“God loves you as you are now”

You are not here by accident. The Lord has called you, not only these days but from the very beginning of your days... Think of this: Jesus called me by name. His words are inscribed in our hearts, and we realize that they are written in the hearts of every one of us as a kind of title that tells people who we are. You have been called by name … Why? Because we are loved. This is something beautiful. In God’s eyes, we are precious children, and He calls us each day to embrace and encourage us, to make us a unique and original masterpiece ... it means that for God, none of us is a number but a face and a heart. …

He trusts you, each of you, each of us because each of us matters to Him; each one of you matters to him. That is how Jesus is.

That is why we, his Church, are the community of those who are called: not of people who are better than others – no, absolutely not – but of sinners, called as such. Let us think seriously for a moment about that: we are called as we are, with our problems and limitations, our overflowing joy, and our desire to be better and to get ahead in this world. We are called as we are. Think of this: Jesus calls me as I am, not as I want to be. We are the community of brothers and sisters of Jesus, sons and daughters of the same Father.

Friends, I want to be clear with you, for you are allergic to falsity and empty words: in the Church, there is room for everyone. Everyone. In the Church, no one is left out or left over. There is room for everyone. Just the way we are. Everyone. Jesus says this clearly. When he sends the apostles to invite people to the banquet a man had prepared, he tells them: “Go out and bring in everyone,” young and old, healthy and infirm, righteous and sinners. Everyone, everyone, everyone! ….

(Opening Ceremony, August 3)

“Joy is missionary”

“Mary set out and went with haste” (Lk 1:39). We might ask, why did Mary set out and go with haste to visit her cousin? Indeed, Mary had just learned that Elizabeth was pregnant, but so was she; so why go if no one had asked her to? ... Mary goes because she loves, and “whoever loves flies, runs and rejoices” (The Imitation of Christ, III, 5). That is what love does to us.

Mary’s joy is twofold: she had just received the angel’s message that she would welcome the Redeemer of the world, and she was also given the news that her cousin was pregnant. This is interesting: she thinks of the other instead of thinking about herself. Why? Because joy is missionary, joy is not just for one person but for sharing something with others …

In life, we cannot always do what we want, but we must do what leads us to respond to the vocation we sense deep within us – and everyone has their own vocation. Keep on walking. And if we fall, we get back up, or someone will help us get back up; let us not remain fallen and train ourselves to keep moving forward.

(Vigil, August 5)

“Be not afraid”

What will we take back with us? I would respond with these three words: shine, listen, and be unafraid. The first: to shine. Jesus is transfigured. The Gospel tells us: “his face shone like the sun” (Mt 17:2) … Dear young friends, today we too need something of this burst of light so that it can fill us with hope as we face the many failures of each day and the darkness that assails us in life and respond to them with the light of the resurrection of Jesus. For He is the light that never sets, that shines even in the dead of night. …

Yet, I would like to tell you that we do not radiate light by putting ourselves in the spotlight, for that type of light is blinding. No, we cannot illuminate others by projecting a perfect, well-ordered, refined image of ourselves or by appearing powerful and successful, strong but without light. No, we radiate light – we shine – by welcoming Jesus into our hearts and learning to love as he does... Friends, I am telling you the truth: whenever you do works of love, you become light. But the moment you stop loving others and become self-centered; you extinguish your light.

The second verb is to listen. On the mountain, a bright cloud overshadows the disciples. And what does it tell us, this cloud from which the Father speaks? “This is my Son, the Beloved… listen to him!” (Mt 17:5). Listen to him. To listen to Jesus, that is life’s secret… For he has the words of eternal life for us; he reveals that God is our Father, that God is love.

Finally, the third word: … “Do not be afraid!” (Mt 17:7).

As young people, you have experienced these days of joy ... You have great dreams but often fear that they may not come true; sometimes, you think that you are not up to the challenge, which is a kind of pessimism that can overcome us at times. ... As young people, you want to change the world – and it is excellent that you want to change the world – you want to work for justice and peace. You devote all your energy and creativity to this, but it still seems insufficient. Yet, the Church and the world need you, the young, as much as the earth needs rain. To all of you, dear young people, who are the present and the future, yes, Jesus now says: “Do not be afraid!” … He knows each of your hearts and your lives; he knows your joys, sorrows, successes and failures. Today, He says to you, here in Lisbon, at this World Youth Day: “Have no fear, take heart, do not be afraid!”

(Final Mass, August 6)