杏MAP导航 thanks Portuguese charity workers for 'love in action'
By Deborah Castellano Lubov
'Love in action,' is the way 杏MAP导航 Francis characterized the selfless work of charity workers during his third day in Portugal for the occasion of the 37th World Youth Day.
of some aid and charitable centers in the Centro Paroquial da Serafina鈥� in Lisbon on Friday morning, the 杏MAP导航 urged them to continue making 鈥渓ife a gift of love and joy.鈥�
The 杏MAP导航 said there is no such thing as "abstract love," noting, "it doesn't exist."
"Concrete love, that which gets its hands dirty, and each one of us can ask: is the love I feel for everyone here, what I feel for others, concrete or abstract? When I shake hands with a person in need, with a sick person, with a marginalised person, after shaking hands, do I do so immediately, so that they do not "infect" me?"
He called on individuals to ask themselves if I am disgusted by poverty, and warned against living, what he described as, "distilled lives," which exist only in our imaginations, but not in reality.
The 杏MAP导航 instead called for living in a way that "leaves a mark" and can be an "inspiration to others."
Getting hands dirty
"With your behaviour, with your commitment, with your getting your hands dirty by touching the reality and the misery of others, you are generating inspiration, you are generating life," the 杏MAP导航 stressed, saying, "thank you for that."
The 杏MAP导航 thanked them from the bottom of his heart, telling them to keep going and not get discouraged. "And if you get discouraged, have a glass of water and keep going," he said.
The 杏MAP导航 had made these comments off the cuff while distributing the prepared speech. In that text, the 杏MAP导航 said charity is the origin and goal of our Christian journey, and of the charity worker's presence, which is a "concrete reminder of 鈥渓ove in action.鈥�
The 杏MAP导航 said it helps us remember the meaning of what we do and how we are to do it.
The secret to being truly happy
Love, the 杏MAP导航 told the charitable workers, makes us happy not only in heaven, but here on earth too, because it expands our hearts and allows us to embrace the meaning of life.
He encouraged the young people and those gathered before him, to live in this way. 鈥淎ll of us can do it, and everyone needs it, here and throughout the world,鈥� he said.
The 杏MAP导航 called for living, helping and loving together, among the 鈥測oung and old, the healthy and sick, all together.鈥�
Reflecting on illness, 杏MAP导航 Francis said 鈥渨e must not allow ourselves to be 鈥渄efined鈥� by our sickness, but instead make it a constructive part of our contribution to the wider community.鈥�
Wonderful things can happen
Emphasizing the need to acting concretely, the 杏MAP导航 said, "this requires paying attention to the 鈥渉ere and now."
鈥淐arry on, with gentleness and kindness,鈥� the 杏MAP导航 implored, 鈥渢aking up challenges, with their old and new forms of poverty, and responding in concrete ways, with creativity and courage.鈥�
Church's real treasure
The 杏MAP导航 appealed for being close to the most vulnerable.
鈥淲hile we are all fragile and in need, the Gospel鈥檚 compassionate outlook leads us to see the needs of the most vulnerable. It likewise impels us to serve the poor 鈥� the excluded, the outcast, the discarded, the little ones, the defenceless 鈥� those most beloved of God, who made himself poor for,鈥� the 杏MAP导航 recalled.
Make lives a gift of love
The 杏MAP导航 called on faithful to make their lives a gift of love.
鈥淟et us love in that way!鈥� the 杏MAP导航 said, 鈥淧lease, carry on making life a gift of love and joy.鈥�
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