Christ is knocking at the door of your heart, Pope tells youth
August 18, 2014
On the evening of August 15, Pope Francis traveled by helicopter from Daejeon, where he had celebrated Mass, to the Shrine of Solmoe, the birthplace of St. Andrew Kim Taegon.
“Christ is knocking at the door of your heart, of my heart,” he told the Asian youth who had gathered there. “He calls you and me to rise, to be wide awake and alert, and to see the things in life that really matter. What is more, he is asking you and me to go out on the highways and byways of this world, knocking on the doors of other people’s hearts, inviting them to welcome him into their lives.”
The Pope then noted that the Church, “a seed of unity for the whole human family, is distant from the “spirit of the world,” with its “weeds of selfishness, hostility and injustice … We see signs of an idolatry of wealth, power and pleasure which come at a high cost to human lives. Closer to home, so many of our own friends and contemporaries, even in the midst of immense material prosperity, are suffering from spiritual poverty, loneliness and quiet despair. God seems to be removed from the picture. It is almost as though a spiritual desert is beginning to spread throughout our world.”
Speaking extemporaneously, Pope Francis then referred to questions asked by some the youth, on topics from discerning a vocation, to the unity of the two Koreas, to Cambodian martyrs.
On the topic of discerning a vocation, he said:
But you do not have to choose any path! The Lord must choose it! Jesus has chosen it! You have to listen to him and ask: Lord, what should I do?
This is the prayer that a young person should make: “Lord what do you want from me?” With prayer and the advice of some good friends – laity, priests, religious sisters, bishops, popes (even the Pope can offer some good advice!) – you can find the path that the Lord wants for you.
Let us pray together! [to the interpreter: Have them repeat in Korean: Lord, what do you want from my life? Three times.] Let us pray!
For all current news, visit our News home page.
Further information:
- Meeting with the Asian youth at the Shrine of Solmoe (15 August 2014)
- Pope asks young Koreans to pray for unity (Vatican Radio)
- Birthplace of Korean Catholicism, Solmoe (Korea.net)
All comments are moderated. To lighten our editing burden, only current donors are allowed to Sound Off. If you are a current donor, log in to see the comment form; otherwise please support our work, and Sound Off!
