Earlier this week, Pope Francis issued a letter to young people – Christus Vivit, “Christ is alive!” It is so beautiful, so pastoral in tone, I envisioned a sagely patriarch, gathering his many grandchildren around his feet and lovingly imparting to them all that God had taught him over the years. Perhaps knowing that he has entered the twilight of life, I could see him settle in his old rocking chair, maybe one or two of the littlest ones in his lap, looking his beloved in the eyes, and sharing the words that were so deeply ingrained on his heart.
Draw deeply on your imagination. In the spirit of St. Ignatius, explore the scene with all of your senses. Hear the words and let them sink more deeply into your consciousness. Papa Francesco speaks to us all:
“The very first truth I would tell each of you is this: ‘God loves you.’ It makes no difference whether you have already heard it or not. I want to remind you of it. God loves you. Never doubt this, whatever may happen to you in life. At every moment, you are infinitely loved.”[1]
The children are rapt in attention already. They have heard it before, but they love it when papa reminds them. And they know it’s true because grandpa loves them. He continues:
“You have worth; you are not insignificant. You are important to him, for you are the work of his hands. He does not keep track of your failings. He helps you learn something even from your mistakes. Because he loves you. Now try to keep still for a moment and let yourself feel his love. . .”[2]
They close their eyes, take deep breaths, and try to feel what papa was telling them. It’s hard to keep still, but their hearts are filled with warm feelings, sunshine, and freedom. They always love the way grandpa makes them feel. After a moment of silence, he continues:
“The second great truth is that Christ, out of love, sacrificed himself completely in order to save you. His outstretched arms on the cross, [what does that tell you?]. It tells you that he is a friend who is willing to stop at nothing: ‘Having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end’ (Jn 13:1).”
It was hard for them to think of Jesus on the Cross but papa always talked about it in a way that didn’t make them feel afraid. It actually made them feel really special, like they were that important, that their lives really mattered. He went on:
“Look to his cross, cling to him, let him save you. Be set free from sin, sorrow, emptiness and loneliness. And if you sin and stray far from him? He will come to lift you up by the power of his cross. Never forget that. Time and time again, he bears us on his shoulders.”[3]
The children all thought about that. They knew, somewhere in their hearts, that they had strayed from time to time. They kinda felt bad about that. But it was God’s love that allowed them to look to Jesus and believe that they could be forgiven. Then papa really got going:
“Young people, beloved of the Lord, how valuable must you be, if you were redeemed by the precious blood of Christ! Dear young people, you are priceless! You are not up for sale! Please, do not let yourself be bought. Do not let yourself be seduced. Do not let yourself be enslaved by forms of ideological colonization that put ideas in your heads, with the result that you end up becoming slaves, addicts… You are priceless. You must repeat this always: I am not up for sale; I do not have a price. I am free! Dear children, fall in love with this freedom, which is what Jesus offers.”[4]
Tears started welling up in his eyes, and their eyes too. It was so powerful the way papa spoke. Sometimes, he had to stop and just let the tears fall, he loved them so much. He knew he didn’t have much time and he wanted them to know this so badly. He continued:
“Finally, there is a third truth: Christ is alive! Sometimes we see Jesus Christ simply as a fine model from the distant past, a memory, as someone who saved us two thousand years ago. But that would be of no use to us. It would leave us unchanged, it would not set us free… He is the Christ, risen from the dead, filled with supernatural life and energy, and robed in boundless light.”[5]
The children liked that image of Jesus. Luminous and strong, filled with energy and youthfulness. And papa was right, Christ is not dead, he is alive! Grandpa always reminded them that even though Jesus suffered so much and died for them, there was so much more to the story. He went on:
“See Jesus as happy, overflowing with joy. Rejoice with him as with a friend who has triumphed. They killed him, the holy one, the just one, the innocent one, but he triumphed in the end. Evil does not have the last word. Nor will it have the last word in your life, for you have a friend who loves you and wants to triumph in you. Your Saviour lives!”[6]
Papa was always talking about Jesus as our friend. “Jesus wants to be a friend to every young person,” he said.[7]They liked that. It helped them feel safe, like they could always approach him and say whatever was on their minds. And it wasn’t just a story, grandpa always reminded them. This was something they could respond to, that Jesus wanted them to actually enter into the story:
“The life that Jesus gives us is a love story, a life story that wants to blend with ours and sink roots in the soil of our own lives. That life is not a salvation up ‘in the cloud’ and waiting to be downloaded, a new ‘app’ to be discovered, or a technique of mental self-improvement. . . The salvation that God offers us is an invitation to be part of a love story.”[8]
They could tell that papa was tired but the fire was still in his eyes. With great intensity, he would look at each of them and ask questions:
“Do you need love? You will not find it in dissipation, using other people, or trying to be possessive or domineering. You will find it in a way that will make you genuinely happy. Are you seeking powerful emotions? You will not experience them by accumulating material objects, spending money, chasing desperately after the things of the world. Are you looking for passion? Then fall in love! Because nothing is more practical than finding God, than falling in love in a quite absolute and final way.”[9]
It was kind of strange to think about falling in love with God, but the children knew what falling in love meant by looking at their parents. It was a closeness, a commitment, a covenant that would never be broken. It was that glimmer in their eye, the kissing and holding hands, but it was also what got them out of bed so many nights when the baby was fussy or one of the kids was sick. They knew what papa meant and it made them feel safe about God. He went on:
“If in your heart you can learn to appreciate the beauty of this message, if you are willing to encounter the Lord, if you are willing to let him love you and save you, if you can make friends with him and start to talk to him, the living Christ, about the realities of your life, then you will have a profound experience capable of sustaining your entire Christian life. You will also be able to share that experience with other young people.”[10]
The way papa talked about God, the children wanted to share him with others. How could they not? It was the best story that they had ever heard, and God was inviting them to be a part of it!
“Keep following your hopes and dreams. Jesus is the way: welcome him into your ‘boat’ and put out into the deep! He is the Lord! Avoid the paralysis of the living dead, who have no life because they are afraid to take risks, to make mistakes… Even if you make mistakes, you can always get up and start over, for no one has the right to rob you of hope.”[11]
This was so energizing. Somehow papa made them feel so free, like they could do anything with God. Even the idea of making mistakes wasn’t so intimidating because papa helped them remember that God was always “making lemonade out of lemons” or “drawing straight with crooked lines.” Sometimes he even shared some of his own mistakes with them but how, trusting in God, somehow all was well in the end. His final words were spoken with such passion, all eyes were glued to their beloved papa:
“Dear young people, make the most of these years of your youth. Don’t observe life from a balcony. Don’t confuse happiness with an armchair, or live your life behind a screen… Don’t be parked cars, but dream freely and make good decisions. Take risks, even if that means making mistakes. Don’t go through life anesthetized or approach the world like tourists. Make a ruckus! Cast out the fears that paralyze you, so that you don’t become like mummies. Live! Give yourselves over to the best of life! Open the door of the cage, go out and fly!”[12]
Papa’s words, his whole life, made them all want to fly. Secure in their friendship with Jesus, saved by his sacrifice, empowered by his love, they were ready to drop their nets and follow him wherever he led. Papa was right: Christ is alive! And they wanted that abundant life in their lives too. They didn’t want the night to end but bedtime was calling. Some of the younger children had already fallen asleep, not from boredom but because they felt so safe. With a glow still on his face, he closed this most special night with this:
“Dear young people, my joyful hope is to see you keep running the race before you, outstripping all those who are slow or fearful. Keep running, “attracted by the face of Christ, whom we love so much, whom we adore in the Holy Eucharist and acknowledge in the flesh of our suffering brothers and sisters. May the Holy Spirit urge you on as you run this race. The Church needs your momentum, your intuitions, your faith. We need them! And when you arrive where we have not yet reached, have the patience to wait for us.”[13]
