Pope to youth for World Youth Day: Let Bible be constant companion

VATICAN CITY - The Bible should be the constant companion of young people so that it can help them navigate through life's dark moments and past the deceit and erroneous ideas present in today's world, Pope Benedict XVI said in his message for World Youth Day.

Reading, studying and meditating on the word of God would help young people get to know Jesus and help them live "a life of consistent fidelity to Christ and his teachings," the pope said. "I urge you to become familiar with the Bible and to have it at hand so that it can be your compass pointing out the road to follow," the pope said in his message, dated Feb. 22, 2006, and released Feb. 27. (See the complete message by clicking here.) The theme of the XXI World Youth Day message is "Your Word Is a Lamp to My Feet and a Light to My Path," a passage chosen by Pope Benedict from the psalms. Celebrations this year will be held April 9, Palm Sunday, on the diocesan level. The pope urged young people to love and be faithful to the word of God and the church. Just as a jewelry box keeps a precious gem safe for successive generations, the church has been the depository safeguarding Jesus' word of salvation, he said. "Without the church, this pearl runs the risk of being lost or destroyed," the pope said. He urged young people to "love the word of God and love the church, and this will give you access to a treasure of very great value and will teach you how to appreciate its richness." The church's mission is to show people the way to true happiness in a world "where people are often held captive by the current ways of thinking," he said. While some people may think they are free by being rid of God and his laws, "they are being led astray and become lost amid the errors or illusions of aberrant ideologies," he said. "The darkness in which humankind is groping needs to be illuminated," he said, and "the lamp that dispels the darkness of fear and lights up the path even when times are most difficult" is God's loving presence through his word. The world urgently needs a new generation of apostles who have built their lives on Christ and who accept the word with joy and put its teachings into practice, he said. The pope also encouraged young people to not be afraid to respond to Jesus' call with generosity, "especially when he asks you to follow him in the consecrated life or in the priesthood." "Do not be afraid; trust in him, and you will not be disappointed," he said in his text.

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Copyright (c) 2007 Catholic News Service/U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops