The words of the Pope during the World Youth Day still reverberate with emotion. He didn’t speak a lot, and his addresses were always short. In spite of that, he touched the core of the Christian message and touched the hearts and minds of many young people, who welcomed him and with him gave witness to Jesus Christ.
I just want to point out some of the main themes, which the Pope referred to:
· The search for truth and love
“Dear young people, do not be satisfied with anything less than Truth and Love, do not be content with anything less than Christ.” (Vigil address)
· God’s great love
“Yes, dear friends, God loves us. This is the great truth of our life; it is what makes everything else meaningful. We are not the product of blind chance or absurdity; instead our life originates as part of a loving plan of God.” (Vigil address)
· The universal significance of Christ, the Saviour
“We need to speak with courage and humility of the universal significance of Christ as the Saviour of humanity and the source of hope for our lives.” (Vigil address)
“Make Christ, the Son of God, the centre of your life.” (Mass address)
· THE CROSS OF JESUS CHRIST
o God’s true wisdom
“The mystery of Christ’s glorious Cross, wherein is found God’s true wisdom which judges the world and judges those who consider themselves wise (cf. 1 Cor 1:17-19).
o Christ’s love
“Christ loved me and gave himself for me” (Gal 2:20). In the face of such disinterested love, we find ourselves asking, filled with wonder and gratitude: What can we do for him? What response shall we give him?”
o We must carry the sufferings of the world
“Saint John puts it succinctly: “By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us; and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren” (1 Jn 3:16). Christ’s passion urges us to take upon our own shoulders the sufferings of the world”.
o The cross is not a sign of failure
“The Cross was not a sign of failure, but an expression of self-giving in love that extends even to the supreme sacrifice of one’s life. (…) The Cross, by its shape and its meaning, represents this love of both the Father and the Son for men.”(Address in the Way of the Cross)
· Keep alive the friendship with Jesus
“Dear young people, if you wish to discover and to live faithfully the form of life to which the Lord is calling each of you, you must remain in his love as his friends. And how do we preserve friendship except through frequent contact, conversation, being together in good times and bad? Saint Teresa of Jesus used to say that prayer is just such “friendly contact, often spending time alone with the one who we know loves us” (cf. Autobiography, 8).
And so I now ask you to “abide” in the adoration of Christ, truly present in the Eucharist.” (Vigil address)
· In communion with the Church
“But let me also remind you that following Jesus in faith means walking at his side in the communion of the Church. We cannot follow Jesus on our own. Anyone who would be tempted to do so “on his own”, or to approach the life of faith with kind of individualism so prevalent today, will risk never truly encountering Jesus, or will end up following a counterfeit Jesus.” (Mass address)
· Participate in the life of your parishes
“Growing in friendship with Christ necessarily means recognizing the importance of joyful participation in the life of your parishes, communities and movements, as well as the celebration of Sunday Mass, frequent reception of the sacrament of Reconciliation, and the cultivation of personal prayer and meditation on God’s word.” (Mass address)
· Faith – a personal relationship with Jesus
“Faith does not simply provide information about who Christ is; rather, it entails a personal relationship with Christ, a surrender of our whole person, with all our understanding, will and feelings, to God’s self-revelation.” (Mass address)
· Bear witness! Share your faith
“Friendship with Jesus will also lead you to bear witness to the faith wherever you are, even when it meets with rejection or indifference. We cannot encounter Christ and not want to make him known to others. So do not keep Christ to yourselves! Share with others the joy of your faith. The world needs the witness of your faith, it surely needs God.” (Mass address)
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