Pope Francis sent a message to an annual youth festival in Medjugorje, urging young people to allow encounter Jesus, especially in the Eucharist and confession.
The pope said that with this encounter, they can discover a new way to live, which is “different from the one offered by our shallow culture, according to which nothing can be definitive and the only thing that matters is enjoying the present moment.”
Pope Francis noted the theme of the festival at Medjugorje this year, an invitation from the Gospel: “Come and See.” This phrase is taken from the Gospel of John, when the first disciples ask Jesus where he is staying, and he replies to them, “Come and see.” The Evangelist remembers the details of that first encounter, reporting, “It was about 4 in the afternoon.”
Dear young people, have you met this gaze of Jesus who asks you: “What are you looking for?” Have you heard his voice saying to you: “Come and see”? Have you felt that urge to set off? Take the time to be with Jesus, to fill yourself with his Spirit and be ready for the fascinating adventure of life. Go to meet him, stay with him in prayer, trust in him who is an expert on the human heart.
“Do not be afraid!” Francis urged them. “Christ is alive and desires that each of you live. He is the true beauty and youth of this world.”
And Jesus renews us when we encounter Him. “We receive the mission to transmit this experience to others, while keeping our eyes fixed on Him.”
The Holy Father urged young people to take time to be with the Lord in prayer to discover the true adventure of life.
Pope Francis went on to reflect on how the Virgin Mary acts as a model for those who follow Jesus.
“Her ‘yes’,” he said, “involves putting ourselves on the line and taking a risk, without any guarantee besides the certainty of being bearers of a promise.”
Our Lady’s example, he added, shows us the beauty of life when we entrust ourselves freely to the hands of God. “May her example captivate and guide you!”
Pope Francis called on young Catholics to enrich the Church with their enthusiasm, intuition, and faith.
“I entrust you all to the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary, and I invoke the light and strength of the Spirit, so that you might be true witnesses to Christ.”
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And today we celebrate...