Vatican City, Dec 10, 2016 / 11:31 am
On Saturday Pope Francis spoke to seminarians about the three-fold ministry of the priest: welcoming and including all, forming good relationships with God and others, and avoiding the pitfall of narcissism.
"Not everything begins and ends with me," he counseled Dec. 10. "I can and I have to look beyond myself, to realize the beauty and depth of the mystery that surrounds me, the life that surpasses me, the faith in God who sustains all things and all people, even me."
Meeting with seminarians studying at Pius XI Seminary in Puglia, a southern region of Italy, he explained that the seminary is the perfect time for formation in this area, so it is good to think about these things now, in order to have time to cultivate them.
"In this liturgical season of Advent which sounds again the strong invitation of the Lord to keep watch, we are invited to keep watch over the real risk of being narcissistic, because without this watch no vocational journey is really possible," he said.