“Our weaknesses should not deter you; our frailties and sins must not be an obstacle for your trust. The Church is your mother; she does not abandon you; she is ready to accompany you…”
This was at the heart of the letter from Synod Fathers to young people, read aloud by Cardinal Lorenzo Baldisseri, Synod of Bishops General Secretary, toward the conclusion of Pope Francis’ closing Mass of the Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops on “Young people, faith, and vocational discernment,’ this morning, Oct. 28, 2018, in St. Peter’s Basilica.
Stating the Synod Fathers address the young people of the world, with a word of hope, trust and consolation, they noted: “In these days, we have gathered together to hear the voice of Jesus, “the eternally young Christ”, and to recognize in Him your many voices, your shouts of exultation, your cries, and your moments of silence.”
The prelates observed their familiarity with the young people’s inner searching, joys and hopes, as well as the pain and anguish that make up your longings.
“Now we want you to hear a word from us: we wish to be sharers in your joy, so that your expectations may come to life. We are certain that with your enthusiasm for life, you will be ready to get involved so that your dreams may be realized and take shape in your history.”
“Our weaknesses should not deter you; our frailties and sins must not be an obstacle for your trust. The Church is your mother; she does not abandon you; she is ready to accompany you on new roads, on higher paths where the winds of the Spirit blow stronger – sweeping away the mists of indifference, superficiality and discouragement.”
The Synod Fathers called on them to rise above superficiality to much greater things.
“When the world that God so loved, that he gave us his only Son, Jesus, is focused on material things, on short-term successes, on pleasures, and when the world crushes the weakest,” they wrote, “you must help it to rise up again and to turn its gaze towards love, beauty, truth and justice once more.”
They acknowledged that for the past month we have walked together with young people in Rome and many others who have been united to us through prayer and affection. “We wish to continue the journey now in every part of the earth where the Lord Jesus sends us as missionary disciples,” they said.
The Church and the world, the prelates stressed, “urgently need your enthusiasm;” hence, they encouraged youth to also accompany the most fragile people, poor and wounded by life, by being their “traveling companions.”
“You are the present; be a brighter future,” the Synod Fathers concluded.
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On ZENIT’s Web page:
Full Text: https://zenit.org/articles/letter-from-synod-fathers-to-young-people/
Homily: https://zenit.org/articles/pope-francis-homily-at-closing-mass-of-ordinary-general-assembly-of-synod-on-young-people-the-faith-and-vocational-discernment-2/
