St. Thomas of Villanova), Pope Leo XIV expressed his pleasure at assembly them throughout the Octave of Christmas.

The pilgrims travelled round 1,900km (about 1,180 miles) from town of Alcalá de Henares, Spain, on pilgrimage to Rome, and the Pope shared his gratitude for his or her help of “the Successor of Peter together with your prayers and generosity.”

Reflecting on the namesake of their parish, Pope Leo defined that St. Thomas of Villanova “was open to God’s motion in his life,” saying this made it doable for him “to do a lot good for the Church and for the society of his time.”

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He highlighted how town of Alcalá de Henares works to protect the life and legacy of the Spanish Augustinian saint. The Pope then touched on a number of the distinctive traits of St. Thomas.

A legacy that lives on The saint's life and writings showcase “an unceasing pursuit of continuous prayer—that's, a holy restlessness to stay in God’s presence at each second.” This, Pope Leo identified, revealed St. Thomas’ profound inside life, which enabled him to listen to God’s phrase.

Furthermore, the Augustinian bishop was famend for his tireless work, which the Pope defined is a side that “challenges us in a world that appears to supply all the things an increasing number of shortly and simply.”

St. Thomas’ selfless labor, simplicity, sobriety, and apostolic zeal will help everybody acknowledge the presents and abilities they've obtained from God and remind them of the decision to make use of these presents to serve the group.

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Lastly, Pope Leo mirrored on how the Spanish saint’s love for the poor earned him the title “the almoner of God.” This attribute, the Pope defined, could be very current within the parish lifetime of the pilgrims from Alcalá de Henares by means of their works and gestures—for which he expressed his gratitude.

Closing the non-public viewers, Pope Leo inspired the pilgrim group on their journey, following within the footsteps of Christ, and urged them to make use of the instance of the saints to encourage them. He invoked a blessing on them: “Could God bless you, and should Our Girl of the Val at all times accompany you.”