Vatican City, 5 July 2014 (VIS) –
Pope Francis arrived at the Shrine of Our Lady of Sorrows at
Castelpetroso shortly after 3 p.m. to meet with the young of the
diocese of Abruzzo and Molise. He prayed in the sanctuary for a short
while, before proceeding to the forecourt to address the thousands of
young people present, whom he thanked for their contagious enthusiasm
and the festive atmosphere they had created.
“You are open … to hope and
desirous of fullness, with the wish to give meaning to your future,
to your entire life, to discern the right path for each one of you
and to choose the road that brings you serenity and human fulfilment.
… On the one hand, you are seeking that which truly counts, that
remains stable in time and is definitive, you are seeking answers
that enlighten your mind and warm your heart, not only for the
duration of a morning or for a short portion of your path, but for
ever. On the other hand, you feel a strong fear of making mistakes,
the fear of being too involved in things, the temptation always to
leave open a little escape route, that may always leave the way open
to new scenarios and possibilities”.
“Contemporary society and its
predominant cultural models – the culture of the provisional –
does not offer a suitable climate for the formation of stable life
choices, with solid bonds, built on a rock of love and responsibility
rather than the sand of the emotions of the moment”, said Francis.
“The aspiration to individual autonomy reaches the point of always
putting everything in discussion and with relative ease breaking
important and long-meditated decisions, life paths taken freely with
commitment and dedication. This promotes superficiality in the
assumption of responsibilities, since in the depths of the heart they
risk becoming considered as something from which one can in any case
be freed. Today I'll choose this, tomorrow I'll choose the other ….
when my enthusiasm runs out I'll take a different route. And in this
way our lives turn in one direction and another, like a maze. Stop!
Look for the thread to find your way out of the labyrinth; you can't
waste your life turning here and there”.
“However, the human heart aspires to
great things, to important values, to profound friendships, bonds
that are strengthened rather than broken by the trials of life. Human
beings aspire to be loved, and to be loved definitively. Do not let
yourselves be robbed of the desire to construct great and solid
things in your lives! Do not be satisfied with half-measures! Aspire
to happiness, have the courage to come out of yourselves, to play out
fully your future together with Jesus”.
“We cannot do this alone. Under the
pressure of events and fashions, alone we will never manage to find
the right way, and even if we tried, we would not have enough
strength to persevere, to face the uphill struggles and obstacles in
our way. And here there enters the Lord Jesus' invitation to us: 'If
you want … follow me'. He invites us and accompanies us along the
way. … He loves us definitively, He has chosen us definitively, He
gave Himself definitely to each one of us. … How good it is to be
able to face the vicissitudes of existence in the company of Jesus,
to be able to count on His Person and His message! He does not
deprive us of our autonomy or freedom; on the contrary, strengthening
us in our frailty, he enables us to be truly free, free to do good,
strong enough to continue to do so, able to forgive and able to ask
forgiveness”.
He continued, “A phrase I like to
repeat, because we often forget, is: 'God never tires of forgiving'.
He forgives definitively, he cancels and forgets our sin if we turn
to Him with humility and trust. He helps us not to be discouraged in
difficulties, and not to consider them insurmountable; and so,
trusting in Him, you will cast your nets anew and obtain a surprising
and abundant catch; you will have courage and hope also in facing the
difficulties that result from the effects of the economic crisis.
Courage and hope are gifts for all, but they belong in a special way
to the young. The future is certainly in God's hands. This does not
mean denying difficulties or problems, but rather to see them as
temporary and surmountable. Difficulties and crises, with God's help
and the good will of all, can be overcome, vanquished, and
transformed”.
“I would not like to finish without
saying a few words on a problem that affects you as you experience it
in your current life: unemployment. … We cannot resign ourselves to
losing a generation of young people who do not have the dignity of
work! … A generation without work is a future defeat for the
country and for humanity. … We must fight against this, and help
each other to find a solution, through help and solidarity. …
Solidarity is a Christian word, which means forging ahead alongside
one's brother to help and to overcome problems. Be courageous, with
hope and solidarity”.
The Pope concluded by commenting that
the Basilica of Our Lady of Sorrows was built in the place where two
young girls saw the Virgin Mary while they were working in the
fields. “Mary is a mother, and always comes to our assistance when
we work and when we seek work, when we have clear ideas and when we
are confused, when prayer comes spontaneously and when the heart is
arid. Mary is the Mother of God, our mother, and mother of the
Church”.
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