Pope’s message for World Youth Day 2010

(March 15, 2010) “Good Master, what must I do in order to inherit eternal life?” is the theme that Pope Benedict XVI has chosen for the Catholic Church’s 25th World Youth Day this year. World Youth Day is marked every year at the diocesan level on Palm Sunday, this year being March 28. The Pope’s WYD message for this year, released in the Vatican on Monday, focuses on St. Mark’s gospel episode where a rich young man meets Jesus and asks him, “Good Master, what must I do in order to inherit eternal life?” The Pope said this meeting efficaciously expresses Jesus’ great love for youth, their expectations, their hopes and shows His great desire to meet young people and start a personal dialogue with each one. In fact, the Pope explained, Jesus’ love for the young man, shows that Christianity is not primarily a moral, but rather an experience of Jesus Christ, who loves us personally, young or old, poor or rich; he loves us even when we turn our back to him.” In the 2010 World Youth Day message Pope Benedict expressed confidence in young people saying in their hand lie the future of this world and the Church. He encouraged young people not to fear the great challenges of today such as unemployment, lack of reliable points of reference and the insecurity of the crisis. He urged them not to renounce their faith which will help them give full meaning to their choices and quality to their existence. He told them not to allow themselves to be discouraged by the difficulties and not to give up their dreams. In order to discover the plan of life that can make them fully happy, the Pope encouraged young people to listen to Jesus who has His own plan of love for each one of them. In this current Year for Priests the Holy Father also urged young men and women to be open to the Lord’s call to follow Him in priesthood and religious life.