Pope: Youth, be missionaries of joy
Vatican City (AsiaNews) -
"Be missionaries of Joy": this is the task that Benedict XVI has
entrusted to youth in the message released today on the occasion of the XXVII
World Youth Day to be celebrated on April 1, 2012, Palm Sunday at a diocesan level.
The
joy of which the Pope writes is the true one, that "comes from God."
Commenting
on the theme of the Day, taken by an exhortation of the St. Paul's Letter to the Philippians: "Rejoice in the Lord always " (4.4), the Pope writes that "a
yearning for joy lurks within the heart of every man and woman. Far more than
immediate and fleeting feelings of satisfaction, our hearts seek a perfect,
full and lasting joy capable of giving "flavour" to our existence. This is
particularly true for you, because youth is a time of continuous discovery of
life, of the world, of others and of ourselves. It is a time of openness to the
future and of great longing for happiness, friendship, sharing and truth, a
time when we are moved by high ideals and make great plans. " "
Each day is filled with countless simple joys which are the Lord's gift: the
joy of living, the joy of seeing nature's beauty, the joy of a job well done,
the joy of helping others, the joy of sincere and pure love ".
"Yet
each day we also face any number of difficulties. Deep down we also worry about
the future; we begin to wonder if the full and lasting joy for which we long
might be an illusion and an escape from reality. Many young people ask
themselves: is perfect joy really possible? The quest for joy can follow
various paths, and some of these turn out to be mistaken, if not dangerous. How
can we distinguish things that give real and lasting joy from immediate and
illusory pleasures? How can we find true joy in life, a joy that endures and
does not forsake us at moments of difficulty? ".
"Whatever
brings us true joy, whether the small joys of each day or the greatest joys in
life, has its source in God, even if this does not seem immediately obvious. This
is because God is a communion of eternal love, he is infinite joy that does not
remain closed in on itself, but expands to embrace all whom God loves and who
love him. God created us in his image out of love, in order to shower his love
upon us and to fill us with his presence and grace. "
"God's
infinite love for each of us is fully seen in Jesus Christ. The joy we are
searching for is to be found in him. We see in the Gospel how the events at the
beginning of Jesus' life are marked by joy.. "It
's the joy of the Lord is feeling the love of God that can transform the whole
life and bring healing." And
we are '" being offered the joy of salvation. Christ is the One who lives
and who overcame evil, sin and death. He is present among us as the Risen One
and he will remain with us until the end of the world (cf. Mt 28:20). Evil does
not have the last word in our lives; rather, faith in Christ the Saviour tells
us that God's love is victorious.. "
At
this point we wonder: "How do we receive and maintain this gift of deep,
spiritual joy?" One of the Psalms tells us: "Find your delight in the Lord who
will give you your heart's desire" (Ps 37:4).
"Seek joy in the Lord: for joy is the fruit of faith. It is being
aware of his presence and friendship every day: "the Lord is near!" (Phil 4:5).
It is putting our trust in God, and growing in his knowledge and love. Shortly
we shall begin the "Year of Faith", and this will help and encourage us. Dear
friends, learn to see how God is working in your lives and discover him hidden
within the events of daily life. Believe that he is always faithful to the
covenant which he made with you on the day of your Baptism. Know that God will
never abandon you. Turn your eyes to him often. He gave his life for you on the
cross because he loves you. Contemplation of this great love brings a hope and
joy to our hearts that nothing can destroy. Christians can never be sad, for
they have met Christ, who gave his life for them."
Joy,
writes Benedict XVI "is intimately linked to love: two are inseparable
fruits of the Holy Spirit (cf. Gal 5.23). Love produces joy, and joy is a form
of love." "
In every area of your life, you should know that to love means to be steadfast,
reliable and faithful to commitments. This applies most of all to friendship.
Our friends expect us to be sincere, loyal and faithful because true love
perseveres even in times of difficulty. The same thing can be said about your
work and studies and the services you carry out. Fidelity and perseverance in
doing good brings joy, even if not always immediately.. "
"
In every area of your life, you should know that to love means to be steadfast,
reliable and faithful to commitments. This applies most of all to friendship.
Our friends expect us to be sincere, loyal and faithful because true love
perseveres even in times of difficulty. The same thing can be said about your
work and studies and the services you carry out. Fidelity and perseverance in
doing good brings joy, even if not always immediately. In every area of your
life, you should know that to love means to be steadfast, reliable and faithful
to commitments. This applies most of all to friendship. Our friends expect us
to be sincere, loyal and faithful because true love perseveres even in times of
difficulty. The same thing can be said about your work and studies and the
services you carry out. Fidelity and perseverance in doing good brings joy,
even if not always immediately".
"
Let me remind you of a third element that will lead you to the joy of love. It
is allowing fraternal love to grow in your lives and in those of your
communities. There is a close bond between communion and joy".
But,
the Pope continues, " xperiencing real joy also means recognizing the
temptations that lead us away from it. Our present-day culture often pressures
us to seek immediate goals, achievements and pleasures. It fosters fickleness
more than perseverance, hard work and fidelity to commitments. The messages it
sends push a consumerist mentality and promise false happiness. Experience
teaches us that possessions do not ensure happiness. How many people are
surrounded by material possessions yet their lives are filled with despair,
sadness and emptiness! To have lasting joy we need to live in love and truth. We
need to live in God. God wants us to be happy. That is why he gave us specific
directions for the journey of life: the commandments. If we observe them, we
will find the path to life and happiness. At first glance, they might seem to
be a list of prohibitions and an obstacle to our freedom. But if we study them
more closely, we see in the light of Christ's message that the commandments are
a set of essential and valuable rules leading to a happy life in accordance
with God's plan. How often, on the other hand, do we see that choosing to build
our lives apart from God and his will brings disappointment, sadness and a
sense of failure. The experience of sin, which is the refusal to follow God and
an affront to his friendship, brings gloom into our hearts. At times the path
of the Christian life is not easy, and being faithful to the Lord's love presents
obstacles; occasionally we fall. Yet God in his mercy never abandons us; he
always offers us the possibility of returning to him, being reconciled with him
and experiencing the joy of his love which forgives and welcomes us back".
"Christianity
- the message concludes - is sometimes
depicted as a way of life that stifles our freedom and goes against our desires
for happiness and joy. But this is far from the truth. Christians are men and
women who are truly happy because they know that they are not alone. They know
that God is always holding them in his hands. It is up to you, young followers
of Christ, to show the world that faith brings happiness and a joy which is
true, full and enduring. If the way Christians live at times appears dull and
boring, you should be the first to show the joyful and happy side of faith. The
Gospel is the "good news" that God loves us and that each of us is important to
him. Show the world that this is true! "
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10/06/2019 14:54
