Sweetest Jesus - The Prayer of Pope Francis at the World Youth Day

Today Pope Francis the Great has ended his journey to Brazil where for almost a week he attracted 3 million participants from the world, the largest crowd of youth ever in any World Youth Day event. Francis did not shy away from warning the youth against materialism that has invaded the world, but he said to them that the Church needs them for her future as missionaries of Christ. Last night we followed the vigil prayer live on EWTN in which he blessed the participants with the Blessed Sacrament lifting it in a rare moment of utter joy and calling the Lord: Sweetest Jesus, most lovable and the splendor of all....He asked the Lord to make Christians missionaries of his love and bless his Church with an ever-renewed faith.

This was a fleeting experience of joy for many people young and old. The question remains whether the People of God will indeed respond in committed lasting lives of love towards God and their fellow human beings who continue to suffer in many places as martyrs of injustice and violence; a phenomenon in the more materialist and individualist societies of advanced Western countries, and in current attempts of islamization by fundamentalist groups of whole regions especially in the Middle East, Africa, Asia and certain countries in Europe. The temptation is, as always, strong to fall into idolatry of the self, of possessive false pleasure (that the youth call luv), or of slavery to money and other creatures meant to open to us to the deep love of God for his creation but never worshiped in themselves. Prophets of the Old Covenant as well as saints of the Church have always warned us of the consequences we bring upon ourselves if we fall.

Catholic Bishops in Latin America made a point of reclaiming Catholics from excessive attractions by Pentecostal Christians and other Christian sects that infiltrated the hearts and minds of young Catholics through their methods of worship and promises of salvation. While the Catholic Church does not deny the salvific value in such Christian communities, she must remind the faithful that in her bosom alone exists the fullness of truth and grace as communicated through Apostolic succession in union with the Successor of St. Peter.

In a violent and fleeting temporal world, the Church must always be for the poor as Francis the Great reminded his listeners. Sweetest Jesus, save the world from the powers of hell.