Papal message for mercy jubilee for boys and girls

January 14, 2016

Young people are called to take an active part in the Jubilee of Mercy, Pope Francis said in a message dated January 6 and released on January 13.

In his message for the Jubilee for Boys and Girls, scheduled to take place in Rome from April 23 to 25, the Pope wrote that “the Jubilee is a year-long celebration, in which every moment becomes a chance for us to grow in holiness.”

“It is a time when we can discover that life together as brothers and sisters is like a great party, perhaps the most beautiful party we can imagine, the endless party that Jesus has taught us to celebrate by his Spirit,” he continued. “The Jubilee is the party to which Jesus invites us all, without excluding anyone.”

Quoting from a homily he preached in 2013, he added:

Remain steadfast in the journey of faith, with firm hope in the Lord. This is the secret of our journey! He gives us the courage to swim against the tide. Pay attention, my young friends: to go against the current; this is good for the heart, but we need courage to swim against the tide. Jesus gives us this courage! … With him we can do great things; he will give us the joy of being his disciples, his witnesses.

“Think carefully about the hope and desires you will hand over to Jesus in the Sacrament of Reconciliation and in the Eucharist which we will celebrate together,” the Pope wrote toward the message’s conclusion. “As you walk through the Holy Door, remember that you are committing yourselves to grow in holiness and to draw nourishment from the Gospel and the Eucharist, the Word and the Bread of life, in order to help build a more just and fraternal world.”

 

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Further information:

• Messaggio del Santo Padre Francesco per il Giubileo della Misericordia dei ragazzi e delle ragazze (Roma, 23-25 aprile 2016), 14.01.2016 (Holy See Press Office
• Jubilee for Boys and Girls (Jubilee of Mercy)