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                               VIS-Press releases

PURIFICATION AND CONFIGURATION WITH CHRIST

VATICAN CITY, 3 NOV 2010 (VIS) - In today's general audience, which was held in
the Paul VI Hall, the Pope dedicated his attention to Margaret d'Oingt, who was
born in 1240 "to a powerful family of old Lyonese nobility".

From her writings, said the Pope, "we learn that she entered the Carthusian
convent of Poleteins in response to the Lord's call, abandoning everything and
accepting the severe Carthusian rule in order to be completely and always with
the Lord".

"We know that in 1288 she became the fourth prioress, a position she held until
her death on 11 February 1310. Her writings reveal no particular details of her
spiritual itinerary. She conceived of life as a journey of purification leading
to full configuration with Christ. He is the book that must be written and
inscribed into one's heart and life every day, especially His salvific
passion".

"Through her writings, Margaret offers us some glimpses of her spirituality,
enabling us to comprehend certain traits of her personality and her gifts of
leadership. ... She lived a life rich in mystical experiences which she
described with simplicity, hinting at the ineffable mystery of God while
underlining the limits of the mind to understand it and of the human tongue to
express it".

"In the dynamism of her mystical life, Margaret particularly appreciated the
experience of the natural affections, purified by grace, as a privileged means
for a deeper understanding and a more ready acceptance of divine action. ...
The Triune God, the God love which is revealed in Christ, fascinated her, and
Margaret experienced a relationship of profound love towards the Lord. By
contrast, she was also aware of human ingratitude and baseness, even unto the
paradox of the cross".

Benedict XVI concluded by encouraging people to follow Margaret of Oingt's
invitation "to meditate daily on Jesus' life of pain and love, and that of His
Mother, Mary. This is where our hope, the meaning of our existence, lies. From
the contemplation of Christ's love for us arise the strength and the joy to
respond with the same love, placing our lives at the service of God and of
others".
AG/VIS 20101103 (370)

SUMMARY

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