Pope Benedict XVI told the hundreds of thousands of young pilgrims at
World Youth Day in Madrid that they will be happy and at peace if they
center their lives on the “solid rock” of Jesus Christ.
Build
“your lives upon the firm foundation which is Christ,” he urged. “Then
you will be blessed and happy and your happiness will influence others.”
“They
will wonder what the secret of your life is and they will discover that
the rock which underpins the entire building and upon which rests your
whole existence is the very person of Christ, your friend, brother and
Lord, the Son of God incarnate, who gives meaning to all the universe.”
The
Pope made his remarks on the evening of Aug. 18 at the Plaza de
Cibeles. The gathering was his first face-to-face meeting with the
massive throng of cheering young people gathered from dozens of
countries across the globe.
As the popemobile made its way to the
plaza through the crowds, Pope Benedict smiled and waved to the
thousands of youth waving their national flags and enthusiastically
yelling their greetings.
The night's events included a local
group of university students singing for the Pope, an official welcome
from Archbishop of Madrid Cardinal Antonio María Rouco Varela, gifts
being presented by several young people from the various regions of the
world, and a liturgy that included a procession and Gospel reading.
“Today
Madrid is also the capital of the world’s young people, and the gaze of
the whole Church is fixed here,” Pope Benedict said. “Let us pray that
his message of hope and love will also resound in the hearts of those
who are not believers or who have grown distant from the Church.”
In
his homily, the pontiff drew from the Gospel of Mark reading that
contrasts the wise man who built his house on rock and the foolish man
who built his house on sand.
When “we do not walk beside Christ
our guide, we get lost on other paths, like the path of our blind and
selfish impulses, or the path of flattering but self-serving
suggestions, deceiving and fickle, which leave emptiness and frustration
in their wake,” he said.
But if “you build on solid rock, not
only will your life be solid and stable, but it will also help project
the light of Christ, shining upon those of your own age and upon the
whole of humanity.”
The Pope lamented that many people today
create “their own gods” and believe that they need “no roots or
foundations” other than themselves.
“They take it upon themselves
to decide what is true or not, what is good and evil, what is just and
unjust; who should live and who can be sacrificed in the interests of
other preferences; leaving each step to chance, with no clear path,
letting themselves be led by the whim of each moment.”
He noted
that although these temptations are “always lying in wait,” it is
important not to give in, since they lead to a fleeting and illusory
half-life which fails to satisfy.
“We, on the other hand, know
well that we have been created free, in the image of God, precisely so
that we might be in the forefront of the search for truth and goodness,”
he reminded the youth. We are “responsible for our actions, not mere
blind executives, but creative coworkers in the task of cultivating and
beautifying the work of creation.”
Pope Benedict encouraged the
young pilgrims to use the upcoming days to get to know Christ better. If
you are “rooted in him, your enthusiasm and happiness, your desire to
go further, to reach the heights, even God himself, will always hold a
sure future, because the fullness of life has already been placed within
you.”
In his closing remarks, the Pope dedicated “the fruits of
this World Youth Day to the most holy Virgin Mary, who said 'Yes' to the
will of God, and teaches us a unique example of fidelity to her divine
son, whom she followed to his death upon the Cross.”
“Let us
meditate upon this more deeply in the Stations of the Cross. And let us
pray that, like her, our 'Yes' to Christ today may also be an
unconditional 'Yes' to his friendship, both at the end of this Day and
throughout our entire lives.”
The Pope will pray the Stations of
the Cross with the pilgrims at Cibeles Square on the evening of Friday,
Aug. 19 after meeting with college professors and religious sisters
earlier that day.
On Aug. 20, he will meet patients at a local hospital
and take part in a prayer vigil that night with the young people.
Pope
Benedict’s World Youth Day visit will culminate on Sunday, Aug. 21 in
an outdoor Mass which is expected to draw over 1 million people.