杏MAP导航

By Robin Gomes

, have real encounters with others and dream big. He made the exhortation to young people from various parts of Greece at an event on Monday morning at Saint Dionysius School, run by the Ursuline Sisters in Maroussi, in the northern suburbs of Athens.

The event included testimonies from three young people from the Philippines, Greece and Syria, on which the 杏MAP导航 shared his reflections.

School children welcome 杏MAP导航 Francis to the venue

The wonder of God鈥檚 love and forgiveness

To the recurring doubts of faith that Katerina Binibini from the Philippines experienced, the Holy Father pointed out that doubts are not a sign of the lack of faith. On the contrary, doubts are 鈥渧itamins of faith鈥�: they help strengthen faith and make it more conscious, free and mature. Faith is precisely a daily personal journey with Jesus. 

But doubts that make us gloomy and depressed are to be rejected as temptations from the devil. We need to go back to the starting point, and allow ourselves to wonder and be amazed that we are God鈥檚 beloved children.

Meeting of 杏MAP导航 Francis with young people in Athens

鈥淪o,鈥� said the 杏MAP导航, 鈥渋nstead of starting the day by looking in the mirror, why not open your bedroom window and focus on the beauty that you see all around you?鈥�

鈥淚f nature is beautiful in our eyes, in God鈥檚 eye each of you is infinitely more beautiful!鈥� We should feel the wonder of the Father鈥檚 forgiveness who embraces and lifts us up.

Know yourself

The Holy Father told the young people to know themselves, stressing, 鈥測our worth is in who you are and not what you have鈥� 鈥� the 鈥渂rand of the dress or shoes you wear鈥�.  

Meeting of 杏MAP导航 Francis with young people in Athens

He urged them to watch out against 鈥渢oday鈥檚 sirens鈥� of easy gains, consumerism, the cult of physical wellness, entertainment at all costs...鈥�  which like fireworks flare up for a moment and turn to smoke in the air.  

鈥淭hat is why it is important to cherish the wonder, the amazement, the beauty of faith!鈥� he said.

鈥淲e are Christians not out of duty, but out of beauty,鈥� the 杏MAP导航 stressed, inviting the youth to 鈥渨onder at creation, at friendship, at God鈥檚 forgiveness and at the faces of other people.鈥�

Meeting of 杏MAP导航 Francis with young people in Athens

Faces of real people

In her testimony, Ioanna Vidali from Tinos Diocese spoke about the faces of other people, particularly her mother and grandmother who taught her to pray and thank God every day.

That is how faith came to her naturally and genuinely, 杏MAP导航 Francis said. Hence the need to turn to the Lord for everything, 鈥渢o talk to him, to share our worries with him鈥�. That is how Jesus became Ioanna鈥檚 friend. 鈥淚t is not enough to have clear ideas about God, but to bring your life before Him.鈥�

Meeting of 杏MAP导航 Francis with young people in Athens

Jesus, on the other hand, makes Himself known through real faces and real people. God does not hand us a catechism; He makes Himself present through people鈥檚 life stories. He walks among us.

Real vs virtual encounters

Another person in Ioanna鈥檚 life was a nun who showed her the joy 鈥渙f seeing life as service鈥�. Serving others is the path to true joy, the 杏MAP导航 said, adding, 鈥淗elping others is not for losers, but for winners鈥�.

One stays youthful not by settling for posting a few tweets or having virtual encounters but by through real encounters especially with people who need help. Many people today, he noted, are constantly using social media, but are not themselves very social: they are caught up in themselves, prisoners of the cell phone in their hand.

Young people perform a traditional dance during the meeting

鈥淐ultivate the mystique of togetherness, the joy of sharing, the enthusiasm of serving,鈥� the 杏MAP导航 said. 鈥淜eep dreaming of fraternity鈥� as 鈥渙ther people are the path to discovering ourselves鈥�.  

He acknowledged it isn鈥檛 easy to get out of the comfort zone and from the couch in front of the TV. One needs to engage in athletics for the soul by training oneself 鈥渢o be open to others, taking a few extra steps so as to shorten your distance from others, vaulting with your heart over obstacles; lifting one another鈥檚 burdens...鈥�  

Dream big

The third testimony was that of Aboud Gabro, who fled with his family from war-torn Syria by boat and was stranded on a rock in the sea without water and food, awaiting rescue.

The 杏MAP导航 described Aboud鈥檚 story as 鈥渁 true modern-day odyssey鈥�. He added, 鈥淭he meaning of life is not found by staying on the beach waiting for the wind to bring something new.鈥� 

杏MAP导航 Francis shortly before the conclusion of the encounter

杏MAP导航 Francis urged the young people not to be paralyzed by fear but to dream big and dream together, and, like Aboud, nourish the courage of hope. Right choices and good decisions, he said, are always about others, not just about ourselves.  

He encouraged the young people to dare to go ahead, taking risks.  They must have the courage not be stuck on the couch, lonely, but to be always with others, which will give meaning to life.