Pope Francis reminds youths to fulfil tomorrow’s dreams today

POPE Francis reminded about 700,000 youths that the dream of working tomorrow has to start today.
The youths gathered at St John Paul II Metro Park in Panama City, Panama, to celebrate World Youth Day. “The fulfilment of tomorrow’s dreams begin not tomorrow, but now,” Francis said.
“We are on a journey, keep walking in faith and share it, and do not forget that you are not the ‘tomorrow’, you are not the ‘meantime’, you are the ‘now’ of God.”
Francis delivered the message at the final Eucharist celebration last Sunday in a week-long event that started on Jan 22. He has returned to the Vatican.
In the mass, he highlighted the role of Mary and her ‘yes’ to the dream of God, an account found in the Gospel of Luke, which was an exemplification of the life that youths had to emulate today, referring to the Synod of Youth and the need to listen to each other.
At the Prayer Vigil on Jan 26, at which 600,000 pilgrims were present, the pope called on young people to reject the temptation to live their lives online, but to live in their communities.
“Life was not in the cloud, waiting to be downloaded, a new app to be discovered or technique of mental self-improvement,” he said.
Francis encouraged the young people to be loving and caring like Don Bosco for those who were marginalised. He also advised young people to stand for justice like Archbishop Romero.
The pope also used his encounter with young people in Central America to speak out repeatedly in defence of migrants, and address other problems affecting the region such as poverty, drug-trafficking, violence and domination of women and sex abuse scandals that have plagued the church.
The next World Youth Day will be held in Lisbon, Portugal, in 2022.