Sunday morning
in Rio, Pope Francis celebrated the Mass that closed the events of the World
Youth Day 2013. There were 3 million people present for the Mass on Copacabana
Beach. Most of these were young people aged under 35. There is no official
translation yet available, That will come in a few hours. But here is a general
summary of the key points made by the pope in his homily.
Jesus calls you to be a disciple on a mission!
Today, in light of the Word of God we have heard, what does the Lord say? What does
the Lord say? Three words: Go, without fear, to
serve.
GO
These days, here in Rio, you had a beautiful
experience, an encounter with Jesus and an opportunity to be together. You have
experienced the joy of faith. But the experience of this meeting cannot stay
locked up in your life or in a small group of the parish. It would be like
taking the oxygen from a flame that burns.
Be careful, though! Jesus did not say, if you want,
if you have time, go, but he said: "Go and make disciples of all nations."
Sharing the experience of faith, witness to the faith we proclaim the Gospel is
the mandate that the Lord has entrusted to the whole Church. It is a command
which is not born of the desire to dominate, but by the power of love, the fact
that Jesus first came among us and gave us all of Himself. He gave His life to
save us and show us the love and the mercy of God. Jesus does not treat us as
slaves, but as free people, as friends, as brothers and sisters, and not only
sends us, but with us, it is always beside us in this mission of love.
Where does Jesus send us? There are no boundaries,
no limits: Jesus sends us everywhere. The Gospel is for all and not for some.
It is not just for those that seem closer, more receptive, more welcoming, but
for everyone. Do not be afraid to go and bring Christ to every situation, to
the suburbs (this is essential), even to those who seem more distant, more
indifferent. The Lord wants everyone to feel the warmth of His mercy and His
love.
FEARLESS
Some might think: "I have no special
preparation, how can I go and preach the Gospel?". Dear friend, your fear
is not very different from that of Jeremiah. We have just heard in the reading,
when he was called by God to be a prophet. "Ah, Lord God! I cannot speak,
because I am young. " God says to you what he said to Jeremiah, "Do
not be afraid [...], for I am with you to deliver you" (Jer 1,7.8). God is with us!
"Do not be afraid." When we go to
proclaim Christ, it is God himself who goes before us and guide us. In sending
his disciples on mission, he promised: "I am with you always" (Mt 28:20). And this is true for us too! Jesus never leaves
anyone alone! Jesus is always with us.
Then Jesus did not simply say, "Go" but
"Go" together. Dear young people, you feel the company of the whole
Church and the communion of saints in this mission. When we face challenges
together, then we are strong, we discover resources that we did not know we
had. Jesus did not call the Apostles to live in isolation. He called them to
form a group, a community.
I want to speak to you, dear priests who
concelebrated this Eucharist with me: you came to accompany your young people,
to share their experience of faith! Certainly we have all been rejuvinated. But
this is only one step of the way. Please continue to accompany them with
generosity and joy. Help them to engage actively in the Church; never feel
alone! Here I would like to thank the groups of youth movements and new
communities that accompany young people in their experience of being Church, so
creative and so daring. Go ahead and do not be afraid!
SERVE
The last word: to serve. At the beginning of the
Psalm we have proclaimed these words: "Sing to the Lord a new
song" (Psalm 95.1). What is this
new song? There are no words, there is a melody, but it is the song of your
life. It means to let our lives be identified with that of Jesus. To have his
feelings, his thoughts, and his actions. And the life of Jesus is a life for
others. It is a life of service.
In the reading we have just heard, St Paul said:
"I have made myself a slave to everyone, to win as many" (1 Cor 9:19). To proclaim Jesus, Paul made himself a
"servant of all." To evangelize is to witness firsthand the love of
God, It means to overcome our selfishness, is to serve chinandoci to wash the
feet of our brothers as Jesus did.
Dear young people, in
returning to your homes do not be afraid to be generous with Christ, to bear
witness to his Gospel. In the first reading when God sends the prophet
Jeremiah, God gives him the power to "uproot and tear down, to destroy and
to overthrow, to build and to plant" (Jer 1:10). This is also true for you as you return home.
Bringing the Gospel is to bring the power of God to uproot and destroy the evil
and violence to destroy and break down the barriers of selfishness, intolerance
and hatred, to build a new world.
Dear young people, Jesus Christ is counting on you!
The Church depends on you! The Pope is counting on you! Mary, Mother of Jesus
and our Mother, always accompany you with her tenderness: "Go therefore
and make disciples of all nations." Amen.
Video news links
No comments:
Post a Comment