Co-redeemers

My daughters and sons, I am referring to our obligation – caritas Christi urget nos²⁰ – to help Christ our Lord in his divine task as Redeemer of all souls. This task was accomplished when Jesus died in the shame and in the glory of the Cross – Iudaeis quidem scandalum, gentibus autem stultitiam (1 Cor 1:23), a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles – and will continue by God’s will until the hour of the Lord’s coming.

Apostolate is the onus et honor of all Christians

This obligation holds for all Christians. And by a very special title, namely the calling we have received, for God’s children in his Work it is onus et honor, a duty and an honour. The Lord asks us to bring him to everyone who crosses our path, with our exemplary conduct and with a constant apostolate of giving doctrine. You have to do this apostolate in and from your own professional work and in your own state.

Example in all fields of work

In our apostolic efforts we cannot allow ourselves to fall into any partialities for individuals, nor can we exclude any human activity. Any upright occupation, any honourable position will be an opportunity for us to seek holiness. Moreover, it will be a most efficacious means of apostolate and enable us to draw other souls sincerely and generously to seek sanctity in the middle of the world.

For this reason I stated before, and I now repeat, that you have to set a good example and so bear witness to Jesus Christ in all fields of human activity, to which you must bring the good seed you have received. In this way you will be God’s sowers, you will be salt that seasons souls who have not yet tasted the Gospel message or have forgotten its taste, and you will be light which illumines those who lie in the darkness of error or ignorance.

In all fields where men and women work, I insist, you also have to be present with the wonderful spirit of service of the followers of Jesus Christ, who came not to be served but to serve (Matt 20:28). It would be a very grave error to abandon imprudently the public life of nations, where you will act as the ordinary citizens that you are and with personal freedom and personal responsibility.