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Caritas Christi Urget Nos

St. Francis Xavier is often depicted with his heart on fire, demonstrating the consuming love for Christ that drove his missionary efforts in which he claimed more that 30,000 souls for Christ through the saving waters of Baptism. On our pilgrimage today as we visited the monasteries of Meteora, we saw how the consuming fire of Christ drove countless men and women, not to foreign lands where the Name of Christ was scarcely known, but to solitude.

The light rain dampened the rock faces as we climbed these cliffs on the same journey that the men and women of these monasteries have made through the centuries, the journey to be close to God. Cut into the rock faces of these cliffs are small caves where the members of these monasteries have sought to be close to God. Looking out from the top of the cliffs, we saw the work of these monasteries, their prayers ascending to God for the people living in the valley below. In the Orthodox Church, the monasteries of Meteora are second in importance only to the monasteries of Mt. Athos.

The town of Kalambaka as seen from the Holy Monastery of St. Stephen

Today, when the name of Christ is likewise scarcely known throughout the world, this dual nature of our calling as Christians is no less important. We are called to spread the Gospel and baptize nations, but in his Epistles, Paul constantly reminds us that we are also called to continual conversion, conforming our lives to the life of Christ. Once the Name of Christ has been preached, we need to be confirmed in Him. The work of these men and women in the 12 monasteries of Meteora have been crucial through the centuries as they fulfill the work that St. Paul has called us to, to pray without ceasing and to pray for each other.

12/3/25: The pilgrims on a cliff with several of the monasteries of Meteora in the background

After lunch we headed to an icon workshop, where we learned the process of writing icons. Here we were reminded again how we are called to allow the light of Christ shine so brightly through us that the world can see the windows of heaven opened. My hope for each of us, my dear readers, is that with these men and women who seek the face of Christ in the holy monasteries of Meteora and with St. Francis Xavier, we might live our lives in such a way that we might say: “Caritas Christi urget nos,” – the love of Christ compels us! 

-Fred Tucker, Archdiocese of Seattle

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