30th annual Youth Festival opens in Medjugorje
By Francesca Merlo
Over 50,000 young people from all over the world have gathered in Medjugorje to reflect, this year, on the theme 鈥淔ollow me鈥.
The opening Mass, presided over by Cardinal Angelo De Donatis, Vicar General of Rome, on August 1st, inaugurated the start of the 6 day long Festival; while the closing ceremony is expected to be presided over by Archbishop Salvatore Fisichella, President of the Pontifical Council for Promoting New Evangelisation on August 6th.
Cardinal De Donatis began his homily by expressing amazement 鈥渁t the grace that the Lord continually pours out upon us鈥. 鈥淓verything鈥, he said, 鈥渋s grace鈥.
Three indications
The Cardinal said that in order to listen to Jesus when He said 鈥楩ollow me鈥, it is necessary 鈥渢hat the Holy Spirit open our hearts and that He fill them with divine wisdom鈥.
鈥淭oday鈥檚 gospel鈥, he continued, 鈥減resents to us the scribe of the New Covenant, the wise man according to the Gospel鈥. The Cardinal then went on to describe three indications 鈥渁mongst others鈥 that can be drawn from him.
The first: As a good fisherman
鈥淭he Kingdom of heaven- as we have heard of it - is similar to a fishing net鈥, began the Cardinal. 鈥淭he net鈥, he explained, 鈥渋s thrown at sea in order to collect as many fish as possible鈥. The fishermen then select the good fish, to be eaten, and the bad, to be discarded, he said. 鈥淓very Christian鈥, explained the Cardinal, 鈥渋s like a good fisherman, who watches over the sea of his mind holding back the holy thoughts and throwing away the useless or poisonous ones鈥.
鈥淐ourage鈥, said the Cardinal. 鈥淭he Gospel invites us to purify our thoughts in order to welcome the thought of Christ. An evangelical heart asks for a free mind!鈥
The second: Seeking the horizon of truth
Cardinal De Donatis then introduced the second indication. 鈥淛esus speaks of a Judgment鈥, he began. 鈥淭his Judgment鈥, he said, 鈥渋s a happy light of truth, not the judgment of a tyrant鈥. Cardinal De Donatis described the Final Judgment as the 鈥渢riumph of divine love鈥 for all those who believe. For those who have denied Christ, he continued, this light 鈥渇ull of goodness鈥 will 鈥渉ighlight the truth of a life lived without fruit鈥.
He explained that we must 鈥渁nticipate the true judgment of God by immediately placing ourselves on the horizon of truth. A young Christian鈥, he concluded, 鈥渋s wise鈥 when he or she 鈥渟peaks the truth, seeks the truth, offers the truth鈥.
The third: Old with new
Finally, the Cardinal introduced the third indication. The day鈥檚 Gospel, he said, 鈥渆xplains that the scribe of the Kingdom is the Christian who draws old and new things from the treasure of his heart鈥. This wonderful expression, he explained, can be used to understand the relationship between old and new. 鈥淭he Old Testament prepares the New鈥, he said. But, he continued, it can only fully be understood when making reference to the Old. 鈥淥ld and New need each other in order to open up to each other鈥.
鈥淭he authentic Christian鈥, concluded Cardinal De Donatis, 鈥渋s neither traditionalist nor progressive鈥. The authentic Christian 鈥減reserves the good taste of homemade bread鈥 he said: 鈥淔ragrant and appetizing precisely because it is kneaded and baked with an ancient recipe鈥.
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