“Do not give up!” was the message Pope Francis delivered to young people in his address January 21, 2018, before praying the Angelus with the crowds in “Plaza de Armas” square, Lima.
“There are moments when you can feel powerless to achieve your desires and dreams. We have all experienced situations like that,” the Holy Father admitted. But at such times he said you must remember that Jesus is your side: “Do not give up!”
The Pope said Jesus wants young people to be “on the move.” He wants them to achieve their ideals and follow his path. But he warned that the technology that enhances many physical things doesn’t work on humans.
“I know that we all like to see digitally enhanced photographs, but that only works for pictures; we cannot ‘photoshop”’ others, the world, or ourselves,” he explained. “Colour filtering and high definition only function well in video; we can never apply them to our friends.
“There are pictures that are very nice, but completely fake. Let me assure you that the heart can’t be ‘photoshopped’, because that’s where authentic love and genuine happiness have to be found. Jesus does not want you to have a ‘cosmetic’ heart.”
Encouraging the young in the crowd to have faith, Francis reminded them that Jesus doesn’t think about “how perfect we are, but about all the love we have in our hearts to give in serving others…His only question is this: Do you want to follow me and be my disciple? Don’t waste time disguising your heart, but instead fill your life with the Spirit!”
The Full Text of the Address Before the Angelus
