Here is
the text of Pope Benedict XVI’s remarks at the April 19 rally with
seminarians and young people at St. Joseph’s Seminary in Yonkers, NewYork.
Your eminence, dear brother bishops, dear young friends,
"Proclaim the Lord Christ … and always have your answer ready for
people who ask the reason for the hope that is within you" (1 Pt 3:15).
With these words from the First Letter of Peter, I greet each of you
with heartfelt affection. I thank Cardinal Egan for his kind words of
welcome, and I also thank the representatives chosen from among you for
their gestures of welcome. To Bishop Walsh, rector of St. Joseph’s
Seminary, staff and seminarians, I offer my special greetings and
gratitude.
Young friends, I am very happy to have the opportunity to speak
with you. Please pass on my warm greetings to your family members and
relatives, and to the teachers and staff of the various schools,
colleges and universities you attend. I know that many people have
worked hard to ensure that our gathering could take place. I am most
grateful to them all. Also, I wish to acknowledge your singing to me
"Happy Birthday"! Thank you for this moving gesture; I give you all an
A-plus for your German pronunciation! This evening I wish to share with
you some thoughts about being disciples of Jesus Christ — walking in
the Lord’s footsteps, our own lives become a journey of hope.
In front of you are the images of six ordinary men and women
who grew up to lead extraordinary lives. The church honors them as
venerable, blessed or saint: Each responded to the Lord’s call to a
life of charity, and each served him here in the alleys, streets and
suburbs of New York. I am struck by what a remarkably diverse group
they are: poor and rich, lay men and women — one a wealthy wife and
mother — priests and sisters, immigrants from afar, the daughter of a
Mohawk warrior father and Algonquin mother, another a Haitian slave,
and a Cuban intellectual.
St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, St. Frances Xavier Cabrini, St. John
Neumann, Blessed Kateri Tekakwitha, Venerable Pierre Toussaint and
Padre Felix Varela: Any one of us could be among them, for there is no
stereotype to this group, no single mold. Yet a closer look reveals
that there are common elements. Inflamed with the love of Jesus, their
lives became remarkable journeys of hope.
For some, that meant leaving home and embarking on a pilgrim
journey of thousands of miles. For each there was an act of abandonment
to God, in the confidence that he is the final destination of every
pilgrim. And all offered an outstretched hand of hope to those they
encountered along the way, often awakening in them a life of faith.
Through orphanages, schools and hospitals, by befriending the poor, the
sick and the marginalized, and through the compelling witness that
comes from walking humbly in the footsteps of Jesus, these six people
laid open the way of faith, hope and charity to countless individuals,
including perhaps your own ancestors.
And what of today? Who bears witness to the good news of Jesus
on the streets of New York, in the troubled neighborhoods of large
cities, in the places where the young gather, seeking someone in whom
they can trust? God is our origin and our destination, and Jesus the
way. The path of that journey twists and turns — just as it did for
our saints — through the joys and the trials of ordinary, everyday
life: within your families, at school or college, during your
recreation activities and in your parish communities.
All these places are marked by the culture in which you are
growing up. As young Americans you are offered many opportunities for
personal development, and you are brought up with a sense of
generosity, service and fairness. Yet you do not need me to tell you
that there are also difficulties: activities and mind-sets which stifle
hope, pathways which seem to lead to happiness and fulfillment but in
fact end only in confusion and fear.
My own years as a teenager were marred by a sinister regime
that thought it had all the answers; its influence grew — infiltrating
schools and civic bodies, as well as politics and even religion —
before it was fully recognized for the monster it was. It banished God
and thus became impervious to anything true and good. Many of your
grandparents and great-grandparents will have recounted the horror of
the destruction that ensued. Indeed, some of them came to America
precisely to escape such terror.
Let us thank God that today many people of your generation are
able to enjoy the liberties which have arisen through the extension of
democracy and respect for human rights. Let us thank God for all those
who strive to ensure that you can grow up in an environment that
nurtures what is beautiful, good and true: your parents and
grandparents, your teachers and priests, those civic leaders who seek
what is right and just.
The power to destroy does, however, remain. To pretend
otherwise would be to fool ourselves. Yet it never triumphs; it is
defeated. This is the essence of the hope that defines us as
Christians; and the church recalls this most dramatically during the
Easter triduum and celebrates it with great joy in the season of
Easter! The One who shows us the way beyond death is the One who shows
us how to overcome destruction and fear: Thus it is Jesus who is the
true teacher of life (cf. "Spe Salvi," 6). His death and resurrection
mean that we can say to the Father, "You have restored us to life!"
(Good Friday prayer after Communion).
And so, just a few weeks ago, during the beautiful Easter Vigil
liturgy, it was not from despair or fear that we cried out to God for
our world but with hope-filled confidence: Dispel the darkness of our
heart! Dispel the darkness of our minds! (cf. prayer at the lighting of
the Easter Candle).
What might that darkness be? What happens when people,
especially the most vulnerable, encounter a clenched fist of repression
or manipulation rather than a hand of hope? A first group of examples
pertains to the heart. Here, the dreams and longings that young people
pursue can so easily be shattered or destroyed. I am thinking of those
affected by drug and substance abuse, homelessness and poverty, racism,
violence and degradation — especially of girls and women.
While the causes of these problems are complex, all have in
common a poisoned attitude of mind which results in people being
treated as mere objects — a callousness of heart takes hold which
first ignores, then ridicules the God-given dignity of every human
being. Such tragedies also point to what might have been and what could
be were there other hands — your hands — reaching out. I encourage
you to invite others, especially the vulnerable and the innocent, to
join you along the way of goodness and hope.
The second area of darkness — that which affects the mind —
often goes unnoticed and for this reason is particularly sinister. The
manipulation of truth distorts our perception of reality, and tarnishes
our imagination and aspirations. I have already mentioned the many
liberties which you are fortunate enough to enjoy. The fundamental
importance of freedom must be rigorously safeguarded. It is no surprise
then that numerous individuals and groups vociferously claim their
freedom in the public forum.
Yet freedom is a delicate value. It can be misunderstood or
misused so as to lead not to the happiness which we all expect it to
yield but to a dark arena of manipulation in which our understanding of
self and the world becomes confused or even distorted by those who have
an ulterior agenda.
Have you noticed how often the call for freedom is made without
ever referring to the truth of the human person? Some today argue that
respect for freedom of the individual makes it wrong to seek truth,
including the truth about what is good. In some circles to speak of
truth is seen as controversial or divisive and consequently best kept
in the private sphere. And in truth’s place — or better said its
absence — an idea has spread which, in giving value to everything
indiscriminately, claims to assure freedom and to liberate conscience.
This we call relativism.
But what purpose has a "freedom" which, in disregarding truth,
pursues what is false or wrong? How many young people have been offered
a hand which in the name of freedom or experience has led them to
addiction, to moral or intellectual confusion, to hurt, to a loss of
self-respect, even to despair and so tragically and sadly to the taking
of their own life?
Dear friends, truth is not an imposition. Nor is it simply a
set of rules. It is a discovery of the One who never fails us; the One
whom we can always trust. In seeking truth we come to live by belief
because ultimately truth is a person: Jesus Christ. That is why
authentic freedom is not an opting out. It is an opting in; nothing
less than letting go of self and allowing oneself to be drawn into
Christ’s very being for others (cf. "Spe Salvi," 28).
How then can we as believers help others to walk the path of
freedom which brings fulfillment and lasting happiness? Let us again
turn to the saints. How did their witness truly free others from the
darkness of heart and mind? The answer is found in the kernel of their
faith; the kernel of our faith.
The incarnation, the birth of Jesus, tells us that God does
indeed find a place among us. Though the inn is full, he enters through
the stable, and there are people who see his light. They recognize
Herod’s dark closed world for what it is and instead follow the bright
guiding star of the night sky.
And what shines forth? Here you might recall the prayer uttered
on the most holy night of Easter: "Father we share in the light of your
glory through your Son the light of the world … inflame us with your
hope!" (blessing of the fire). And so, in solemn procession with our
lighted candles we pass the light of Christ among us. It is "the light
which dispels all evil, washes guilt away, restores lost innocence,
brings mourners joy, casts out hatred, brings us peace and humbles
earthly pride" ("Exsultet").
This is Christ’s light at work. This is the way of the saints. It is a
magnificent vision of hope — Christ’s light beckons you to be guiding
stars for others, walking Christ’s way of forgiveness, reconciliation,
humility, joy and peace.
At times, however, we are tempted to close in on ourselves, to
doubt the strength of Christ’s radiance, to limit the horizon of hope.
Take courage! Fix your gaze on our saints. The diversity of their
experience of God’s presence prompts us to discover anew the breadth
and depth of Christianity. Let your imaginations soar freely along the
limitless expanse of the horizons of Christian discipleship.
Sometimes we are looked upon as people who speak only of
prohibitions. Nothing could be further from the truth! Authentic
Christian discipleship is marked by a sense of wonder. We stand before
the God we know and love as a friend, the vastness of his creation and
the beauty of our Christian faith.
Dear friends, the example of the saints invites us, then, to
consider four essential aspects of the treasure of our faith: personal
prayer and silence, liturgical prayer, charity in action, and
vocations.
What matters most is that you develop your personal
relationship with God. That relationship is expressed in prayer. God by
his very nature speaks, hears and replies. Indeed, St. Paul reminds us:
We can and should "pray constantly" (1 Thes 5:17).
Far from turning in on ourselves or withdrawing from the ups
and downs of life, by praying we turn toward God and through him to
each other, including the marginalized and those following ways other
than God’s path (cf. "Spe Salvi," 33). As the saints teach us so
vividly, prayer becomes hope in action. Christ was their constant
companion, with whom they conversed at every step of their journey for
others.
There is another aspect of prayer which we need to remember:
silent contemplation. St. John, for example, tells us that to embrace
God’s revelation we must first listen, then respond by proclaiming what
we have heard and seen (cf. 1 Jn 1:2-3; "Dei Verbum," 1). Have we
perhaps lost something of the art of listening? Do you leave space to
hear God’s whisper calling you forth into goodness? Friends, do not be
afraid of silence or stillness, listen to God, adore him in the
Eucharist. Let his word shape your journey as an unfolding of holiness.
In the liturgy we find the whole church at prayer. The word
"liturgy" means the participation of God’s people in "the work of
Christ the priest and of his body, which is the church" ("Sacrosanctum
Concilium," 7).
What is that work? First of all it refers to Christ’s passion,
his death and resurrection and his ascension — what we call the
"paschal mystery." It also refers to the celebration of the liturgy
itself. The two meanings are in fact inseparably linked because this
"work of Jesus" is the real content of the liturgy.
Through the liturgy, the "work of Jesus" is continually brought
into contact with history, with our lives in order to shape them. Here
we catch another glimpse of the grandeur of our Christian faith.
Whenever you gather for Mass, when you go to confession, whenever you
celebrate any of the sacraments, Jesus is at work. Through the Holy
Spirit, he draws you to himself, into his sacrificial love of the
Father, which becomes love for all.
We see then that the church’s liturgy is a ministry of hope for
humanity. Your faithful participation, is an active hope which helps to
keep the world — saints and sinners alike — open to God; this is the
truly human hope we offer everyone (cf. "Spe Salvi," 34).
Your personal prayer, your times of silent contemplation and
your participation in the church’s liturgy bring you closer to God and
also prepare you to serve others. The saints accompanying us this
evening show us that the life of faith and hope is also a life of
charity. Contemplating Jesus on the cross we see love in its most
radical form. We can begin to imagine the path of love along which we
must move (cf. "Deus Caritas Est," 12).
The opportunities to make this journey are abundant. Look about
you with Christ’s eyes, listen with his ears, feel and think with his
heart and mind. Are you ready to give all as he did for truth and
justice? Many of the examples of the suffering which our saints
responded to with compassion are still found here in this city and
beyond. And new injustices have arisen: Some are complex and stem from
the exploitation of the heart and manipulation of the mind; even our
common habitat, the Earth itself, groans under the weight of
consumerist greed and irresponsible exploitation.
We must listen deeply. We must respond with a renewed social
action that stems from the universal love that knows no bounds. In this
way, we ensure that our works of mercy and justice become hope in
action for others.
Dear young people, finally I wish to share a word about
vocations. First of all my thoughts go to your parents, grandparents
and godparents. They have been your primary educators in the faith. By
presenting you for baptism, they made it possible for you to receive
the greatest gift of your life. On that day you entered into the
holiness of God himself. You became adoptive sons and daughters of the
Father. You were incorporated into Christ. You were made a dwelling
place of his Spirit.
Let us pray for mothers and fathers throughout the world,
particularly those who may be struggling in any way — socially,
materially, spiritually. Let us honor the vocation of matrimony and the
dignity of family life. Let us always appreciate that it is in families
that vocations are given life.
Gathered here at St. Joseph’s Seminary, I greet the seminarians
present and indeed encourage all seminarians throughout America. I am
glad to know that your numbers are increasing! The people of God look
to you to be holy priests on a daily journey of conversion inspiring in
others the desire to enter more deeply into the ecclesial life of
believers.
I urge you to deepen your friendship with Jesus the good
shepherd. Talk heart to heart with him. Reject any temptation to
ostentation, careerism or conceit. Strive for a pattern of life truly
marked by charity, chastity and humility, in imitation of Christ, the
eternal high priest, of whom you are to become living icons (cf.
"Pastores Dabo Vobis," 33).
Dear seminarians, I pray for you daily. Remember that what
counts before the Lord is to dwell in his love and to make his love
shine forth for others.
Religious sisters, brothers and priests contribute greatly to
the mission of the church. Their prophetic witness is marked by a
profound conviction of the primacy with which the Gospel shapes
Christian life and transforms society. Today I wish to draw your
attention to the positive spiritual renewal which congregations are
undertaking in relation to their charism.
The word "charism" means a gift freely and graciously given.
Charisms are bestowed by the Holy Spirit, who inspires founders and
foundresses, and shapes congregations with a subsequent spiritual
heritage. The wondrous array of charisms proper to each religious
institute is an extraordinary spiritual treasury. Indeed, the history
of the church is perhaps most beautifully portrayed through the history
of her schools of spirituality, most of which stem from the saintly
lives of founders and foundresses.
Through the discovery of charisms, which yield such a breadth
of spiritual wisdom, I am sure that some of you young people will be
drawn to a life of apostolic or contemplative service. Do not be shy to
speak with religious brothers, sisters or priests about the charism and
spirituality of their congregation. No perfect community exists, but it
is fidelity to a founding charism, not to particular individuals, that
the Lord calls you to discern. Have courage! You too can make your life
a gift of self for the love of the Lord Jesus and, in him, of every
member of the human family (cf. "Vita Consecrata, " 3).
Friends, again I ask you, what about today? What are you
seeking? What is God whispering to you? The hope which never
disappoints is Jesus Christ. The saints show us the selfless love of
his way. As disciples of Christ, their extraordinary journeys unfolded
within the community of hope, which is the church. It is from within
the church that you too will find the courage and support to walk the
way of the Lord.
Nourished by personal prayer, prompted in silence, shaped by
the church’s liturgy, you will discover the particular vocation God has
for you. Embrace it with joy.
You are Christ’s disciples today. Shine his light upon this
great city and beyond. Show the world the reason for the hope that
resonates within you. Tell others about the truth that sets you free.
With these sentiments of great hope in you I bid you farewell
until we meet again in Sydney this July for World Youth Day! And as a
pledge of my love for you and your families, I gladly impart my
apostolic blessing.
(In Spanish):
Dear seminarians and dear young people:
It is a great joy for me to be able to meet with all of you on
my birthday. Thank you for your welcome and for the affection you have
shown me.
I encourage you to open your heart to the Lord so that he can
fill it completely and with the fire of his love you can carry his
Gospel to all the neighborhoods of New York.
The light of faith will impel you to respond to evil with
goodness and holiness of life as was done by the great witnesses of the
Gospel throughout the centuries. You are called to continue this chain
of the friends of Jesus who found in his love the great treasure of
their lives.
Cultivate this friendship through prayer, as much personal as
liturgical, and through works of charity and the pledge to help those
who need it most. If you have not already done it, seriously ask
yourselves if the Lord is asking you to follow him in a radical way in
the ministerial priesthood or in the consecrated life. It is not enough
to have a sporadic relation with Christ. That is no kind of friendship.
Christ wants you to be his intimate friends, faithful and persevering.
As I renew my invitation to you to take part in World Youth Day
in Sidney, I assure that I remember you in prayer and ask God to make
you authentic disciples of the risen Christ. Thank you very much.