Meeting with the Collaborators of the Sanctuary of Fatima (13 May 1982)

On Thursday, 13 May 1982, the Holy Father met with the Collaborators of the Sanctuary of Fatima. In his address, the Pope said, “I know well, from first-hand experience, the value of your services and dedication, to assist and help pilgrims feel at ease in this blessed place. But I know and appreciate even more what you consciously or unconsciously do with generosity and sacrifice, to offer the opportunity for an encounter of love, through the heavenly Mother, with the Father who is in heaven, and to reinvigorate, in the heart of every pilgrim, the faith and the Christian meaning of life.”

Beloved brothers and sisters in the Lord.

1. A word of great sympathy and appreciation rises from my heart for all of you, Little Servants of our Lady of Fatima, and other collaborators in the assistance given to pilgrims here; and also for you, workers who have given your commitment here, for the works of this imposing complex. It seems to me that something would have been missing from the profound and unforgettable joy of my pilgrimage to Fatima if you had not said a heartfelt, stimulating and cordial "welcome!".

The celebration of Holy Mass this morning revived in me the grateful memory of many other pilgrimages in which I had the joy of taking part, in my homeland - to the Sanctuary of Jasna Góra and Chestochowa, above all - and in my apostolic visits across the world - from Guadalupe to Fatima.

I know well, from first-hand experience, the value of your services and dedication, to assist and help pilgrims feel at ease in this blessed place. But I know and appreciate even more what you consciously or unconsciously do with generosity and sacrifice, to offer the opportunity for an encounter of love, through the heavenly Mother, with the Father who is in heaven, and to reinvigorate, in the heart of every pilgrim, the faith and the Christian meaning of life. Often from here arises a new encounter with oneself and a growth in docility to the voice of the most holy Mary, whose maternal appeals always converge in "do whatever he (Christ) tells you" ( Jn 2:5). And how many, and how many, thanks to your intervention and interest, return willing to follow paths that are new or forgotten for them, of penance, prayer, honesty, goodness, justice and grace.

2. Filially devoted to our Lady, you are also instruments of merciful God, serving your brothers, especially the sick and the most needy; and this for your good, since you are listening to the Word of the Master, in the perspective of "eternal life": "As often as you did these things to one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did it to me" ( Mt 25, 40). And again, with your concrete gestures of humanity and charity, you are doing the work of evangelization: and "the Good News is proclaimed to the poor" ( Lk 7, 22).

Don't believe, certainly otherwise: the Good News must be proclaimed, first of all, with testimony, made up of the ability to understand and welcome; with the irradiation, in an absolutely simple and spontaneous way, of faith in values ​​that are above current values ​​and of hope in something that is neither visible nor possible to imagine. By virtue of this demonstration of love, without words, the questions will certainly not fail to emerge in the hearts of those who see your "good works": why are they and do this? What is it - or who is it - that inspires them and leads them to be full of goodness (cf. Paul VI, Evangelii Nuntiandi , 21)?

May God continue to allow yourselves to be enlightened by this "reason for the hope that is within you" ( 1 Pt 3, 15) and may it be this that gives you courage to carry forward, with serenity, joy and love, the tasks that you have generously accepted, as a way of living the Christian condition, and ensure that they are transformed into filial homage to the Mother of God and our Mother. 3. And to you, my brother workers, I wish to say: for what you are and what you represent here, rest assured that the Pope esteems you very much; the Pope, you know well, represents Christ the Savior, who did not disdain - indeed, on the contrary - and with all love put into practice, in his works, the "Gospel", the Word of eternal Wisdom, which is also " Gospel of work", because he "who proclaimed this "Gospel" was himself a man of work, of artisan work" as a carpenter (cf. John Paul II, Laborem Exercens , 26).

You know that, a short time ago, I wrote a long letter - an encyclical - on human work, in which you can see the value that I, in my mission, give to work, and above all to all the people who work, mainly when they do it with their hearts turned to God, aware that they are continuing and collaborating in the creative work that he, in his goodness, wants to do for us. Therefore, as a reminder of this brief meeting of ours, as a pledge of friendship that I would like to always be maintained between us, because God is our good Father and in Christ we are all brothers, I leave you this thought.

As you earn sustenance for yourself and your families, always remember that God sees you; exercise your activity as one who collaborates in the perfecting of divine creation, as one who makes a personal contribution to the realization of God's plans in history. Therefore, glorify God, always, by offering him your work, transforming it into charity and service to the society of which you are part. Your work is important, not only for earthly progress, but also for the kingdom of God, for which we have all been called, and in which I hope you will have a part, now in time and forever in heaven.

I pray for you and I hope that it will be the same on your part; I implore for all of you - through the intercession of our Lady of Fatima - the most abundant graces of goodness, serenity and life in Christ. And with these sentiments I wholeheartedly impart to you and through you to all those dear to you the apostolic blessing.
 

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