VATICAN CITY, MARCH 3, 2010 (Zenit.org).- Benedict XVI today reflected on one of the important figures from his years as a young scholar, St. Bonaventure, noting his great esteem for this saint and doctor of the Church.
The general audience was dedicated to the 13th-century saint who was the subject of the Pope’s second postdoctoral thesis.
The Holy Father noted how when the saint finished the equivalent of secondary school, he experienced the questions that so many young people ask: «John [later Bonaventure] asked himself a crucial question: ‘What must I do with my life?'»
The answer to his query led him to join the Franciscans.
The Holy Father encouraged youth to ask similar questions when he addressed them at the conclusion of the audience.
«Dear young people,» he said, «prepare yourselves to address the important stages of life, basing every plan of yours on fidelity to God and to your neighbor.»
The Pontiff continued with his customary greetings: «Dear sick people, offer your sufferings to the heavenly Father in union with those of Christ, to contribute to the building of the Kingdom of God.
«And you, dear newlyweds, know how to build daily your family in listening to God, in faithful and mutual love.»
