Pope Benedict to Youth: "Be witnesses of hope!"

I am always happy to see what the Holy Father has to say to young people: 

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Even as the global economic crisis makes it more difficult to find a job and start a family, young Catholics are called to hold firmly to their faith in Jesus and be witnesses of hope to their peers, Pope Benedict XVI said.

"True Christians are never sad, even if they have to face trials of various kinds, because the presence of Jesus is the secret of their joy and peace," the pope told the world's young Catholics.

In his message for World Youth Day 2009, which will be celebrated in most dioceses on Palm Sunday, April 5, the pope asked young people to anchor the enthusiasm of their age in the firm hope that comes from a relationship with Christ.

The theme the pope chose for the 2009 celebration was from St. Paul's First Letter to Timothy: "We have set our hope on the living God."

Everyone is looking for hope, "especially in these times," the pope said in the message, released March 4 at the Vatican.

Christians, who know that true and lasting hope can come only from God, have an obligation to live as beacons of hope for others, he said.

"Experience shows that personal qualities and material goods are not enough to guarantee the hope which the human spirit is constantly seeking," the pope said.

Societies where God is denied or ignored are societies full of people who are violent, lonely and paralyzed by fear for the future, he said.

Being young is supposed to be a special time of hope, a time of enthusiastic planning and preparing for the future, he said, but in cultures where there are "few certainties, values or firm points of reference," young people can feel overwhelmed and too many of them seek escape through drugs and alcohol.

But even those who have gone astray continue to long for "true love and authentic happiness," which can only be found in God, who is love, he said.

"The living God is the risen Christ present in our world. He is the true hope: the Christ who lives with us and in us and who calls us to share in his eternal life," the pope told young people.

"If we are not alone, if he is with us, even more, if he is our present and our future, why be afraid?" the pope asked.

Pope Benedict told young people that the way to encounter Jesus and deepen a relationship with him is to pray alone, with other young people and with the Catholic community gathered for the Eucharist.

Those who find their sustenance in Christ and live a close relationship with him cannot resist speaking about him and making him known to others, the pope said.

The pope told young people, "Be his faithful disciples and in this way you will be able to help form Christian communities that are filled with love."

Pope Benedict also urged young people to be patient as they spread the Gospel and not to be discouraged when they are faced with trials.

"Make choices that demonstrate your faith. Show that you understand the risk of idolizing money, material goods, career and success, and do not allow yourselves to be attracted by these false illusions," he said.

The pope also urged them to "cultivate love of neighbor" by placing their time and talents at the service of the common good.

With prayer, perseverance and service, he said, young Catholics will be "credible witnesses of Christian hope."