n
the shores of Lake Ontario, Pope John Paul II delivered a powerful message to
the young people gathered for World Youth Day.
“Be the salt of the earth… be the light of the world.”
The people involved in non-Catholic circles always wonder the
“appeal” of this Pope for the young people.
He is like a Grandpa for the Faith.
The only stable figure of religion that this young generation ever knew
in their growing years. The one who
believes in them, prays for them, and holds them in his heart.
The Pope said it in words and through his presence in Toronto.
He spoke: “I have imagined you on a journey, walking in the shadow of the Jubilee Cross, on this great youth pilgrimage… This aged Pope, full of years, but still young at heart… praises God and gives thanks to God for the gift bestowed on the Church through the World Youth Days… I have received the good news about all the initiatives that have marked your journey here. And often, even without having met you, I commended you one by one in my prayers to the Lord.”
Thirst for Happiness in the Real World
But Pope John Paul II did not stop at these words. He often spoke of his realistic approach to today’s society, the constant thirst for happiness in a world that promises lights contrary to the Gospel message. “You are young – said the Pope at his final Mass at World Youth Day – and the Pope is old and a bit tired. But he still fully identifies with your hopes and aspiration. Although I have lived through much darkness, under harsh totalitarian regimes, I have seen enough evidence to be unshakably convinced that no difficulty, no fear is so great that it can completely suffocate the hope that springs eternal in the hearts of the young.”
To the young people who are struggling to find hope and share their faith, he encouraged them in their path. “There is perhaps no darkness deeper than the darkness that enters young people’s souls when false prophets extinguish in them the light of faith and hope and love… The world you are inheriting is a world which desperately needs a new sense of love, family and human solidarity. It is a world which needs to be touched and healed by the beauty and richness of God’s love.” He mentions as a model St. Paul who was changed by that “light that blinded him, the persecutor of Christians, on the road to Damascus. When later he recovered his sight, nothing was as before. He had been born anew and nothing would ever take his new-found joy away from him.”
“The new Millennium – continued the Pope in his Saturday’s address – opened with two contrasting scenarios: one, the sight of multitudes of pilgrims coming to Rome during the Great Jubilee to pass through the Holy Door which is Christ, our Savior and Redeemer. And the other, the terrible terrorist attack on New York, an image that is a sort of icon of a world in which hostility and hatred seem to prevail.”
A Messenger of Hope
But Pope John Paul’s view of the world does not stop there. All of these realities can be overwhelming for a person, even more for youth. The Pope directs his message to the young people of the world and those gathered in Toronto, by reminding them of Christ Jesus. “Christ alone is the cornerstone on which it is possible to solidly build one’s existence. Only Christ – known, contemplated and loved – is the faithful friend who never lets us down, who becomes our traveling companion, and whose words warm our hearts… Jesus – the intimate friend of every young person – has the words of life… Christ has the answer to your desire for happiness.” The Pope’s message seems simple, but it cuts to the heart. Those half million young people (some say more) reconfirmed their faith and trust in Jesus alone, who is forever “the light of all nations.”
The
challenge of mission
Once you know Christ, told the Holy Father, then your commitment follows. Over and over again the young people received a challenge to commit their lives to Christ, an urgent call “to choose between life and death, between truth and falsehood. Listen to the voice of Jesus in the depths of your hearts! His words tell you who you are as Christians. They tell you what you must do to remain in his love… Following Jesus, you have to change and improve the ‘taste’ of human history. With your faith, hope and love, with your intelligence, courage and perseverance, you have to humanize the world we live in… If you love Jesus, love the Church! Do not be discouraged by the sins and failings of some of its members. Think of the vast majority of dedicated and generous priests and religious whose only wish is to serve and do good! Be close to them and support them! And if, in the depths of your hearts, you feel the same call to the priesthood or consecrated life, do not be afraid to follow Christ on the royal road of the Cross!… Holiness is not a question of age; it is a matter of living in the Holy Spirit, just as Kateri Tekakwitha and so many other young people have done… May the enthusiasm of this moment be the spark that is needed to launch a new era of powerful witness to the Gospel!… Do not wait until you are older in order to set out on the path of holiness! Holiness is always youthful, just as eternal is the youthfulness of God.”
“The aspiration that humanity nurtures – spoke the Pope at Saturday’s evening prayer service – amid countless injustices and sufferings, is the hope of a new civilization marked by freedom and peace. But for such an undertaking, a new generation of builders is needed. Moved not by fear or violence but by the urgency of genuine love, Christians must learn to build, brick by brick, the city of God within the city of humankind. Allow me, dear young people, to consign this hope of mine to you: you must be those builders! You are the men and women of tomorrow. The future is in your hearts and in your hands. God is entrusting to you the task, at once difficult and uplifting, of working with God in the building of the civilization of love.” In the words of Matthew 5:16, the Pope reminds the young people to “let your light shine before others, that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.”
An Universal Church
The events of Toronto’s World Youth Days are over, but the spirit is very much alive. We have seen the youth, for the first time at WYD, doing some practical works of charity and caring for the unfortunate. The impressive Stations of the Cross acted out in downtown Toronto were a great witness of the vitality, creativity and dynamic spirit of these youth. “In you, gathered from the four corners of the world, the Church sees its future and feels the call to the youthfulness with which the Holy Spirit always enriches the Church” reminded Pope John Paul II. The gathering of youthful nations, such as the one experienced in Toronto, make us aware of the diverse gifts and different languages of the Church. Thank God for these great gifts! Now the work starts, as they go into the word and proclaim the Gospel of Jesus. As the beautiful theme song express it: may they be “Light of the world! Salt of the earth! Be for the world the face of Love! Be for the earth the reflection of God’s light.”
(From Xaverian News)