Homily of bp Jerzy Mazur at a Meeting with Young People in Ełk – July 23, 2016.
(Ga 2,19-20; J 15, 1-8).
1.We are at John Paul II Square in Ełk as pilgrims who are taking part in World Youth Day. I wish to address you all with the words of Saint John Paul II who said to young people gathered here in 1999: “Have courage! God is with you”!
May this awareness – that God is with us – accompany us always. As I look at you, I see the Church’s young faces, full of joy, hope and an enthusiasm of faith. You fill me with great joy and trust. You are our hope, and we recognize in your presence a gift for our Churchof Ełk and for all our people.
As I look at you, I see many faces, but one heart. We are from various countries and local Churches, different cultures and languages. We are united by the One Christ, by one Baptism and one faith. And we speak one language, understood by all – the language of love. This is the language of the disciples of Jesus Christ. Through speech, we recognize one another. This is the language you use in your families, parishes and homelands. This is the language we are using today in Ełk. This is the language which we learn from Jesus Christ Himself, who unites us, leads us to a communion with the Father in the Holy Spirit. He says to us: “Remain in my love” (J 15,9). “Love one another, as I have loved you” (J 13,34).
We have gone through the Doors of Mercy and we have thrown ourselves into the open arms of our loving Father. In the depths of our souls we hear our Lord urging us – “Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful” (Lk 6,36)– and His reassuring words: “Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy” (Mt 5,7). Let us have the courage to be happy, blessed and merciful. Going through the Doors of Mercy, we have asked God to remove from our hearts any fear of love andto fill them with joy, hope and peace. May today’s passage through the Doors of Mercy remind us that Jesus Christ is the Gate, the Way and the Truth; He is the Good Shepherd and the vine, and we are His branches.
2.Dear young people! Today I address you all with words expressed in the spirit of today’s Gospel: Be living branches in the Church, branches which bear much fruit! We are gazing at Christ who says: “I am the vine, you are the branches” (J 15,5). These words basically mean that – as Pope Benedict XVI has taught – “I am yours and you are mine”. We are the Church whose Head is Jesus Christ. We are trying to figure out what to do, in order to be living branches in the Church who is the vineyard;branches which bear much fruit!
In order to be a living branch, the most important thing is to remain in a living communion with Christ – the vine. Remember, that in the Heart of Jesus, young people have a privileged place. In Him is the source of real life, our strength, our constant growth, our strong hope, our outright heroic love. Search for Him and discover Him as Love. Christ is Love and He urges us to remain in His love. We, as branches, are not self-sufficient, but in all things we depend upon the vine, upon Jesus Christ. We have been grafted onto Him during our Baptism. In Baptism, we received not only a name, but a newlife in Jesus Christ. Find out the date of your Baptism and celebrate this day. By not knowing the date of our Baptism, we riskforgetting what the Lord has done for us.
Dear young people, live out this gift of new life each day, becoming living branches, authentic disciples of our Lord. Make Christ the center of your life by recognizing that He is your only Lord and Savior. Only then will you be able to repeat after St. Paul: “It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me” (Ga 2,20). Each day, deepen your communion with Jesus Christ while remaining steadfast in prayer, listening to the word of God and living your life in accordance with His will, while taking part in the Eucharist, immersing yourselves in God’s Mercy through the Sacrament of Confession. Jesus says to you: “Whoever remains in me and I in him will bear much fruit, because without me you can do nothing” (J 15,5).
We have witnessed a wonderful spectacle entitled “At the Wellspring of Future Glory”, prepared by Father Mariusz Pawlina and volunteer-actors from the city of Giżycko. This historical theatrical-staging has shown us that the Church brought Christ to Poland. The spectacle has made us understand the beginnings of our faith, our growth in it and our responsibility for sharing the faith with others. This theatrical presentation has turned our gaze toward many saints and blesseds who bore much fruit in their life, because they remained in Christ.
3.We are all called to bear much fruit. In order to bear much fruit, it is necessary to remain in Christ. Without Christ, we can do nothing, we cannot accomplish anything. Without Him, there is no Salvation. Outside the Church, there is no Salvation. But he who does not remain in Christ “will be thrown out as a branch and will wither”.These words of Jesus are strong. Let us do all we can, so that we do not become such a withered branch, cut off and thrown into the fire.
From the moment of Baptism we are disciples – missionaries – this is something which Pope Francis is constantly reminding us. Jesus says to us all: “Go and proclaim, Go and make disciples”. And as missionary disciples we are participating in the mission of Christ and His Church. Today’s Church, sent to evangelize, needs your fervor, authenticity, your enthusiasm, creativity and depth of faith. Therefore, place your talents at the service of God and mankind. We are the Church. Here we form a community and we desire to be sent to proclaim the Gospel. May your desire be great, not a meager one, not a superficial one. May your desire be as great as your hearts are great.
Discover your place in the Church, in various Church movements, associations and Church youth groups, in order to be strengthened on the path of uniting yourselves with Christ and bearing fruit. Receive this valuable gift of the Holy Spirit and discover your vocation in the Church, your mission in the Church.
As people baptized in the Church, we respond to the call to holiness. The Church also needs those who will serve her with an evangelical radicalism as priests, consecrated persons, missionaries; as lay people who take active part in the mission of carrying Christ to one’s peers, to the peripheries. When you hear the words of Jesus “Come after Me”, have the courage to say “Yes” to Christ. He calls you to a wonderful service and will always be with you.
Jesus also addresses you with the words “Come after Me” as He calls you to marriage. Go this way, prepare well to take up this path. Invite Christ into your future marriage and family, remembering that He is the vine and we are the branches. And without Him you can do nothing. How great is the need today for holy marriages and holy families. Only this way will there be holy priests and nuns. We will be holy and we will be able to improve today’s world, because only saints can make the world better.
My dear friends! “There is nothing more necessary for mankind today than the Mercy of God” – as saint John Paul II has taught us.
Have courage! Be missionaries of mercy! Amen