The Pope meets the participants of the conference about the Spanish mystic María de Jesús de Ágreda, a Conceptionist religious promoted by the Pontifical International Marian Academy: Contemplatives teach us to give space to the voice of the Spirit
Tiziana Campisi – Vatican City
The Franciscan nun and conceptionist María de Jesús de Ágreda, Spanish, was “an extraordinary woman”: Francis underlines this in his greeting to the participants of the conference dedicated to the now venerable nun and sponsored by the Pontifical International Marian Academy and by the woman Their contemplative order included Marian mysticism, which was also defined as “in love of Scripture” and “evangelizer of America.” Titles that, for the Pope, make us “reflect on three lessons that the contemplative woman can give to the Church”: silence and listening, making space for God by achieving an ecstatic experience and mission.
The consistory hall of the Apostolic Palace
Getting to know the Holy Scriptures in the prayer school
The first lesson is to prepare in practice to “receive in the heart the voice of the beloved”, the Word of God, a special quality of women, the Pope emphasizes, who “know how to listen and have a special vocation to do so”. listen”.
It is surprising how some nuns, even without any special training, have acquired a remarkable knowledge of the Holy Scripture and have drunk from it in the school of prayer as from a living spring. Therefore, calling them “in love with the Scriptures” is an expression that goes beyond praising their use in their writings. It is about seeing how Christ himself speaks to them and to us through his word, asking us to follow Mary’s example all in our hearts. And sometimes contemplation happens in silence, before the Lord, in silence. And in this world that is always full of things, full of words and messages, a whole industry of external communication, internal communication, in silence, is so necessary.
The group photo with Francesco
Make space for God to welcome the Holy Spirit
Secondly, for Francis, one learns mysticism from contemplation, that is, that “relationship with God” that arises from listening and the “embodied reading of Holy Scripture”. It’s about “getting out of yourself,” out of your comforts, and “getting out of the selfish self that always tries to dominate us.” It means “making room for God,” docilely accepting the Holy Spirit.
This is the example of Mary, who previously welcomed him into her virgin womb in her Immaculate Heart. In this sense, the contemplatives teach us, through a path of asceticism, devotion and fidelity, the joy of living only for Him.
Some participants in the conference sponsored by the Pontifical International Marian Academy
The mission in the contemplative life
As for the third doctrine, mission, the Pope explains that Mother Ágreda and the Conceptionist nuns, as “the first cloistered sisters to arrive in America,” showed how much “missionary spirit” there is in the contemplative life, the Pope explains. Mother Ágreda felt called by God “to pray for the souls who did not yet know him,” and his prayer was so fruitful that the Indians, “according to the missionaries,” were “aware of the strength of the nun’s intercessory prayer” in their lives . “Mary at the Wedding at Cana” teaches us, Francis adds, that it is possible “to know where the new wine comes from by those who support us with their prayers and build us up with their example.” The Virgin points us to the Son, the Pope concludes, “she brings us Jesus, she produces him in us, and we must imitate this beautiful posture and, in turn, point to the Lord.”
A gift to the Pope