Vatican City, Mar 4, 2009 / 11:27 am (CNA).- This morning Pope Benedict XVI made public his message for the 24th World Youth Day, which will be celebrated at the diocesan level this year. In his message, the Pope calls on young people to seek out true hope, a firm and reliable hope rooted in a personal encounter with Jesus.
The theme for the 2009 World Youth Day, to be held on Palm Sunday, April 5, is: "We have set our hope on the living God."
The Holy Father begins his message by mentioning his deep gratitude for the spiritual enthusiasm of World Youth Day 2008 in Sydney, Australia.
In Sydney, he recalls, our attention was focused upon what the Holy Spirit is saying to believers today, and in particular to you, my dear young people. During the closing Mass, I urged you to let yourselves be shaped by him in order to be messengers of divine love, capable of building a future of hope for all humanity.
Youth is a time of hope, the Pope says, a time when we cherish ideals, dreams and plans. Youth is the time when decisive choices concerning the rest of our lives come to fruition.
Pope Benedict then goes on to ask, where can I obtain and how can I keep alive the flame of hope burning in my heart?
Experience shows that personal qualities and material goods are not enough to guarantee the hope which the human spirit is constantly seeking. ... Politics, science, technology, economics and all other material resources are not of themselves sufficient to provide the great hope to which we all aspire, the Pope writes.
This hope 'can only be God, Who encompasses the whole of reality and Who can bestow upon us what we, by ourselves, cannot attain,' he answers, quoting from his encyclical Spe Salvi.
Looking at the profound lack of hope in the modern world, the Holy Father points out that those societies which ignore God experience a loss of direction that results in loneliness and violence, discontent and loss of confidence that can often lead to despair."
This dearth of hope can only be filled by God, says Benedict XVI as he repeats John Paul IIs call of for a new evangelization.
To you young people, who are in search of a firm hope, I address the very words that St. Paul wrote to the persecuted Christians in Rome at that time: 'May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.'"
With the Year of St. Paul in full swing, the Holy Father points the youth to how the Apostle to the Gentiles experienced the hope of God.
How did this hope take root in him? asks the Pope.
In order to answer that question we must go back to his encounter with the Risen Jesus on the road to Damascus. At that time, Saul was a young person like you in his early twenties, a follower of the Law of Moses and determined to fight, ... and even to kill those he regarded as God's enemies. ... After that encounter, Paul's life changed radically, ... he was inwardly transformed by the Divine Love he had met in the person of Jesus Christ. ... From being a persecutor, he became a witness and a missionary.
"For Paul, explains Pope Benedict, hope is not simply an ideal or sentiment, but a living person: Jesus Christ, the Son of God. ... If we are not alone, if He is with us, even more, if He is our present and our future, why be afraid?"
The Pope also provides practical advice on how to encounter Jesus, encouraging young people to Make space for prayer in your lives!
While praying alone is good, Benedict XVI grants, it is even more beautiful and fruitful to pray together, because the Lord assured us He would be present wherever two or three are gathered in His name."
This means that youth should take part in their parishs liturgies and be abundantly nourished by the word of God and your active participation in the Sacraments, he explains.
"If you find your sustenance in Christ, my dear young people, and if you live profoundly in Him as did the Apostle Paul, you will not be able to resist speaking about Him and making Him known and loved by many of your friends and contemporaries.
The Holy Fathers message also emphasizes the importance of the role played by young people in the Church, saying, "The Church depends on you for this demanding mission. Do not be discouraged by the difficulties and trials you encounter. Be patient and persevering so as to overcome the natural youthful tendency to rush ahead and to want everything immediately."
Bringing his words to the youth to a close, Pope Benedict asks Mary, Mother of Hope to intercede for young people the world over.
"Mary, Star of the Sea, we ask you to guide the young people of the whole world to an encounter with your Divine Son Jesus. Be the celestial guardian of their fidelity to the Gospel and of their hope."
The full text of Pope Benedicts 2009 World Youth Day message can be found here: http://www.catholicnewsagency.com/document.php?n=804
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Jesus In Thy Dear Sacramentby PipeOrganHymnsG0OJF232 views
@sirknight14364 If "Christians are so peaceful watch?v=3Vj8-_jhFAA that's the kinds of things your ignorance breads. Since you NO WHERE countered my arguments your just screaming the same thing over and over again, either your an idiot who doesn't understand statics or are use to people giving into you because they'd rather just not deal with your large amount of stupid. So until you can actual come at with statical proof I'm no longer going to entertain your mad rantings. :P
MistressArte 8 months ago
@MistressArte There is no different between ATHEIST and TERRORIST. ATHEIST KILLS while TERRORIST KILLS, so no different between two of them. Why fetus are not humans, are you not human at the time of your pregnancy? Does your mother is not Humans at all while you are in your mother's womb? You know the different between Christians and Atheist? CHRISTIANS are well educated and give values and respect in all livings. ATHEIST, uneducated give no respects in all livings.
sirknight14364 8 months ago
@sirknight14364 The rate of death for woman in places where abortion is legal is a LOT less then where abortion is illegal. Do you understand statistics? You're a joke, who values fetuses over actual people. No wonder Christians are more likely to go to prison then Atheist taking population size into account. It's because of people like you who think everyone should bow down to your backwards idea of a god.
MistressArte 8 months ago
@MistressArte HOW COULD YOU SAVE THE WORLD WHEN YOU GIVE NO VALUE TO DEFEND LESS UNBORN BABIES? Many women will die because you ATHEIST keep introduce ABORTION. Why should I teach children to hate the world? I rather teach children Chastity than Lust or LOVE than HATE. ATHEIST are terrorizing the defend less fetus. WHAT A MONSTER ARE YOU? So MUSLIMS TERRORIST AND ATHEIST ARE THE SAME!
sirknight14364 8 months ago
@sirknight14364 So if given a choice I should choose to save a glob of cells when it doesn't even have receptors to feel pain over an actual person who does feel pain? If you can't see the difference between a blastocyst & a 3 year old than you defend stupidity. watch?v=mbef07aQtB8 Your stupidity only leads to more wars & violence. You take INNOCENT children & indoctrinate them to hate people that aren't like them. So tell me who the real terrorist is when you have "pro lifers" killing doctors?
MistressArte 8 months ago
@MistressArte How can a fetus NOT a person. When you are inside at your mother's womb, are you not a person? Before you were born in your mother's womb. What are you inside of your mother's womb? Person and fetus in the human's mother's womb are not the same? I rather prefer called me an idiot because I defend LIFE. Not only life but also SPIRITUAL, but you are an atheist you don't believe in LIFE and I am sure also you don't believe in SPIRIT. TERRORIST AND ATHEIST ARE THE SAME.
sirknight14364 8 months ago
@sirknight14364 A fetus is NOT a person I'm more concerned with people that are actually alive. Why do you hate women? By making abortion illegal you make it black market & when the US did that a lot of women suffered and died because of it. It's HER body & HER choice to do what she wants. Women are people first not baby machines. A fetus is NOT a child & you're an idiot for correlating the two. If I had to pick between your life and a fetus I should consider it on equal footing with your logic?
MistressArte 8 months ago
@MistressArte So what's the different between you and the muslim terrorist? You said that killing the unborn child is ok then, the bombing also in US is ok. So when you kill some one, then it is ok. Better you make a law to make KILLING LEGAL IN YOUR COUNTRY. So why do you save life?
sirknight14364 8 months ago
@sirknight14364 The ONLY thing that has gone down is birth rate however that's the rate of increase meaning that it's still INCREASING. Look up human population current calculations show a continued increase of population between 7.5 and 10.5 billion by 2050 when there is about 6.93 billion people now. I'm not saying this to tell people to kill themselves but people should think before they breed, because unlike you who thinks starving people are "lazy" I'd rather not tell them to bugger off.
MistressArte 8 months ago
@MistressArte what's the difference between fetus and humans? People will starve if they don't work, if they are lazy they starve, if the businessmen make their price keep grow and grow then people will starve. Also if the Politics are corrupt then people will starve. There are so many ways, how do you survive in a good way. If abortion will keep growing. 30 years from now the humans will be endanger species. Try to think, most of the teens now a days are committing suicide
sirknight14364 8 months ago