Philippine Asian News Today Vol 19 No 18 | Page 25

September 16 - 30, 2017
PHILIPPINE ASIAN NEWS TODAY
25
Love of neighbor must begin
with love of God
Pope Francis at the General Audience in St. Peter’s Square on Sept.
20, 2017. Credit: Marina Testino/CNA
On Monday, Pope Francis
spoke to benefactors of the Vatican
Swiss Guard about love of neighbor,
which he said must first be steeped
in love of Christ and drawn from
prayer and frequent reception of the
sacraments.
“Love to one’s neighbor
corresponds to the mandate and the
example of Christ if it is based on a
true love of God. It is thus possible for
the Christian, through his dedication,
to make others feel the tenderness of
the heavenly Father,” the Pope said
Sept. 25.
“To give love to brothers, it
is necessary to draw it from the
furnace of divine charity, through
prayer, listening to the Word of God,
and nurturing the Holy Eucharist.
With these spiritual references, it is
possible to operate in the logic of
gratuity and service.”
Pope Francis met Monday
morning with 50 members of the
Foundation of the Pontifical Swiss
Guard, an organization which offers
financial, material and technical
support to the Vatican’s small military
force.
He thanked them for their work
in support of the young Swiss men
who devote some years of their lives
to “serving the Church and the Holy
See.”
“This is an opportune occasion
for me to reiterate that their discreet,
professional and generous presence
is so appreciated and useful for
the good performance of Vatican
activities.”
The business of the foundation
expresses community spirit and
solidarity, the Pope said, a typical
feature of the Catholic presence
in society and an attitude which is
rooted in the appeal of the Gospel to
love one’s nei