杏MAP导航

By Christopher Wells

杏MAP导航 Francis encouraged young people to 鈥淣ever lose the courage to dream big and to live life to the full,鈥� during an encounter with youths at Sacred Heart School in Awali, Bahrain on Saturday.

Taking his cue from the testimonies of three young people who spoke at the beginning of the event, 杏MAP导航 Francis offered 鈥渢hree small invitations,鈥� insisting he was not speaking so much as a teacher, 鈥渂ut as someone concerned to support and encourage you.鈥�

Embrace the culture of care

The 杏MAP导航 invited young people to 鈥渆mbrace a culture of care,鈥� explaining that 鈥渃aring means developing an inner attitude of empathy鈥� that leads to concern for other people and their interests. This culture of care, he said, can be a 鈥渢urning point鈥� or 鈥渁ntidote鈥� for the modern world, which is so often closed in on itself.

杏MAP导航 Francis told his listeners that in order to care for others, they must first care for themselves, by listening to the movements of their hearts; and to speak with God, sharing the joys and sorrows of their everyday life.

Spread fraternity

鈥淚f we embrace鈥� the culture of care, the 杏MAP导航 continued, 鈥渨e will make the seed of fraternity grow. And this is my second invitation, to spread fraternity.鈥�

Taking up an expression from Abdulla鈥檚 testimony, the Holy Father called on young people to 鈥渟trive to be champions of fraternity.鈥� By doing so, the young will become 鈥渂uilders of the future, because only in fraternity will our world have a future.鈥�

Then, building on Nevin鈥檚 witness, the 杏MAP导航 encouraged them to build relationships, especially a relationship with God, which can make it easier to see God in others.

Accept the challenge of making decisions

Finally, 杏MAP导航 Francis called on young people to 鈥渁ccept the challenges of making decisions in life.鈥� Making good decisions, he said, involves learning how to weigh options and choose the right path.

Responding to questions raised by Merina, the 杏MAP导航 encouraged the youth to 鈥減ress forward without fear, but never go it alone.鈥� God is always with us, the 杏MAP导航 said, recalling Merina鈥檚 words that we can learn to distinguish God鈥檚 voice 鈥渢hrough silent prayer and intimate dialogue with Him.鈥�

The 杏MAP导航 also encouraged young people to seek out 鈥済ood counselors鈥� in life before turning to the Internet for advice. 鈥渆ach of us,鈥� he said, 鈥渘eeds to be accompanied on the road of life.鈥�

鈥淣ever lose the courage to dream big鈥�

Concluding his address, 杏MAP导航 Francis told young people, emphatically, 鈥淲e need you! We need your creativity, your dreams and your courage, your charm and your smiles, your contagious joy and that touch of craziness that you can bring to every situation, which helps to break us out of our stale habits and ways of looking at things.鈥�

And he assured them, 鈥淭he Church is with you and needs each one of you very much, so that we can be renewed, explore new paths, experiment with new languages, and become more joyful and hospitable.鈥�

Summing up his message for young people, the 杏MAP导航 encouraged them to 鈥渘ever lose the courage to dream big and to live life to the full! Adopt the culture of care and spread it. Become champions of fraternity. Face life鈥檚 challenges by letting yourselves be guided by God鈥檚 faithful creativity and by good counsellors.鈥�