Take Charge with God …

Each week we let Saint Pope John Paul II share meaningful signposts to spark socio-economic resolves through justice and righteousness combined with mercy and compassion; in short, love.

Let us reaffirm our faith in Jesus Christ. It is this faith, lived each day by many believers, which will motivate and inspire the necessary measures to overcome the corruption that affects so many institutions and citizens; to eliminate drug trafficking, which is based on a lack of values, on the desire for easy money and on the inexperience of young people; to end the violence that sets brothers and social classes against one another, leading to bloodshed.

The world we live in is both great and fragile; both sublime and profane and often confused. Though advanced in some respects but backward in so many others, this world - our world - needs Christ, the Lord of history, who sheds light on the mystery of humankind and guides us by his Gospel in the search for solutions to the chief problems of our time (cf. Gaudium et spes, n. 10). 

Next year we will celebrate the 2,000th year since "the Word became flesh and dwelt among us" (John 1:14). The Son of God teaches everyone to be authentic, like Christ. As followers of Christ, we long for unity and not division, for brotherhood and not antagonism, for peace and not war to prevail in the coming century. Say yes to God and engage with him in building a new society where the family can be an environment of generosity and love, where reason enters calmly into dialogue with faith, and freedom fosters a society marked by solidarity and participation.

The new evangelization will be a seed of hope for the new millennium if you make the effort to transmit to future generations the precious legacy of human and Christian values which have given meaning to your life. Always present yourselves as tireless promoters of dialogue and peace in the face of the predominance of might over right, and of indifference to the tragedies of hunger and disease afflicting large numbers of the population. 

You, young people of Mexico and America must ensure that the world, which will be in your hands one day, orients itself to God and that its political, scientific, financial and cultural institutions are put at the authentic service of the human being, without racial or social distinction. [Take charge with God.]

Our future society must know, by the joy which comes from fully living your Christian faith, that in God alone can the human heart find peace and complete happiness.

Try to put St Paul's advice into practice: "Do not be overcome by evil but overcome evil with good" (Romans 12:21). 

I leave you with Jesus' last words to illumine the future and nourish our hope: "And lo, I am with you always, to the close of the age" (Matthew 28:20). 

PASTORAL VISIT TO AMERICA

MEETING WITH THE REPRESENTATIVES
OF ALL THE GENERATIONS OF THE CENTURY

ADDRESS OF JOHN PAUL II

Azteca Stadium
Monday, 25 January 1999

http://www.vatican.va/content/john-paul-ii/en/speeches/1999/january/documents/hf_jp-ii_spe_25011999_mexico-generations.html