The Virgin Mary is "a model for young people on the move, who refuse to stand in front of a mirror to contemplate themselves or to get caught up in the 'net.' Mary’s focus is always directed outwards. She is the woman of Easter, in a permanent state of exodus, going forth from herself towards that great Other who is God and towards others ..."
Pope Francis urged youth to learn from Mary in his message for the upcoming World Youth Day, to be held in Lisbon, Portugal, from August 1 to 6, 2023.
As always, a local Youth Day will be celebrated in dioceses around the world on Sunday, November 20, the feast of Christ the King.
It will be a new beginning!
Inviting young people to "arise and go in haste" in reference to the WYD theme, from Luke 1:39, Pope Francis referred to the current crises.
He invites young people to follow the example of Mary, who "entrusted herself completely to God" when she "could have focused on herself and her own worries and fears about her new condition."
"To experience the presence of the risen Christ in our own lives, to encounter him 'alive,' is the greatest spiritual joy, an explosion of light that can leave no one untouched," the Pontiff assured.
Do not shy away from the needs of others
The Pope invites young people to remain outward-looking and attentive to the needs of others.
He recalled:
Rather than wasting time "on seeking attention or the approval of others – as often happens when we depend on our 'likes' on social media," youth should follow the example of Mary, who "sets out to find the most genuine of all 'connections': the one that comes from encounter, sharing, love and service," the Pope said.
And he praised the devotion that arises in so many shrines around the world:
Mary's own special visit to Portugal
Francis also recalled that Mary made a "special visit" to Portugal when, from Fatima in 1917, "She addressed to people of all ages the powerful and magnificent message of God’s love, which summons us to conversion and to true freedom."
The Pontiff visited the Portuguese shrine in 2017, on the occasion of the centenary of the apparitions. If he returns to the country for WYD, Portugal will be the second European state - outside Italy - visited by Francis twice, after Greece, visited in 2016 and 2021.
But in a recent interview with Portuguese television, the Pope, who will be 86 in December, left it unclear whether he would personally participate in the WYD. "The Pope will come… Francis, or John XXIV," he said with humor.
In 2013, the medical difficulties posed by the prospect of a trip to Brazil were rumored to be a factor in the renunciation of Benedict XVI.
