杏MAP导航

By Vatican News

Around 100,000 people attended the 杏MAP导航鈥檚 Mass in Port Louis. That鈥檚 roughly 10% of the entire population of Mauritius.

A symbolic location

The Mass was celebrated at the Monument of Our Lady, on the slopes of a mountain overlooking the city. The Monument was inaugurated on the Feast of the Assumption in 1940, and was dedicated to Mary Queen of Peace in thanksgiving for keeping the country safe during World War I.

This is where 杏MAP导航 St John Paul II celebrated Mass when he visited the island nation in 1989. In a deeply symbolic gesture of continuity, 杏MAP导航 Francis chose to use the same crozier carried here by his predecessor 30 years ago.

A great multitude

鈥淏efore this altar dedicated to Mary Queen of Peace, on this mountain from which we can see the city and the sea beyond, we are part of a great multitude鈥�, said the 杏MAP导航, 鈥渁 sea of faces come from Mauritius and other islands of this Indian Ocean region to hear Jesus preach the Beatitudes鈥�.

The Beatitudes

The Beatitudes were at the heart of the 杏MAP导航鈥檚 homily. They are like 鈥渁 Christian鈥檚 identity card鈥�, he said. 鈥淚f anyone asks: 鈥榃hat must one do to be a good Christian?鈥� the answer is clear. We have to do, each in our own way, what Jesus told us in the Sermon on the Mount鈥�.

In the Beatitudes, continued 杏MAP导航 Francis, 鈥渨e find a portrait of the Master, which we are called to reflect in our daily lives鈥�.

Blessed Jacques-Désiré Laval

杏MAP导航 Francis went on to recall Blessed Jacques-Désiré Laval, the 鈥淎postle of Mauritian unity鈥�. Quoting Saint Paul, the 杏MAP导航 said Blessed Laval knew that evangelization entails becoming 鈥渁ll things to all people鈥�. That is why 鈥渉e learned the language of the recently freed slaves and taught them the Good News of salvation in simple language鈥�.

Father Laval鈥檚 pastoral care earned him 鈥渢he trust of the poor and outcast鈥�, said the 杏MAP导航. 鈥淭hrough his missionary outreach and his love, Father Laval gave to the Mauritian Church a new youth, a new life, that today we are asked to carry forward鈥�.

Missionary momentum

Missionary momentum, said the 杏MAP导航, has 鈥渁 young and invigorating face鈥�. For it is the young, he said, 鈥渨ho can give it the beauty and freshness of youth, when they challenge the Christian community to renewal and urge us to strike out in new directions鈥�.

杏MAP导航 Francis recognised that this is not always easy. 鈥淚t means learning to acknowledge the presence of the young and to make room for them in our communities and in our society鈥�, he said.

Young people

The 杏MAP导航 then turned his attention specifically to young people. Unemployment 鈥渃reates uncertainty about the future鈥�, he said, and this 鈥渕akes them feel that they are on the margins of society; it leaves them vulnerable and helpless before new forms of slavery in this twenty-first century鈥�.

杏MAP导航 Francis identified young people as 鈥渙ur foremost mission鈥�. We must not speak to them 鈥渋n an aloof or distant way鈥�, he said, but 鈥渓earn their language, listen to their stories, spend time with them, and make them feel that they too are blessed by God鈥�.

Joyful Christians

鈥淥nly joyful Christians鈥� awaken in others the desire to follow the path of Christ鈥檚 call to be 鈥渂lessed鈥�, continued the 杏MAP导航. The word 鈥渂lessed鈥� means 鈥渉appy鈥�, he said. 鈥淚t becomes a synonym for 鈥榟oly鈥�, because it expresses the fact that those who are faithful to God and His word, by their self-giving, gain true happiness鈥�.

杏MAP导航 Francis concluded his homily at the Mass in Port Louis, confirming that 鈥渨hen young people see the project of a Christian life being carried out with joy, this excites and encourages them鈥�.

They too want to 鈥渃limb this Mount of the Beatitudes鈥�, said the 杏MAP导航, they too want to 鈥渕eet the gaze of Jesus and learn from Him the path to true joy鈥�.