January 3, 2024…a long-awaited date because we had been invited in a privileged way to Pope Francis’ general audience.
At 7 a.m., we were enthusiastically marching towards the Vatican…. Wow!! A huge crowd of people were lining up…. They were way ahead of us!!! Courageous, we were the last in line, but before long we were no longer the last, and the queue was moving along at a good pace.
Our yellow card put us in a special place called “baisemains”. We were in row 4… a great row to see Pope Francis up close!
In these words, Pope Francis reminded us that in the Christian life, spiritual warfare is for all people who want to commit themselves to following Jesus, who himself had to live and manage his own life.
Here is what he told us:
Last week, we introduced the theme of vices and virtues. It’s a reminder of the Christian’s spiritual battle. Indeed, the spiritual life of the Christian is not peaceful, linear and unchallenging; on the contrary, the Christian life demands a continuous struggle: the Christian struggle to preserve faith, to enrich the gifts of faith within us. It’s no coincidence that the first anointing every Christian receives in the sacrament of Baptism – the catechumenal anointing – is unscented, symbolically announcing that life is a struggle.
Jesus experienced what we too must always be prepared to face: life is made up of challenges, trials, crossroads, opposing visions, hidden seductions, contradictory voices….
Let us remember that we are always torn between opposing extremes: pride challenges humility; hatred opposes charity; sadness stands in the way of the Spirit’s true joy; hardness of heart rejects mercy. Christians are constantly walking on these crests.
And he ended by encouraging us:
Spiritual warfare, then, leads us to look closely at those vices that bind us and to walk, with God’s grace, towards those virtues that can blossom within us, bringing the Spirit’s springtime into our lives.
It was at the end of the audience that we were deeply touched when we realized that Pope Francis was going to come and greet all the people in this space! We were able to tell him who we were, and he gave a special blessing for our junior sisters who were leaving the next day for the big retreat. What a great and wonderful surprise!
Filled with deep joy, we went home having lived a historic experience for each of us and at the same time for our religious family. We’ll never forget this day!
Sr. Julia Alonso Martinez, MSOLA
