Author: Pope John Paul II

Description:
The Holy Father’s Homily of July 27, 2002, at the Vigil held at Downsview Park, Toronto. The Vigil opened with the chanting of the Litany of the Saints and Blesseds. After the reading of 1 John 1, Build The City Of God

Dear Young People,

When, back in 1985, I wanted to start the World Youth Days, I was thinking of the words of the Apostle John that we have listened to this evening: “That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon and touched with our hands, concerning the word of life… we proclaim also to you” (1 Jn 1:1.3). And I imagined the World Youth Days as a powerful moment in which the young people of the world could meet Christ, who is eternally young, and could learn from him how to be bearers of the Gospel to other young people question about the foundation of human future.

2. The new millennium opened with two contrasting scenarios: one, the sight of multitudes of pilgrims coming to Rome during the Great Jubilee to pass through the Holy Door which is Christ, our Savior and Redeemer; and the other, the terrible terrorist attack on New York, an image that is a sort of icon of a world in which hostility and hatred seem to prevail.

The question that arises is dramatic: on what foundations must we build the new historical era that is emerging from the great transformations of the twentieth century? Is it enough to rely on the technological revolution now taking place, which seems to respond only to criteria of productivity and efficiency, without reference to the individual’s spiritual dimension or to any universally shared ethical values? Is it right to be content with provisional answers to the ultimate questions, and to abandon life to the impulses of instinct, to short-lived sensations or passing fads?
The question will not go away: on what foundations, on what certainties should we build our lives and the life of the community to which we belong?
Without God we can end up with a society that goes against man.

3. Dear Friends, spontaneously in your hearts, in the enthusiasm of your young years you know the answer, and you are saying it through your presence here this evening: Christ alone is the cornerstone on which it is possible solidly to build one’s existence. Only Christ — known, contemplated and loved — is the faithful friend who never lets us down, who becomes our traveling companion, and whose words warm our hearts (cf. Lk 24:13-35).
The twentieth century often tried to do without that cornerstone, and attempted to build the city of man without reference to Him. It ended by actually building that city against man! Christians know that it is not possible to reject or ignore God without demeaning man.
New generation will give hope by building the city of God, the civilization of love.

4. The aspiration that humanity nurtures, amid countless injustices and sufferings, is the hope of a new civilization marked by freedom and peace. But for such an undertaking, a new generation of builders is needed. Moved not by fear or violence but by the urgency of genuine love, they must learn to build, brick by brick, the city of God within the city of man.
Allow me, dear young people, to consign this hope of mine to you: you must be those “builders”! You are the men and women of tomorrow. The future is in your hearts and in your hands. God is entrusting to you the task, at once difficult and uplifting, of working with him in the building of the civilization of love.
Accept the light of glory shining on face of Christ.

5. From the Letter of John — the youngest of the apostles, and maybe for that very reason the most loved by the Lord — we have listened to these words: “God is light and in him there is no darkness at all” (1 Jn 1:5). But, John observes, no one has ever seen God. It is Jesus, the only Son of the Father, who has revealed him to us (cf. Jn 1:18). And if Jesus has revealed God, he has revealed the light. With Christ in fact “the true light that enlightens every man” (Jn 1:9) has come into the world.

Dear young people, let yourselves be taken over by the light of Christ, and spread that light wherever you are. “The light of the countenance of Jesus — says the Catechism of the Catholic Church — illumines the eyes of our heart and teaches us to see everything in the light of his truth and his compassion for all” (No. 2715).
If your friendship with Christ, your knowledge of his mystery, your giving of yourselves to him, are genuine and deep, you will be “children of the light“, and you will become “the light of the world“. For this reason I repeat to you the Gospel words: “Let your light so shine before others, that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven” (Mt 5:16).
Holiness is for young people, do not wait until you are older!

6. This evening the Pope, along with all of you, young people from every continent, reaffirms before the world the faith that sustains the life of the Church. Christ is the light of the nations. He died and rose again in order to give back to those who journey through time the hope of eternity. Nothing human is hurt by the Gospel: every authentic value, in whatever culture it appears, is accepted and raised up by Christ. Knowing this, Christians cannot fail to feel in their hearts the pride and responsibility of their call to be witnesses to the light of the Gospel.
Precisely for this reason I say to you this evening: let the light of Christ shine in your lives! Do not wait until you are older in order to set out on the path of holiness! Holiness is always youthful, just as eternal is the youthfulness of God.
Communicate to everyone the beauty of the contact with God that gives meaning to your lives. In the quest for justice, in the promotion of peace, in your commitment to brotherhood and solidarity, let no one surpass you!

How beautiful the song that we have been hearing during these days:
“Light of the world!; Salt of the earth! Be for the world the face of love! Be for the earth the reflection of his light!”

That is the most beautiful and precious gift that you can give to the Church and the world. You know that the Pope is with you, with his prayer and fond blessing.

Life of Christ: III. Responsibility and Participation: The Catechism of the Catholic Church; 1913-1915; (466)

Following the Gospel literally, Francis and his companions went out to preach two by two. At first, listeners were understandably hostile to these men in rags trying to talk about God’s love. People even ran from them for fear they’d catch this strange madness! And they were right. Because soon these same people noticed that these barefoot beggars wearing sacks seemed filled with constant joy. They celebrated life. And people had to ask themselves: Could one own nothing and be happy? Soon those who had met them with mud and rocks, greeted them with bells and smiles.

The Testament of Saint Francis

1. Thus did the Lord grant to me, friar Francis, to begin to do penance: who when I was exceedingly in my sins, to see lepers seemed a bitter thing to me.
2. And the Lord Himself led me among them and I worked mercy among them.
3. And when I was fleeing from them, because it seemed to be a bitter thing, it was changed for me in to sweetness of soul and body; and I remained for a little while afterward and then I went forth from the world.
4. And the Lord granted me such faith in churches, that I would pray simply and say:
5. “We adore Thee, Lord Jesus Christ, and for all Thy churches, which are in the whole world, we also bless Thee, because by Thy Holy Cross Thou has redeemed the world .”
6. Afterwards the Lord granted me and grants so much faith in priests, who live according to the form of the Holy Roman Church on account of their state in life, that if they would stir up a persecution against me, I want to have recourse to these.
7. And if I would have as much wisdom, as Solomon had, and I would come upon the little poor priests of this age, in the parishes, where they stay, I do not wish to preach beyond their will to do so.
8. And they and all other priests I want to fear, love, and honour, as my lords.
9. And I do not want to consider sin in them, because I discern in them the Son of God, and they are my lords.
10. And I do that on account of this, because I see nothing corporally in this age of the Most High Son of God Himself, except His Most Holy Body and Most Holy Blood, which they receive and which they alone minister to others.
11. And these most holy Mysteries I want above all things to honour, to venerate and to place in precious places.
12. Wherever I find written the most holy Names and His words in unlawful places, I want to gather them together and I pray, that they are gathered together and placed together in an honourable place.
13. And all theologians and those, who minister the most sacred divine words, we should honour and venerate, as those who minister to us spirit and life.
14. And after the Lord made me a grant of friars, no one showed me, what I ought to do, but the Most High Himself revealed to me, that I ought to live according the form of the Holy Gospel.
15. And I with a few words and simply had it written and the Lord Pope confirmed it for me.
16. And those who were coming to receive life, used to give “all that they possibly had” to the poor; and they used to be content with one tunic, patched inside and out, with a cincture and with breeches.
17. And we did not use to want to have more.
18. We clerics used to say the office according to the other clergy, the lay brothers used to say the Our Father; and we used to stay quite freely in the churches.
19. And we used to be idiots and subject to all.
20. And I used to work with my hands, and I want to work; and all the other brothers I firmly want, that they should work at their job, because this pertains to honesty.
21. Those who do not know how, let them learn, not on account of the cupidity to receive a price for work, but on account of the example it gives to repel idleness.
22. And when the price for the work is not given to us, let us have recourse to the table of the Lord, by asking for alms from door to door.
23. The Lord revealed to me a greeting, that we should say: “The Lord grant you peace!”
24. Let all the friars beware of themselves, so that the churches, the little poor, little dwellings and everything, which are constructed for them, they do not inwardly receive, unless they be, as befits the holy poverty, which we have promised in the Rule, always dwelling there as strangers and pilgrims.
25. I firmly command all the friars by obedience, that wherever they are, they do not dare to seek any letter in the Roman Curia, by means of themselves nor by an interposed person, nor on behalf of a church nor on behalf of another place nor under the appearance of preaching nor because of a persecution of their bodies;
26. but wheresoever they have not been received, let them flee into another land to do penance with the blessing of God.
27. And I firmly want to obey the Minister General of this fraternity and any guardian, whom it would please him to give me.
28. And I want to be so captive in his hands, that I would not be able to go or do beyond obedience and his will, because he is my lord.
29. And although I am simple and infirm, nevertheless I want to always have a cleric, who will recite the office for me, as is contained in the Rule.
30. And all the other friars are bound to likewise obey their guardians and recite the office according to the rule.
31. And those, who are found, which would not recite the office according to the Rule, and want to vary it in another manner, or are not Catholics, all the friars, wheresoever they might find any of these, ought to present them before the nearest custos of that place, where they found him.
32. And the custos is firmly bound by obedience to guard him strongly, just like a man in chains day and night, so that he is not able to be snatched from their hands, until he in person presents him into the hands of his Minister.
33. And the minister is firmly bound by obedience to send him by means of such friars, that day and night they may guard him as a man in chains, until they present him before the lord of Ostia, who is the lord, protector and corrector of the whole fraternity.
34. And the friars are not to say: “This is another Rule,” because this is a remembrance, an admonition, an exhortation and my testament, that I friar Francis, the tiny one, make for you, my blessed friars, for the sake of this, that we might observe the Rule, which we have promised the Lord, in a more catholic way.
35. And the Minister General and all the other Ministers and custodes are bound by obedience, not to add to these words nor take away.
36. And they are to have this writing with them always, next to the Rule.
37. And in all the chapters that are convened, when they read the Rule, let them read these words also.
38. And all my friars, clerics and lay, I firmly command by obedience, that they are not to place glosses upon the Rule, not even by saying in these words: “Thus they are to be understood.”
39. But as the Lord granted me simply and purely to say and write the Rule and these words, so you should understand them simply and without gloss and observe them with holy work until the end.
40. And whosoever will have observed these, may he be filled in heaven with the blessing of the Most High Father and on earth with the blessing of His beloved Son with the Most Holy Spirit and all the powers of Heaven and all the saints.
41. And I, friar Francis, your tiny servant, in as much as I am able, confirm for you, inside and out, this Most Holy Blessing.