Reflections of the young people of the Apostolic Movement starting from the Message of Pope Francis for the XXXV World Youth Day (2020)

Young man, I say to you, get up!

“Young, I say to you, get up!”. These are the words addressed by Jesus to the young man from Nain, a small village in Galilee. He had come across a woman already tormented by the pain of the loss of her husband, who now was about to bury her only son. Jesus never abandons his children: the pain of each of them becomes his pain. The suffering of the other does not slip on him, but in the Gospel we observe how he never remains indifferent to the pain of the other, but he immediately empathizes and remedies with his healing power. Then, his word, which is full of the creative force of the Father, restores life, transforms hearts, brings back consolation, peace and serenity where it seemed no longer possible.

In fact, as Pope Francis teaches, “the word of Christ is of a different thickness, it is infinitely superior. It is a divine and creative word, which alone can bring life back to where it was extinguished” (Message). Our human words can be of relief, they can bring advice, but they never manage to be as decisive as the word of God; it is he who every day says to each of us, in particular to us young people: “Get up”. “Jesus speaks to you, to me, to each of us, and says:” Get up! “. We know well that we Christians also fall and we must always get up. Only those who do not walk do not fall, but do not go on either. This is why we must welcome the intervention of Christ and make an act of faith in God. The first step is to accept to get up. The new life that He will give us will be good and worthy of being lived, because it will be supported by Someone who will also accompany us in the future without ever leaving us, helping us to spend our existence in a worthy and fruitful way” (Message).

At the words of Jesus our heart cannot remain indifferent, it feels deeply touched, because everyone – who for one reason, who for another – lives in the everyday life of the difficulties that accompany us: disappointments, misunderstandings in the family, difficulty in finding one’s own road, and there are many falls and second thoughts, the stand-by periods… it is in these moments that our ear must pay attention to that word that is capable of giving a new meaning, restoring order in the chaos, giving back the courage necessary to start again, arming yourself with goodwill, regaining creative momentum and being reborn as the young man of Nain.

Choosing to base your life on this word does not mean that from now on everything will be roses and flowers. We will not be spared failures and falls; human frailty is part of our condition, but in the same way we will not be denied the support of God’s grace. If the word of Jesus lives in us, it becomes a vital impetus not only for us, but for those who are close to us, and we can also act as an intermediary by bringing hope, as well saying in our small way: “Get up, come to know the true Friend”.

Iris Pansini