THE APOSTLES PREPARE FOR THE XXXVII WORLD YOUTH DAY

In his message for the XXXVII World Youth Day 2023, Pope Francis states: “After the annunciation, Mary could have concentrated on herself, her worries and fears due to her new condition. Instead, she trusted totally in God (...). She got up and went forth into the sunlight, where there is life and movement because she was certain that God’s plan was the best for her life (...). To experience the risen Christ in one’s own life, to encounter him “alive” , is the greatest spiritual joy, an explosion of light that can leave no one standng still. It immediately springs us into action and urges us to bring this news to the others, and give witness to the joy of this encounter.

Mother Clelia encourages us in this way: “Daughters, let us ask God for this spirit of zeal, without paying attention to the cost of the effort and the sufferings of a true apostolate; let us try to use all the means which are in our hands to make our God known, loved, served and glorified...” (Book 5, Letter 1, p. 11-12– Mg 1, p.120). “When divine love takes possession of a heart, it arouses in it a great desire to see her God known, loved and served (...) True love makes one feel insatiable zeal. The more a soul loves Jesus with a sincere heart, the more it sees the good that needs to be done, the more it wants to do, and never say enough. If she could, she would soar everywhere to make you love and honor her God.” (Book 7, Letter 5, p. 60-61 – Mg 1, p. 7).

Mary gets up because she is sure that God’s plans are the best possible plan for her life. If we want to transmit to young people this certainty, we must first of all be certain of it ourselves! Thus we are invited to ask ourselves: What moves us to go out to young people? What certainties do we urgently want to communicate to them? What is truly driving us to go and meet with them?

Because we run the risk of seeking ourselves, their consent, their friendship, of limiting ourselves to spending good times with them. Mary’s haste is her concern for service, for joyful proclamation, for prompt response to the grace of the Holy Spirit. With this holy haste we want to participate in the XXXVII World Youth Day and put ourselves at the service of the Heart of Jesus to evangelize, especially by our witness, the young people we will accompany and those we will meet there!

Sr. Maria Fernanda Trucco Alemán General Councilor