Looking to the future

The Church sees herself in young people and has done so since apostolic times. St John offers a special testimony of this: “I am writing to you, young people, because you have overcome the evil one. I write to you, children, because you know the Father … I write to you, young people, because you are strong, and the word of God abides in you”. (1 John 2: 13 – 14)

But how does the Church see herself? She sees herself as a sign of intimate union with God, and of the unity of all mankind. Young people, you are the hope of the Church who sees herself and her mission in this way. You are a leaven in the world and amongst those who share in your lives, and you already discern the outlines of the communion that unites you. You are aware of the attitudes, ideas and hopes that you share in common. And you share the concern of many for the future of humanity. Why is there such injustice in the world? Why do our conquests often turn against ourselves? Can we change the world for better? What must we do in order to better look after the world? Christ answers you through the words of his apostle:

“I am writing to you, young people, because you have overcome the evil one. I write to you, children, because you know the Father … I write to you, young people, because you are strong, and the word of God abides in you”.

These words have the strength and experience of the Cross and Resurrection of Christ; they confirm the whole of the Gospel!

Dear young people, you desire genuine community and you know that only where the Father is are people brothers and sisters to one another. Your desire is a sign that the Father’s word abides in you – the teaching of Jesus Christ. The words of the “Our Father” are already upon your lips. Words that confirm the truth about being brothers and sisters to one another and which lead us away from any programmes which are built upon false principles, anything which offends God.

The Apostle writes: "You have overcome the evil one!" And so it is. It is necessary to keep going back to the origin of evil and of sin in the history of mankind and the universe, just as Christ went back to these same roots in the Paschal Mystery of his Cross and Resurrection. There is no need to be afraid to call the first agent of evil by his name: the Evil One. The strategy which he used and continues to use is that of not revealing himself, so that the evil implanted by him from the beginning may receive its development from man himself, from systems and from relationships between individuals, from classes and nations - so as also to become ever more a "structural" sin, ever less identifiable as "personal" sin. In other words, so that man may feel in a certain sense "freed" from sin but at the same time be ever more deeply immersed in it.

The Apostle says: "Young people, you are strong": all that is needed is that "the word of God abide in you". Then you are strong: thus you will succeed in getting at the hidden workings of evil, its sources, and thus you will gradually succeed in changing the world, transforming it, making it more human, more fraternal — and at the same time more of God. For it is impossible to detach the world from God or set it up in opposition to God in the human heart. Nor is it possible to detach man from God and set him up in opposition to God. For this would be against the nature of man - against the intrinsic truth that constitutes the whole of reality! Truly the human heart is restless until it rests in God. These words of the great Augustine never lose their validity.

The Second Vatican Council described the Church as the real youth of the world: it is the one who possesses what constitutes strength and the charm of youth, the ability to rejoice with what is beginning, to give oneself unreservedly, to renew oneself and to set out again for new conquests. May you be prepared to make a defence to anyone who calls you to account for the hope that is in you. The future depends on you. Do not be passive; take up your responsibilities in the world

And as we thus pray, in the great community of the young people of the universal Church and of all the Churches, we have before our eyes the image of Mary, who accompanies Christ at the beginning of his mission among men. This is the Mary of Cana of Galilee, who intercedes for the young people, for the newly-married couple when at the marriage feast the wine for the guests runs out. Then Christ's Mother says these words to those serving at the feast: "Do whatever he tells you". He, the Christ.

I repeat these words of the Mother of God and I address them to you, to each one of you young people: "Do whatever Christ tells you". And I bless you in the name of the Most Holy Trinity. Amen.