LIVE THE WORD, LIBERATE THE WORLD

By : Rev. Fr. Franklin D'Souza,
Karnataka Regional youth director (ICYM, YCS/YSM)
at VIII - ICYM National Youth Convention 2010, Shillong from Oct 13- 17, 2010

Dear young people, Church loves you; Church understands your hopes & aspirations. Love the church which is the body of Jesus Christ. Live the word and Liberate the world from its darkness, this call was given by Pope John Paul II in the 17th World Youth Day which took place in Torento-Canada in the year 2002. These words still resound in my heart & mind. Pope John Paul II again gave a call to the youth saying ‘do not be afraid to be the saints of third millennium’.

Church needs youth who are filled with the love of Jesus, also filled with the gospel values. Today’s church & society needs young people who think positively. This world needs to be liberated from so many evils; on one side corruption, another side terrorism; communalism & casteism; environmental degradation & natural calamities; immoral acts such as abortion, homosexuality, lesbianism, fornication, adultery & suicides. All of these destroy the family values and the rich cultural heritage of our nation; as a matter of fact the human life & the world are in of great danger.

Therefore our world needs liberation from various levels; Jesus brought not only spiritual liberation but also its integral liberation. He fought against unjust social and political systems & structures in the society. In Lk 4/18 it says “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free, ...” He was very much clear in His Mission, God’s will of liberation.

As we are in this convention, God asks you and me ‘Who will go for me’? Are we ready to tell like Isaiah ‘Here am I, send me’. This would mean that we take up the challenge to enter into politics, the dire need of the times in order to save our people very specially the marginalized and less fortunate. Let us get into administrative services to do away with unjust & corrupt policies as well as structures. I say this precisely that we become the voice of the voiceless. Let us be at the service of people being value based-doctors, nurses, lawyers or any in any other capacities according to our abilities and God given talents.

When we look in the bible, God gave a mission for patriarchs, prophets, apostles. This call ‘live the word, liberate the world’- Moses who lead the people from the clutches of Pharaoh made the people to realize how precious was the freedom which God gave them. Slavery is sin. As young people we are slaves of many vials in our lives. Many of our young people themselves are addicted to the worldly pleasures and need to be liberated and thus they become the friends of Jesus who will realize God’s mission here and now. May this convention inspire us to do the will of the Father. Let this call echo in us ‘who will go for me’ to live the word, liberate the world. Let us acclaim “Here I am Lord, send me”

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