” ““The priest must be, above all, a man of prayer”, the only antidote to the “frantic activism” today’s world is affected by. This was said by the Pope who, at Chrismal Mass of Maundy Thursday, also briefly outlined the lifestyle which prevails today: “The world, in its frantic activism he said often loses its bearings. Its actions and its abilities become destructive, if the forces of prayer dwindle away as it is from them that spring the waters of life, which fertilise dry soil”. “Simple activism specified the Pope can even be heroic. But external action, after all, remains fruitless and loses its effectiveness, unless it is borne of a deep intimate communion with Christ. The time we spend in this is really a time of pastoral activity, of truly pastoral activity”. “That’s the only way for us to serve our priestly service, that’s the only way for us to take Christ and His Gospel to men”, exclaimed the Pope, who, amidst the spiritual practices, recommended the “lectio divina”, which means “reading the Holy Writs, not in an academic way, but in a spiritual manner”, to learn “how to encounter the present Jesus who speaks to us”. “We must reason and reflect on His words and His actions before Him and with Him”, is the recommendation of the Holy Father, according to whom “reading the Holy Writs is prayer, must be prayer must come from prayer and lead to prayer”.
