Pastoral exhortation of Pope Francis "conversion and change for the ministers of the Church"

In his 2013 apostolic exhortation "Evangelii gaudium" ("The joy of the Gospel"), Papa Francesco he spoke of his dream for a "missionary option" (n. 27). For Pope Francis, this "option" is a new order of priority in the daily reality of the ministry within the life of the Church which passes from a perspective of self-preservation to evangelization.

What could this missionary option mean for us this Lent?

The pope's greatest dream is that we are a church that does not stop at the navel gaze. Instead, imagine a community that "tries to abandon the smug attitude that says," We have always done it this way "" (n. 33). Pope Francis notes that this option does not seem like small changes, such as adding a new ministry program or the change in a personal prayer routine; rather, what he dreams of is a complete change of heart and a reorientation of attitude.

Imagine a pastoral conversion that transforms everything from the root, including "customs, ways of doing things, times and schedules, language and structures" to make the church "more mission-oriented, to make ordinary pastoral activity more inclusive and inclusive. all levels. open, to arouse in pastoral workers a constant desire to go forward and in this way arouse a positive response on the part of all those whom Jesus calls into friendship with himself ”(n. 27). Pastoral conversion requires us to shift our gaze from ourselves to the needy world around us, from those closest to us to those furthest away.

As pastoral ministers, Pope Francis' appeal pastoral conversion may seem an exercise mainly aimed at changing our ministerial life. However, Pope Francis' exhortation to transform everything with a mission-centered mindset is an invitation not only to the church, but a call for a radical change in our priorities, intentions and practices to become personally mission-oriented. What wisdom does this call to pastoral conversion contain for our Lenten journey as pastoral ministers?

In “Evangelii gaudium”, Pope Francis he notes that a "missionary option" is one that radically transforms everything. What Pope Francis recommends is not a quick solution, but a global process of discerning everything, considering whether it truly leads to a deeper relationship with Jesus Christ.

A Lent reinvented according to the call of Pope Francis to pastoral conversion it involves considering our current spiritual habits and practices, evaluating their fruitfulness, before adding new practices or subtracting others. After looking inside, Pope Francis' vision for pastoral conversion encourages us to look outside. He reminds us: "It is (it is) clear that the Gospel is not just about our personal relationship with God" (n. 180).

In other words, the pope calls us to take stock of our spiritual life not only as an exercise in itself, but to consider how our spiritual practices and habits form us to be in relationship with others and with God. Our spiritual practices inspire and prepare us to love and accompany others in our life and ministry? After reflecting and discerning, Pope Francis' call for pastoral conversion requires us to act. It reminds us that being on a mission implies “taking the first step” (n. 24). In our life and in our ministry, pastoral conversion requires that we take initiative and get involved.

In Matthew's Gospel, Jesus commands the church to make disciples, using the word "Go!" (Mt 28:19). Inspired by Jesus, Pope Francis encourages us to remember that evangelization is not a spectator sport; rather, we are sent as missionary disciples for the purpose of making missionary disciples. This Lent, let Pope Francis be your guide. Rather than giving up on chocolate and saying, "I've always done it this way," dream of a pastoral conversion that is capable of transforming everything in both your life and ministry.