10 - Vaticano

614
Acta Apostolicae Sedis – Commentarium Officiale
of its citizens and offers them guidance and protection in the face of their
weakness and fragility. Do not be afraid to take up this service to your
brothers and sisters, and to the future of your beloved nation.
Saint Ninian, whose feast we celebrate today, was himself unafraid to be a
lone voice. In the footsteps of the disciples whom our Lord sent forth before
him, Ninian was one of the very first Catholic missionaries to bring his fellow
Britons the good news of Jesus Christ. His mission church in Galloway became
a centre for the first evangelization of this country. That work was later
taken up by Saint Mungo, Glasgow’s own patron, and by other saints, the
greatest of whom must include Saint Columba and Saint Margaret. Inspired
by them, many men and women have laboured over many centuries to hand
downthe faith to you. Strive to be worthy of this great tradition! Let the
exhortation of Saint Paul in the first reading be your constant inspiration:
“Do not lag in zeal, be ardent in spirit, serve the Lord. Rejoice in hope, be
patient in suffering and persevere in prayer”. 5
I would now like to address a special word to the bishops of Scotland.
Dear brothers, let me encourage you in your pastoral leadership of the Catholics
of Scotland. As you know, one of your first pastoral duties is to your
priests 6 and to their sanctification. As they are alter Christus to the Catholic
community, so you are to them. Live to the full the charity that flows from
Christ, inyour brotherly ministry towards your priests, collaborating with
them all, and in particular with those who have little contact with their
fellow priests. Pray with them for vocations, that the Lord of the harvest
will send labourers to his harvest. 7 Just as the Eucharist makes the Church,
so the priesthood is central to the life of the Church. Engage yourselves
personally in forming your priests as a body of men who inspire others to
dedicate themselves completely to the service of Almighty God. Have a care
also for your deacons, whose ministry of service is associated in a particular
way with that of the order of bishops. Be a father and a guide in holiness for
them, encouraging them to grow in knowledge and wisdom in carrying out
the missionof herald to which they have beencalled.
Dear priests of Scotland, you are called to holiness and to serve God’s
people by modelling your lives on the mystery of the Lord’s cross. Preach the
Gospel with a pure heart and a clear conscience. Dedicate yourselves to God
5
Cfr. Rom 12:11-12.
6
Cfr. Presbyterorum Ordinis, 7.
7
Cfr. Lk 10:2.