Pope to youth: Be part of Jesus’
revolution of tenderness
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| Pope Francis meeting with young people in Vinius, Lithuania.(Vatican Media) |
Pope Francis encounters young people in Vilnius, telling
them to never give up when faced with difficulties and to be part of Jesus’
revolution of tenderness.
By Lydia O’Kane
“Your lives are not a piece of theatre; they are real and
concrete”. Those were the words of Pope Francis on Saturday to young people
gathered in Cathedral Square in the Lithuanian capital Vilnius. He explained to
them that, “if life were a piece theatre or a video game, it would be limited
to a precise time, and have a beginning and an end, when the curtain falls or
one team wins the game.” But, the Pope added, “life measures time differently;
it follows God’s heartbeat.”
Never give up
Having heard the testimonies of two young people, Monica and
Jonas, the Holy Father told the youth present, that there are times “when you
think you are falling apart, fires from which you think you can never rebuild.”
But, he continued, “think of all the times this Cathedral went up in flames and
fell apart. Yet there were always people ready to start rebuilding; they
refused to let themselves be overwhelmed by hardship: they never gave up.”
Addressing both Monica and Jonas, he said, that their hardships which included the life and death of Monica’s father and Jonas’ illness could have been devastating for them. “Yet here you are, sharing your experience, seeing it with the eyes of faith…”
Addressing both Monica and Jonas, he said, that their hardships which included the life and death of Monica’s father and Jonas’ illness could have been devastating for them. “Yet here you are, sharing your experience, seeing it with the eyes of faith…”
We are all interconnected
Pope Francis stressed to the young people in the square the
importance of community, family and friends, “don’t let the world make you
believe that it is better to do everything on your own”, he said. “Don’t yield
to the temptation of getting caught up in yourself, ending up selfish or
superficial in the face of sorrow, difficulty or temporary success.” We are all
interconnected, “networked”. Who we really are has to do with our being part of
a people. Identity is not the product of a laboratory; it is not concocted in a
test tube. Aim for holiness through your encounters and your fellowship with
other people; be attentive to their needs.”
Referring again to the testimonies of the two young people,
the Pope commended their willingness to help others which, he said, in turn
gave them support and put their difficulties into perspective. “Seeing the
frailty of others gives us perspective; it helps us not to go through life
licking own wounds”, he commented.
Prayer and Song
During his discourse the Holy Father also noted the power of
prayer and song. Embracing music, the Pope explained, was a way to open oneself
to the interior life, and he added, that prayer, as well as being an experience
of “spiritual warfare”, was also how “we learn to listen to the Spirit”.
Pope Francis then urged all the young people gathered, “not
to be afraid to take part in the revolution to which Jesus invites us: the
revolution of tenderness.” He invites us, “to step out of ourselves and to risk
a face-to-face encounter with others.” “Don’t ever be afraid to put your trust
in Jesus”, the Pope said, “to embrace his cause, the cause of the Gospel.
Because he never jumps off the ship of our life; he is always there at life’s
crossroads. Even when our lives go up in flames, he is always there to rebuild
them.”
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