We need to start from this idea
which is that we all have a vocation
in the sense that God calls everyone.
God call us all. God has not left anybody out,
saying, "well, this one doesn't interest me, I don't have any plan for them."
For all people and for each one of us
God has a plan.
- Father, I grew up in an environment where we did not practice the faith.
and four years ago, God got involved in my life without my looking for Him
as I was walking through the streets...
- And like all young people, there comes a moment in life when you say
what do I feel called to do? What is my vocation?
- Can you speak to us about the transformative power of work
and how to manage, facing so many different fronts...
- ... fellow classmates, and above all those who are most forgotten in the world,
in a country where there is considerable poverty,
what can we do to find Jesus in these people?
Buenos Aires, August 3-8, 2018
The first thing is to have an interior attitude of openness
towards the needs of others,
to be generous. Saint Josemaria always pushed us
to make visits to people in need,
although we personally might not be able to solve a huge social problem
but we can bring consolation, friendship
and show that we consider every person important and possessing dignity.
Father, my name is Caroline and I study biotechnology.
I wanted to tell you that for the past five years, I have lived in Cecu,
an Opus Dei residence in La Plata.
I am not a believer nor am I baptized,
but I have always felt loved and that my freedom was respected.
I have learned a lot about religion and, although I don't share it,
I wanted to thank Opus Dei
for allowing me to meet, over these last years,
wonderful people who have changed my life, who have helped me to grow humanly,
and today, they are my family.
Although you don't know it or believe it,
God loves you very much. He is the one who gives you the strength
to have this desire to help the others.
I will tell you something that might sound surprising to you,
which is that from your position, you can pray for them.
This could seem absurd to you...
But it's not absurd. You can say, "God, if you exist, help this person."
You don't know it, but perhaps...
Since yes, He does in fact exist, He will hear you
I heard that in Nigeria they danced for you a little bit.
Now I wanted to put on a song, if the sound board allows me,
to show you that we can dance too.
Father, if I were you, I would not miss the chance to taste this
I would love to ask a ton of questions, and not only that:
that you come to my house for a barbecue
Hung up!
So we have to pray. Pray for people,
pray for these classmates
and then, of course, friendship.
Sharing - this is true for all Christian apostolate -
and Saint Josemaria said that, specifically in the Work
the main thing is personal apostolate,
what each person transmits with his own experience to his friends.
Not like someone who gives a class to a friend,
but as someone who shares what they sincerely feel,
So if there is true friendship, what one person needs truly interests the other.
May you pray a lot for the Pope. I have it in my head all the time
and you should all have it in yours as well.
Not because he is Argentinian, but because he is the Pope.
The Pope is the visible head of the Church
and he has over his shoulders, over his conscience,
over his intelligence, over his heart
a great weight, a great responsibility, many problems to resolve...
And he counts on all of our prayers very much,
You know very well that he has faith in prayer, just as we should
Thinking of the question that they asked Saint Josemaria when he came to Argentina,
what would you tell us, Argentinians, before you leave
and what message would you like to leave burning in our hearts?
Fraternity. That you love one another, that you love one another.
That you love one other and because of this, that you are understanding
that you know how to forgive if necessary
That you don't give in to susceptibility. That doesn't mean that they don't arise...
but that you don't give in to them.
Fraternity, service.
Your greatest ambition? To serve.
And how is this possible? Through Jesus Christ.
Seeing Jesus in the others.
All Christians should be apostles.
So everything that you receive in formation, in classes, in talks,
in spiritual direction, all this is to receive doctrine and formation.
But it is a formation so that later, you can then be in conditions
to share with many other people
the joy of being close to God, the joy of knowing Jesus Christ.
Thank you for coming to see me!
"With the joy of having prayed in this sanctuary of Our Lady of Luján, following in the footsteps of Saint Josemaria,
I place my intentions before Mary's intercession, praying for the whole nation of Argentina."