杏MAP导航

By Sr Bernadette Mary Reis, fsp

杏MAP导航 Francis met with more than 70,000 altar servers participating in the 12^th International Pilgrimage for Altar Boys and Girls. During the Extraordinary Audience in St Peter鈥檚 Square on Tuesday, 5 of the pilgrims posed questions to 杏MAP导航 Francis.

Peace and Mass go together

杏MAP导航 Francis agreed with the altar server who brought up a question regarding the sign of peace during Mass. 鈥淧eace and Holy Mass go together鈥�, 杏MAP导航 Francis said. We pray asking Jesus to give us His peace, and we are sent forth in peace at the end of Mass, he continued. Then 杏MAP导航 Francis proposed that the young people ask themselves in every situation: 鈥淲hat would Jesus do in my place?鈥� By doing that 鈥渨e will bring Christ鈥檚 peace to our everyday lives鈥�, he said.

Contemplation and service

Another pilgrim asked the 杏MAP导航 to explain how they can live contemplatively while serving. To this question, the 杏MAP导航 suggested that 鈥淚t would be wonderful if, alongside your service to the liturgy, you could become more involved in the life of your parish and also spend some time in silence in the Lord鈥檚 presence鈥�. This practice, he said, would allow them to discover their own talents, understand how to develop them and what God鈥檚 plan for them is. 鈥淩emember,鈥� he told them, 鈥渢he more you give yourself to others, the more you will get back in personal fulfilment and true happiness!鈥�

You can be apostles

鈥淵ou can be apostles, capable of drawing others to Jesus鈥�, 杏MAP导航 Francis responded to a question regarding the pilgrims鈥� peers who do not go to church. 鈥淭his will happen if you are full of enthusiasm for him鈥�, he explained. The 杏MAP导航 then encouraged the pilgrims to spend time knowing and loving Jesus through prayer, Mass, Gospel reading, and through the poor. 鈥淭ry also to be friends, with no strings attached, to all those around you, so that a ray of Jesus鈥� light can shine on them through your own heart in love with him鈥�, the 杏MAP导航 said.

Faith is like air

To a question on the need for faith, 杏MAP导航 Francis said that 鈥渇aith is like the air we breathe鈥� and that it 鈥渉elps us to grasp the meaning of life鈥�. This faith leads us to the conviction that we are God鈥檚 children, and belong to his family, the Church. There 鈥渢he Lord nourishes his sons and daughters with his word and with his sacraments鈥�, 杏MAP导航 Francis told them.

Jesus鈥� plan for becoming holy

The last question came from a pilgrim who wanted to know how to translate service into works of charity in order to become holy. 杏MAP导航 Francis responded saying that Jesus鈥� 鈥渟imple plan for advancing in the way of holiness鈥� is the commandment to love God and our neighbor. This commandment becomes even more concrete in the works of mercy, 杏MAP导航 Francis continued. The question to ask is 鈥淲hat can I do today to meet the needs of my neighbor?鈥� who may be a friend or a stranger, he said. 鈥淏elieve me, by doing this, you can become real saints, men and woman who transform the world by living the love of Christ鈥�, 杏MAP导航 Francis concluded.