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Pope Francis’ Message to the Youth Festival in Medjugorje
Rome, at St. John Lateran
Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul the Apostles, 29 June 2024
“Heralds of hope and peace in the world”
Dear young people,
I am happy to address this message to you on the occasion of the 35th Youth Festival, which has brought many of you together in Medjugorje, so that the encounter with the Lord Jesus in communion with the Virgin Mary may rekindle the flame of your faith.
During these intense days, reflect on the theme: “Mary has chosen the better part” (Lk 10:42).
On the basis of these words of the Lord, I would like to offer you some brief suggestions for your spiritual growth and your commitment in the Church and in the world.
Jesus’ words to Martha, the sister of Lazarus and Mary, remind us that the approach of a true disciple is to listen to the word of the Lord. Mary realized that the Lord had entered her house, but she also wanted him to enter her heart. In fact, she sat at his feet to listen to him, choosing the best part that “will not be taken away from her”.
Another true disciple is Mary of Nazareth. God entered the house of this young girl and spoke to her. She received the Word of God in her heart and participated in his plan, making herself available when, in the fullness of time, God sent his Son. She was silently present at the foot of the Cross when Jesus, the Son of God and His Son, redeemed the world; she followed the Apostles on the day of Pentecost when the Church was born in the Holy Spirit. By allowing the Word of God to enter her heart, the Virgin Mary fulfilled her mission with fidelity and care. She also chose the better part: the Lord Jesus.
In the same way, dear friends, you are called to become authentic disciples of Christ. Remain in the presence of the Master to meditate on the Word of God and allow it to enlighten your minds and hearts to discover and collaborate in the Father’s plan for each one of you.
For this reason, I encourage you to establish a close relationship with the Gospel and to carry it with you, so that it may be for you like a compass showing you the way to follow.
By reading it, you will come to know Christ, “the Son of God made man, who is the one, perfect and definitive word of the Father, who says everything in him, and there will be no other word than that” (CCC, 65), as Saint Jerome also affirms: “Ignorance of Scripture is ignorance of Christ” (PL 24, 17). Strengthen yourselves also with the power of the sacramental grace of Reconciliation and the Eucharist, visit the Lord in this “heart to heart” encounter, that is, in Eucharistic adoration.
Moreover, an authentic disciple, by becoming wise and strong in the Spirit, necessarily transmits the Kingdom of God to others, because the proclamation of his Word is not only a duty for priests and religious, but also for you, dear young people.
You must have the courage to speak of Christ in your families, in your educational and professional environments, in your leisure time. Proclaim him above all with your lives, manifesting the visible presence of Christ in your lives, in your daily commitment and in the coherence of the Gospel in every concrete decision. The Lord wants you to be intrepid apostles of the Good News and builders of a new humanity.
Dear friends, may my blessing be with you and may I entrust each one of you to Mary, Mother of the Church, to intercede for you so that you may have strength and wisdom to speak with God and of God. May his example encourage you to be heralds of hope, love and peace in the world. Finally, I ask you to pray for me.
FRANCIS
