Celebrating Saint Ignatius

At 8:00am this morning, His Holiness, Pope Francis went to the Church of the Jesu in Rome to celebrate Mass for the Feast of Saint Ignatius, the founder of the Society of Jesus, along with his Jesuit confreres and their friends and co-workers.  The Mass began at 8:15am.

Concelebrating with the Holy Father this morning were His Excellency, Luis Ladaria, Secretary of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith; Father Adolfo Nicolas, SJ, Father General of the Society of Jesus; and members of the General Council as well as 200 other Jesuits.

At the conclusion of the Mass, the Pope took a few moments to pray before the altar of Saint Ignatius and Saint Francis Xavier, in the Chapel of the Madonna of the Street, and at the tomb of Father Pedro Arupe, one of the former Fathers General of the Society.

After a brief fraternal encounter with the Father General and with some of his Jesuit confreres at the end of the Mass, the Pope returned to the Vatican around 10:00 this morning.

Homily of the Holy Father, Pope Francis

for the Liturgical Memorial of Saint Ignatius of Loyola

In this Eucharist in which we celebrate our Father Ignatius of Loyola, in the light of the readings that we have heard, I would like to pose three simple thoughts guided by three expressions: placing Christ and the Church at the Centre; allowing oneself to be conquered by Him to serve; to feel ashamed of our limits and sins, in order to be humble in front of Him and our brothers.

The coat of arms of the Jesuits is a monogram, the acronym of Iesus Hominum Salvator (IHS). Everyone of you can tell me: we know that very well! But this coat of arms continuously reminds us of a reality that we should never forget: the centrality of Christ for every one of us and for the whole Society, which Saint Ignatius wished that it be called, of Jesus to indicate the point of reference. Ahead of all else, even in the beginning of the Spiritual Exercises, he places in first place our Lord Jesus Christ, our Creator and Savior (cfr. EE,6). And this places us Jesuits and the entire Society a bit off centre, having before us Christ who is always greater than we, the Deus semper maior, the intimior intimo meo, which continuously takes us out of ourselves, it takes us to a certain kenosis, encouraging us to escape from love of ourselves, our own wants and interests (EE, 189). We cannot take for granted the question asked of us, of all of us: is Christ the centre of my life? Do I truly place Christ at the centre of my life? … because there is always the temptation to think of ourselves as being in the centre. And when a Jesuit places himself (and not Christ) at the centre, he is mistaken. In the first reading, Moses repeats with insistence to the people the importance of loving the Lord, of walking in His ways because He is your life (cfr. Dt. 30, 16.20). Christ is our life! The centrality of Christ corresponds as well to the centrality of the Church: they are two flames that cannot be separated; I cannot follow if I am not in the Church and with the Church. It is also true in this case that we Jesuits and the entire Society are not in the centre, we are, so to speak, displaced, we are at the service of Christ and of the Church, the Spouse of Christ our Lord, which is our Holy Mother, the Hierarchical Church (cfr EE, 353). To be men rooted and founded in the Church, that is what Jesus wants of us. There cannot be parallel or isolated paths. Yes, paths of searching, creative paths, yes, these are important: going to the outskirts, the vast outskirts. For this, creativity is needed, but always in community, in the Church, with this affiliation that gives all of us the courage to continue forward. Serve Christ and love this Church concretely, and serve with generosity and with a spirit of obedience.

What is the best path to follow, in order to live this dual centrality? Let us look at the experience of Saint Paul which is also the experience of Saint Ignatius. The Apostle, in the second reading that we have listened to, writes: I strive towards the perfection of Christ for which also I was laid hold on by Christ Jesus. (Phil.3,12). For Paul this occurred on the road to Damascus, for Ignatius, in his house in Loyola, but the fundamental point is the same: to let oneself be conquered by Christ. I search for Christ, I serve Jesus because He searched for me first, because I have been conquered by Him, and this is the heart of our experience. But He is first, always. In Spanish there is a very graphic word that explains this well: El nos primerea. He is always first. When we arrive, he arrives first and waits for us. And it is here that I wish to recall the meditation on the Kingdom in the Second Week of the Exercises. Christ our Lord, Eternal King, calls each and every one of us saying he who wishes to come with me must work with me, because following me in suffering, you will follow me also in glory (EE,95): To be conquered by Christ, to offer to this King all that we are and all our labours (cfr. EE, 96); to tell the Lord that you wish to do everything for his greater service and praise, to imitate Him in bearing even insults, rejection, poverty (cfr EE, 98). I think of our brother in Syria at this time. To let oneself be conquered by Christ means to always reach out to those in front of me, towards the other half of Christ (cfr. Phil. 3,14) and to ask yourself with truth and sincerity: What have I done for Christ? What do I do for Christ (cfr. Phil. 3,14) What should I do for Christ? (cfr. EE, 53)

And I come to the final point. In the Gospel, Jesus tells us, For whosoever would save his life shall lose it; but whosoever shall lose his life for my sake, the same shall save it....He who is ashamed of me.... (Lk. 9,23). And so on. The shame of the Jesuit. The invitation that Jesus makes is to not be ashamed of Him, but to follow him with total devotion, trusting and relying on Him. But looking at Jesus, as Saint Ignatius teaches us in the First Week of the Exercises, above all looking at Christ crucified, we feel that very human and very noble feeling that is the shame of not being at that height; we look at the wisdom of Christ and our own ignorance, at his omnipotence and our own weakness, at his justice and our own iniquity, at his goodness and our wickedness (cfr. EE, 59). Ask for the grace of shame, shame that comes from the continuous discussion of mercy with Him; shame that makes us blush in front of Jesus Christ; shame that places us in tune with the heart of Christ who has made himself sin for us; shame that places our hearts in harmony through tears and accompanies us in the daily sequence of our Lord. And this takes us, individually and as a Society, towards humility, to live this great virtue. Humility that makes us aware every day that it is not us that constructs the Kingdom of God, but it is always the grace of the Lord that acts in us; humility that urges us to place all of ourselves not at the service of ourselves or our ideas, but to the service of Christ and to the Church, like earthen vessels, fragile, inadequate, insufficient, but in which there is an immense treasure that we carry and make known (2 Cor 4, 7).

It is always pleasing for me to think about the sunset of the Jesuit, when a Jesuit finishes his life, when the sun sets. There are two icons of this sunset of the Jesuit that come to mind: one classic, that of Saint Francis Xavier, looking towards China. Art has always depicted many times this sunset, this ending of Xaver. Even in literature, in that beautiful piece by Pemán. In the end, with nothing, but in front of the Lord; this does me good, to think of this. The other sunset, the other icon that comes to mind as an example, is that of Father Arrupe in the last discussion in the refugee camp, when he tells us - this is how he himself would say it - this I say as if it were my swan song: pray. Prayer, the union with Jesus. And, after saying that, he boarded his plane, and arrived in Rome with a stroke, which began that long and exemplary sunset. Two sunsets, two icons that will do us well to look at, and return to these two. And ask for the grace that our sunset will be like their’s.

Dear brothers, let us turn to Our Lady. She who carried Christ in her womb and accompanied the first steps of the Church, may she help us to place Christ and his Church always at the centre of our life and our ministry; She who was the first and the most perfect disciple of her Son, may help us to let ourselves be conquered by Christ to follow and serve Him in every situation. She who responded to the announcement of the Angel with the most profound humility: Behold the servant of the Lord, be it done to me according to your word (Lk. 1:38).  May she make us taste the shame of our inadequateness before the treasure that has been entrusted to us, to live humbly before God. May the paternal intercession of Saint Ignatius and of all the Holy Jesuits accompany us on this path, may they continue to teach us to do all with humility, ad maiorem Dei gloriam.

Condolences to Ravenna

Having learned of the death of one of the venerated Cardinals, His Holiness, Pope Francis dispatched a note of condolence to the current Archbishop of Ravenna-Cervia.

Telegram of the Holy Father, Pope Francis

To His Excellency, the Most Reverend

Lorenzo Ghizzoni

Piazza Arcivescovado, 1

48121 Ravenna

I have learned the painful news of the death of Cardinal Ersilio Tonini, Archbishop emeritus of Ravenna-Cervia, and raising fervent prayers to God, asking Him to grant eternal rest to this zealous and generous shepherd, I wish to express my spiritual condolences to the diocesan community where he laboured with great concern in his Episcopal ministry.  I remember with admiration his fruitful and multi-faceted Apostolic activity, first as a zealous priest of the Piacentino clergy, and then as Bishop of Macerata and Tolentino, before serving as a committed and well-loved Archbishop in that same diocese, enlivened by a desire to announce Christ in simple and incisive language, and an authentic and modern of life, given to men and women of our time.

With the expression of my heart-felt condolences for you, Your Excellency, your clergy, your religious communities and all the faithful of that beloved Archdiocese, I cordially impart a comforting Apostolic Blessing along with a special thought for those who have lovingly assisted him in these, his final years.

Francis, Pope

Meanwhile, a new memorandum

While Pope Francis was in Rio de Janeiro for the celebration of the XXVIII World Youth Day, work has continued in the Vatican.  Yesterday, the Vatican Press Office released details of a Memorandum of Understanding which was signed on July 26 between the Vatican Financial Intelligence Unit and it’s Italian counterpart, the Unità di Informazione Finanziaria.

Vatican Autorità Informazione Finanziaria (AIF)
signs Memorandum of Understanding with Italian Financial Intelligence Unit (UIF)

The Autorità Informazione Finanziaria (AIF), the Financial Intelligence Unit of the Holy See and Vatican City State, signed a Memorandum of Understanding with its Italian counterpart, the Unità di Informazione Finanziaria (UIF) of the Bank of Italy, on July 26.

The Memorandum was signed in Rome by Cardinal Attilio Nicora, President of AIF, and Dr. Claudio Clemente, director of UIF.

A Memorandum of Understanding is standard practice and formalizes the cooperation and exchange of financial information to fight money laundering and terrorist financing across borders between the competent authorities of both countries. It is based on the model Memorandum of Understanding prepared by the Egmont Group, the global organization of national Financial Intelligence Units, and contains clauses on reciprocity, permitted uses of information and confidentiality.

The Holy See and the Vatican City State take international responsibilities concerning Anti-Money Laundering and the Financing of Terrorism very seriously, and Italy is an especially important partner for us, said AIF director René Bruelhart. We look forward to continuing our work with the Italian Authorities in a constructive and fruitful manner. The Memorandum of Understanding is a clear commitment to strengthen our bilateral relationship and will facilitate our joint efforts to fight against money laundering.

AIF became a member of the Egmont Group in July of this year and over the last several months signed MOUs with the Financial Intelligence Units of the United States, Belgium, Spain, Slovenia and the Netherlands. More are expected to be signed in the course of this year.

AIF is the competent authority of the Holy See/Vatican City State to fight money laundering and financing of terrorism. It was established on December 30, 2010.

Saying farewell

Having completed the meeting with the WYD volunteers at Rio Centro, the Holy Father, Pope Francis then travelled by helicopter to the Galeão/Antonio Carlos Jobim International Airport where, shortly before his 7:00pm departure for Rome, there was a departure ceremony held.  The Pope was welcomed by the Vice-President of the Republic of Brazil, Mister Michael Temer Erano, and other civil authorities  who were in attendance, as well as the President of the Brazilian Bishops Conference (CNBB), the Brazilian Cardinals and the Bishops from the region of Rio de Janeiro.  After the greetings expressed by the Vice-President of the Republic, the Holy Father responded with his words of gratitude.

Speech of the Holy Father, Pope Francis

Prior to departing the Republic of Brazil

Mr. Vice-President,

Distinguished National, State and Local Authorities,

Dear Archbishop of São Sebastião do Rio de Janeiro,

Dear Cardinals and Brother Bishops,

Dear Friends,

I am about to leave your country to return to Rome. I depart with many happy memories which I know will nourish my prayers. Already I am beginning to miss Brazil, this great people showing so much affection and friendship. I shall miss the natural and warm smiles I have seen in so many faces, and the enthusiasm shown by the volunteers. I shall miss the hope filling the eyes of the young people in the Hospital of Saint Francis. I shall miss the faith and joy shown by the residents of Varginha in the midst of their hardship. I know that Christ is truly present in the lives of countless young people and in the lives of many whom I have met during this unforgettable week. Thank you for the warm welcome and the friendship that have been offered to me. This too I shall miss.

In particular, I would like to thank Madam President, represented here by the Vice-President, for having expressed the sentiments of the entire population of Brazil towards the Successor of Peter. I warmly extend gratitude to my brother Bishops and to their many collaborators for making this week a splendid celebration of the richness and joy of our faith in Jesus Christ. I wish to thank, in a particular way, Archbishop Orani Tempesta of Rio de Janeiro, his Auxiliary Bishops, and Cardinal Raymundo Damasceno, President of the Bishops’ Conference. I thank all those who took part in the Eucharistic celebrations and other events, and I thank those who organized them and those who worked to broadcast them through the media. Finally, I wish to thank all those who in one way or another rose to the challenge of hosting and organizing the large numbers of young people. And not least my gratitude goes to the many people who prayed, often in silence and simplicity, for this World Youth Day to be an authentic experience of growth in faith. May God reward all of you, as only he can!

As I express my thanks and bid farewell, my thoughts turn to those who are at the heart of these celebrations: the young people! May God bless you for the beautiful witness of your lives and for your intense and joyful participation over these last few days. Many of you came here as disciples; I have no doubt that all of you will leave as missionaries. Through your joyful witness and service, help to build a civilization of love. Show, by your life, that it is worth giving your time and talents in order to attain high ideals, it is worth recognizing the dignity of each human person, and it is worth taking risks for Christ and his Gospel. It is he that we have come to seek because he first sought us. It is he who has inflamed our hearts with the desire to take the Good News to the large cities and to the small communities, to the countryside and to all the corners of this vast planet. I will always place my hopes in the young people of Brazil and in the young around the world: through them, Christ is preparing a new springtime all over the earth. I have seen its first fruits and I know that others will joyfully reap the full harvest.

Finally, my thoughts turn to Our Lady of Aparecida, to whom I also bid farewell. In that beloved Shrine I knelt to pray for the entire human family and in particular for all Brazilians. I implored Mary to strengthen you in the Christian faith, which forms part of the noble soul of Brazil, as indeed of many other countries; this faith is your culture’s treasure and serves as encouragement and support in the task of building a renewed humanity in harmony and solidarity.

As he departs, the Pope says to all of you affectionately: see you soon. He asks you not to forget to pray for him. The Pope needs the prayers of all of you. I offer you an affectionate embrace. May God bless you!

Thank you to the volunteers

On Sunday afternoon, after the celebration of the closing Mass at the Copacabana beach, the Holy Father, Pope Francis left the Sumaré residence in Rio de Janeiro where he had been staying since his arrival on Monday evening.  His Holiness travelled by helicopter to the Rio Centro Congress Centre where he met at 5:30pm local time with 15,000 volunteers, representing the 60,000 who had been working in various capacities during the World Youth Day gathering.

The Holy Father was greeted by His Eminence, Orani Tempesta, the Archbishop of Rio de Janeiro, and by two of the volunteers: a young man from Brazil and a young woman from Poland, the country which will host the next World Youth Day gathering in 2016.

Speech of the Holy Father, Pope Francis

for the meeting with World Youth Day Volunteers

Dear Volunteers, Good evening!

I could not return to Rome without first thanking all of you in a personal and affectionate way for the work and dedication with which you have accompanied, helped, and served the thousands of young pilgrims, and for the countless little ways by which you have made this World Youth Day an unforgettable experience of faith. With your smiles, your acts of kindness and your willingness to serve, you have shown that it is more blessed to give than to receive (Acts 20:35).

The service you have given during these days brings to mind the mission of Saint John the Baptist, who prepared the way for Jesus. Every one of you, each in his or her own way, was a means enabling thousands of young people to prepare the way to meet Jesus. And this is the most beautiful service we can give as missionary disciples. To prepare the way so that all people may know, meet and love the Lord. To you who in these days responded with such readiness and generosity to the call to be volunteers for World Youth Day, I say: May you always be generous with God and with others: one loses nothing thereby, but gains great enrichment in life.

God calls you to make definitive choices, and he has a plan for each of you: to discover that plan and to respond to your vocation is to move toward personal fulfilment. God calls each of us to be holy, to live his life, but he has a particular path for each one of us. Some are called to holiness through family life in the sacrament of Marriage. Today, there are those who say that marriage is out of fashion. Is it out of fashion? In a culture of relativism and the ephemeral, many preach the importance of enjoying the moment. They say that it is not worth making a life-long commitment, making a definitive decision, for ever, because we do not know what tomorrow will bring. I ask you, instead, to be revolutionaries, I ask you to swim against the tide; yes, I am asking you to rebel against this culture that sees everything as temporary and that ultimately believes you are incapable of responsibility, that believes you are incapable of true love. I have confidence in you and I pray for you. Have the courage to swim against the tide. And also have the courage to be happy.

The Lord calls some to be priests, to give themselves to him more fully, so as to love all people with the heart of the Good Shepherd. Some he calls to the service of others in the religious life: devoting themselves in monasteries to praying for the good of the world, and in various areas of the apostolate, giving of themselves for the sake of all, especially those most in need. I will never forget that day, September 21st – I was 17 years old – when, after stopping in the Church of San José de Flores to go to confession, I first heard God calling me. Do not be afraid of what God asks of you! It is worth saying yes to God. In him we find joy!

Dear young people, some of you may not yet know what you will do with your lives. Ask the Lord, and he will show you the way. The young Samuel kept hearing the voice of the Lord who was calling him, but he did not understand or know what to say, yet with the help of the priest Eli, in the end he answered: Speak, Lord, for I am listening (cf. 1 Sam 3:1-10). You too can ask the Lord: What do you want me to do? What path am I to follow?

Dear friends, I thank you once more for all you have done during these days. I thank your parish groups, and the movements and new communities who have placed their members at the service of WYD. Thank you! Do not forget what you have experienced here! You can always count on my prayers, and I know I can count on yours. One last thing: pray for me.

Angelus for World Youth Day

At the conclusion of Sunday’s Mass with the young people in Rio, the Holy Father recited the Angelus with the young people on the Copacabana beach.  Before taking leave of the young people, the Holy Father used this opportunity to announce that the next World Youth Day gathering will take place in Crakow, Poland in 2016.

Greetings of the Holy Father, Pope Francis

before the recitation of the Angelus

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

At the end of this Mass, in which we have raised up to God our song of praise and thanksgiving for every grace received during this World Youth Day, I would like once more to thank Archbishop Orani Tempesta and Cardinal Ryłko for their kind words. I thank you too, dear young friends, for all the joy you have given me in these days. Thank you! I carry each one of you in my heart! Now let us turn our gaze to our heavenly Mother, the Virgin Mary. During these days, Jesus has insistently and repeatedly invited you to be his missionary disciples; you have listened to the voice of the Good Shepherd, calling you by name, and you have recognized the voice calling you (cf. Jn 10:4). Could it be that in this voice, resounding in your heart, you have felt the tenderness of God’s love? Have you experienced the beauty of following Christ together with others, in the Church? Have you understood more deeply that the Gospel is the answer to the desire for an even fuller life? (cf. Jn 10:10). Is this true?

The Immaculate Virgin intercedes for us in heaven as a good mother who watches over her children. May Mary teach us by her life what it means to be a missionary disciple. Every time we pray the Angelus, we recall the event that changed the history of mankind for ever. When the Angel Gabriel proclaimed to Mary that she would become the Mother of Jesus the Saviour, even without understanding the full significance of that call, she trusted God and replied: Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word (Lk 1:38). But what did she do immediately afterwards? On receiving the grace of being the Mother of the Incarnate Word, she did not keep that gift to herself; with a sense of responsibility, she set off from her home and went in haste to help her kinswoman Elizabeth, who was in need of assistance (cf. Lk 1:38-39); she carried out an act of love, of charity, and of practical service, bringing Jesus who was in her womb. And she did all this in haste!

There, my dear friends, we have our model. She who received the most precious gift from God, as her immediate response sets off to be of service and to bring Jesus. Let us ask Our Lady to help us too to give Christ’s joy to our families, our companions, our friends, to everyone. Never be afraid to be generous with Christ. It is worth it! Go out and set off with courage and generosity, so that every man and every woman may meet the Lord.

Dear young friends, we have an appointment for the next World Youth Day in 2016 in Kraków, Poland. Through Our Lady’s maternal intercession, let us ask for the light of the Holy Spirit upon the journey that will lead us to this next stage in our joyful celebration of faith and the love of Christ.

Now let us pray together ...

Go, don't be afraid to serve

On Sunday morning in Rio de Janeiro, the Holy Father, Pope Francis presided at the Mass which closed the celebration of the XXVIII World Youth Day.

Homily of the Holy Father, Pope Francis

for the closing Mass of WYD 2013

Dear Brothers and Sisters,
Dear Young Friends,

Go and make disciples of all nations. With these words, Jesus is speaking to each one of us, saying: It was wonderful to take part in World Youth Day, to live the faith together with young people from the four corners of the earth, but now you must go, now you must pass on this experience to others. Jesus is calling you to be a disciple with a mission! Today, in the light of the word of God that we have heard, what is the Lord saying to us? What is the Lord saying to us? Three simple ideas: Go, do not be afraid, and serve.

Go. During these days here in Rio, you have been able to enjoy the wonderful experience of meeting Jesus, meeting him together with others, and you have sensed the joy of faith. But the experience of this encounter must not remain locked up in your life or in the small group of your parish, your movement, or your community. That would be like withholding oxygen from a flame that was burning strongly. Faith is a flame that grows stronger the more it is shared and passed on, so that everyone may know, love and confess Jesus Christ, the Lord of life and history (cf. Rom 10:9).

Careful, though! Jesus did not say: go, if you would like to, if you have the time, but he said: Go and make disciples of all nations. Sharing the experience of faith, bearing witness to the faith, proclaiming the Gospel: this is a command that the Lord entrusts to the whole Church, and that includes you; but it is a command that is born not from a desire for domination, from the desire for power, but from the force of love, from the fact that Jesus first came into our midst and did not give us just a part of himself, but he gave us the whole of himself, he gave his life in order to save us and to show us the love and mercy of God. Jesus does not treat us as slaves, but as people who are free, as friends, as brothers and sisters; and he not only sends us, he accompanies us, he is always beside us in our mission of love.

Where does Jesus send us? There are no borders, no limits: he sends us to everyone. The Gospel is for everyone, not just for some. It is not only for those who seem closer to us, more receptive, more welcoming. It is for everyone. Do not be afraid to go and to bring Christ into every area of life, to the fringes of society, even to those who seem farthest away, most indifferent. The Lord seeks all, he wants everyone to feel the warmth of his mercy and his love.

In particular, I would like Christ’s command: Go to resonate in you young people from the Church in Latin America, engaged in the continental mission promoted by the Bishops. Brazil, Latin America, the whole world needs Christ! Saint Paul says: Woe to me if I do not preach the Gospel! (1 Cor 9:16). This continent has received the proclamation of the Gospel which has marked its history and borne much fruit. Now this proclamation is entrusted also to you, that it may resound with fresh power. The Church needs you, your enthusiasm, your creativity and the joy that is so characteristic of you. A great Apostle of Brazil, Blessed José de Anchieta, set off on the mission when he was only nineteen years old. Do you know what the best tool is for evangelizing the young? Another young person. This is the path for all of you to follow!

Do not be afraid. Some people might think: I have no particular preparation, how can I go and proclaim the Gospel? My dear friend, your fear is not so very different from that of Jeremiah, as we have just heard in the reading, when he was called by God to be a prophet. Ah, Lord God! Behold, I do not know how to speak, for I am only a youth. God says the same thing to you as he said to Jeremiah: Be not afraid ... for I am with you to deliver you (Jer 1:7,8). He is with us!

Do not be afraid! When we go to proclaim Christ, it is he himself who goes before us and guides us. When he sent his disciples on mission, he promised: I am with you always (Mt 28:20). And this is also true for us! Jesus never leaves anyone alone! He always accompanies us.

And then, Jesus did not say: One of you go, but All of you go: we are sent together. Dear young friends, be aware of the companionship of the whole Church and also the communion of the saints on this mission. When we face challenges together, then we are strong, we discover resources we did not know we had. Jesus did not call the Apostles to live in isolation; he called them to form a group, a community. I would like to address you, dear priests concelebrating with me at this Eucharist: you have come to accompany your young people, and this is wonderful, to share this experience of faith with them! Certainly he has rejuvenated all of you. The young make everyone feel young. But this experience is only a stage on the journey. Please, continue to accompany them with generosity and joy, help them to become actively engaged in the Church; never let them feel alone! And here I wish to thank from the heart the youth ministry teams from the movements and new communities that are accompanying the young people in their experience of being Church, in such a creative and bold way. Go forth and don’t be afraid!

The final word: serve. The opening words of the psalm that we proclaimed are: Sing to the Lord a new song (Psalm 95:1). What is this new song? It does not consist of words, it is not a melody, it is the song of your life, it is allowing our life to be identified with that of Jesus, it is sharing his sentiments, his thoughts, his actions. And the life of Jesus is a life for others. The life of Jesus is a life for others. It is a life of service.

In our Second Reading today, Saint Paul says: I have made myself a slave to all, that I might win the more (1 Cor 9:19). In order to proclaim Jesus, Paul made himself a slave to all. Evangelizing means bearing personal witness to the love of God, it is overcoming our selfishness, it is serving by bending down to wash the feet of our brethren, as Jesus did.

Three ideas: Go, do not be afraid, and serve. Go, do not be afraid, and serve. If you follow these three ideas, you will experience that the one who evangelizes is evangelized, the one who transmits the joy of faith receives more joy. Dear young friends, as you return to your homes, do not be afraid to be generous with Christ, to bear witness to his Gospel. In the first Reading, when God sends the prophet Jeremiah, he gives him the power to pluck up and to break down, to destroy and to overthrow, to build and to plant (1:10). It is the same for you. Bringing the Gospel is bringing God’s power to pluck up and break down evil and violence, to destroy and overthrow the barriers of selfishness, intolerance and hatred, so as to build a new world. Dear young friends, Jesus Christ is counting on you! The Church is counting on you! The Pope is counting on you! May Mary, Mother of Jesus and our Mother, always accompany you with her tenderness: Go and make disciples of all nations. Amen.