Apostolic
Journey of the Pope to the
United States
of America
Meeting with young people and seminarians
Take courage! Fix your gaze on our Saints
Dear Young Friends,
[…] This evening I wish to share with you some thoughts
about being disciples of Jesus Christ -- walking in the Lord’s
footsteps, our own lives become a journey of hope.
In front of you are the images of six ordinary men and women
who grew up to lead extraordinary lives. […] Saint
Elizabeth Ann Seton, Saint Frances Xavier Cabrini, Saint
John Neumann, Blessed Kateri Tekakwitha, Venerable Pierre
Toussaint, and Padre Felix Varela: any one of us could be
among them, for there is no stereotype to this group, no
single mold. […] These six people laid open the way
of faith, hope and charity to countless individuals, including
perhaps your own ancestors.
And what of today? Who bears witness to the Good
News of Jesus on the streets of New York, in the troubled
neighborhoods of large cities, in the places where the
young gather, seeking someone in whom they can trust? God
is our origin and our destination, and Jesus the way. The
path of that journey twists and turns -- just as it did
for our saints -- through the joys and the trials of ordinary,
everyday life: within your families, at school or college,
during your recreation activities, and in your parish communities.
All these places are marked by the culture in which you
are growing up. As young Americans you are offered many
opportunities for personal development, and you are brought
up with a sense of generosity, service and fairness. Yet
you do not need me to tell you that there are also difficulties:
activities and mindsets which stifle hope, pathways which
seem to lead to happiness and fulfillment but in fact end
only in confusion and fear.
My own years as a teenager were marred by a sinister
regime that thought it had all the answers; its influence
grew – infiltrating schools and civic bodies,
as well as politics and even religion – before
it was fully recognized for the monster it was. It banished
God and thus became impervious to anything true and good. […]
Let us thank God that today many people of your generation
are able to enjoy the liberties which have arisen through
the extension of democracy and respect for human rights.
[…] The power to destroy does, however, remain.
To pretend otherwise would be to fool ourselves. Yet, it
never triumphs; it is defeated. This is the essence of the
hope that defines us as Christians; […] Just
a few weeks ago, during the beautiful Easter Vigil liturgy,
it was not from despair or fear that we cried out to God
for our world, but with hope-filled confidence: “Dispel
the darkness of our heart! Dispel the darkness of our minds!” (cf.
Prayer at the Lighting of the Easter Candle).
What might that darkness be? What happens when people, especially
the most vulnerable, encounter a clenched fist of repression
or manipulation rather than a hand of hope? A first
group of examples pertains to the heart. Here, the
dreams and longings that young people pursue can so easily
be shattered or destroyed. I am thinking of those affected
by drug and substance abuse, homelessness and poverty, racism,
violence, and degradation – especially of girls and
women. While the causes of these problems are complex, all
have in common a poisoned attitude of mind which
results in people being treated as mere objects - a callousness
of heart takes hold which first ignores, then ridicules,
the God-given dignity of every human being. […]
I encourage you to invite others, especially the vulnerable
and the innocent, to join you along the way of goodness and
hope.
The second area of darkness – that which affects
the mind – often goes unnoticed, and for
this reason is particularly sinister. The manipulation
of truth distorts our perception of reality, and tarnishes
our imagination and aspirations. […] The
fundamental importance of freedom must be It can
be misunderstood or misused so as to lead not to the happiness
that we all expect it to yield, but to a dark arena of
manipulation in which our understanding of self and the
world becomes confused, or even distorted by those who
have an ulterior agenda. Have you noticed how often the
call for freedom is made without ever referring to the
truth of the human person? Some today argue that respect
for freedom of the individual makes it wrong to seek truth,
including the truth about what is good. In some circles
to speak of truth is seen as controversial or divisive,
and consequently best kept in the private sphere. And
in truth’s place – or better said
its absence – an idea has spread which, in
giving value to everything indiscriminately, claims to
assure freedom and to liberate conscience. This we call
relativism. But what purpose has a “freedom” which,
in disregarding truth, pursues what is false or wrong?
How many young people have been offered a hand which in
the name of freedom or experience has led them to addiction,
to moral or intellectual confusion, to hurt, to a loss
of self-respect, even to despair and so tragically and
sadly to the taking of their own life? Dear friends,
truth is not an imposition. Nor is it simply a set of rules.
It is a discovery of the One who never fails us; the One
whom we can always trust. In seeking truth we come to live
by belief because ultimately truth is a person: Jesus Christ. […]
How then can we as believers help others to walk the path
of freedom which brings fulfillment and lasting happiness?
Let us again turn to the saints. How did their witness truly
free others from the darkness of heart and mind? The
answer is found in the kernel of their faith; the kernel
of our faith. […] At times, however,
we are tempted to close in on ourselves, to doubt the strength
of Christ’s radiance, to limit the horizon of hope.
Take courage! Fix your gaze on our saints. […] Let
your imaginations soar freely along the limitless expanse
of the horizons of Christian discipleship. Sometimes
we are looked upon as people who speak only of prohibitions.
Nothing could be further from the truth! Authentic
Christian discipleship is marked by a sense of wonder. […]
Dear friends, the example of the saints invites us, then,
to consider four essential aspects of the treasure
of our faith: Personal prayer and silence, liturgical prayer,
charity in action, and vocations.
What matters most is that you develop your personal relationship
with God. That relationship is expressed in prayer.
God by his very nature speaks, hears, and replies. […]
As the saints teach us so vividly, prayer becomes hope in
action. […]
There is another aspect of prayer which we need to remember: silent
contemplation. […] Have we perhaps lost
something of the art of listening? Do you leave space to
hear God’s whisper, calling you forth into goodness? Friends,
do not be afraid of silence or stillness, listen to God,
adore him in the Eucharist. Let his word shape
your journey as an unfolding of holiness.
In the liturgy we find the whole Church at prayer. […]
Through the liturgy, the “work of Jesus” is continually
brought into contact with history; with our lives in order
to shape them. Here we catch another glimpse of the grandeur
of our Christian faith. Whenever  you gather for Mass, when
you go to Confession, whenever you celebrate any of the sacraments,
Jesus is at work. […]
[…] The opportunities to make this journey are abundant.
Look about you with Christ’s eyes, listen with his
ears, feel and think with his heart and mind. Are you ready
to give all as he did for truth and justice? […] We
must respond with a renewed social action that stems from
the universal love that knows no bounds. […]
Dear young people, finally I wish to share a word
about vocations. First of all my thoughts go to
your parents, grandparents and godparents. They have been
your primary educators in the faith. By presenting you
for baptism, they made it possible for you to receive the
greatest gift of your life. […] Let us honor the
vocation of matrimony and the dignity of family life. Let
us always appreciate that it is in families that vocations
are given life.
Gathered here at Saint Joseph Seminary, I greet the seminarians
present and indeed encourage all seminarians throughout America.
I am glad to know that your numbers are increasing! The
People of God look to you to be holy priests, on a daily
journey of conversion, inspiring in others the desire
to enter more deeply into the ecclesial life of believers. I
urge you to deepen your friendship with Jesus the Good Shepherd.
Talk heart to heart with him. Reject any temptation
to ostentation, careerism, or conceit. Strive for a pattern
of life truly marked by charity, chastity and humility, in
imitation of Christ, the Eternal High Priest, of whom you
are to become living icons (cf. Pastores Dabo Vobis, 33).
[…]
Religious Sisters, Brothers and Priests contribute
greatly to the mission of the Church. Their prophetic
witness is marked by a profound conviction of the primacy
with which the Gospel shapes Christian life and transforms
society. […] Through the discovery of charisms,
which yield such a breadth of spiritual wisdom, I am sure
that some of you young people will be drawn to a life of
apostolic or contemplative service. Do not be shy to speak
with Religious Brothers, Sisters or Priests about the charism
and spirituality of their Congregation. […] Have
courage! You too can make your life a gift of self for
the love of the Lord Jesus and, in him, of every member
of the human family (cf. Vita Consecrata, 3).
Friends, again I ask you, what about today? What
are you seeking? What is God whispering to you? The hope
which never disappoints is Jesus Christ. The saints
show us the selfless love of his way. […] It is
from within the Church that you too will find the courage
and support to walk the way of the Lord. Nourished by personal
prayer, prompted in silence, shaped by the Church’s
liturgy you will discover the particular vocation God has
for you. Embrace it with joy. You are Christ’s disciples
today. Shine his light upon this great city and beyond.
Show the world the reason for the hope that resonates within
you. Tell others about the truth that sets you free.
©Revista HM º142 May/June 2008 |
