Holy Father Pope Francis while addressing the faithful gathered at Casa Santa Marta reminded bishops and all pastors to love, tend the sheep, and prepare oneself for the cross, not wasting time meddling in the lives of others. His Holiness Pope Francis’ advice was drawn from the Gospel of John, which recounts the last encounter between Jesus and Peter. The Pontiff transformed Jesus’ last words to Peter – “Follow me” – into concrete attitudes and behaviors, giving Peter three directives: “love me, tend my sheep, and prepare yourself.”
As reported by Vatican news, Holy Father Pope Francis remarked that “The first step towards being true disciples of the Son of God is love. The identity of a bishop and of a priest is to be a shepherd. “Love me, tend my sheep, and prepare yourself. Love me more than all others. Love me however you can, but love me.”This is what the Lord asks of pastors and of all of us. ‘Love me.’ The first step in dialogue with the Lord is love.” Further, His Holiness added, “Prepare for trials; prepare to leave everything behind, so that another may come and do different things. Prepare yourself for this obliteration in life. And they will carry you along paths filled with humiliation, possibly even to martyrdom. Those who praised you and spoke well of you when you were a pastor will now speak poorly of you because another has come who they like more. Prepare yourself for the cross when they carry you where you do not want to go. Love, tend and prepare yourself. This is a pastor’s directional map, his compass.”
His Holiness Pope Francis concluded his homily by reminding the faithful about ‘pervasive temptation: the desire to meddle in the lives of others’ and urged that “Put yourself in your own shoes and don’t stick your nose in other people’s business. The pastor loves, tends, and prepares himself for the cross… Don’t waste time being a busybody, even regarding ecclesiastical rumors. Love, tend my sheep, and prepare yourself not to fall into temptation.”
