Totus Tuus - Totus 2us

World Youth Day Denver 1993

4th international WYD / JMJ / GMG - 10 - 15 August 1993

Theme: “I came that they might have life, and have it to the full” (Jn 10, 10)

_{Pope St John Paul II was welcomed to the 8th World Youth Day at the Mile High Stadium in Denver, where Dana sang 'We are one body' (the official WYD song she had composed) & JPII first spoke with over 90,000 young people gathered from all around the world & bursting out of the stadium. Next day, Papa Giovanni Paolo II celebrated Mass with the Bishops in the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception & sent a message that was read during the Way of the Cross at Mile High Stadium. On Saturday, JPII gave a homily at Holy Mass with representatives of the International Youth Forum & at the Liturgy of the Word at the McNichols Sports Arena, before going to the Vigil of prayer at Cherry Creek State Park. On the Sunday, JPII greeted the crowd of more than 1 million people at the beginning of the Eucharistic Celebration & gave the Homily at Holy Mass on the Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary. The Angelus was prayed after Mass and then JPII gave his final greeting.}

Pope St John Paul II's words at the Welcoming Ceremony
_{Mile High Stadium, 12th August - in English, Italian & Spanish}

<sub>"Dear young people, Pilgrims on the path of life,
Dear young people, I greet you in the name of Jesus Christ. He is the Way, the Truth and the Life.

1. The Spirit of God has brought us to this Eighth World Youth Day. On eight successive occasions young people from all parts of the world have heard the call of the Church and have travelled in order to be together – to be together with their Bishops and the Pope: fellow travelers on the path of life in search of Christ. It is he, Jesus Christ, the true Life who gives hope and purpose to our earthly existence, opens our minds and hearts to the goodness and beauty of the world around us, to solidarity and friendship with our fellow human beings, to intimate communion with God himself, in a love that goes beyond all limits of time and space, to eternal unassailable happiness.

This World Youth Day has brought us to Denver, a stupendous setting in the heart of the United States of America.

You know we are in Denver: Denver, Colorado. And you know this gentleman here is the Archbishop of Denver. He is our host. With him I greet each one of you: "A great multitude which no man could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and tongues". I greet your Bishops, your priests, your spiritual guides, your families. I thank you for being here. I thank everyone: Archbishop Stafford of Denver and his fellow–workers; Archbishop Keeler, the President of the Bishops’ Conference, and all the Bishops; the Bishops’ Commission for the organization of this World Youth Day; Cardinal Pironio and the Pontifical Council for the Laity; the civil authorities; the people of Denver and Colorado who are our gracious hosts; the volunteers who are making sure that everything runs smoothly – I thank you all for your kindness, your hospitality and your good will.

Most of you are members of the Catholic Church; but others are from other Christian Churches and Communities, and I greet each one with sincere friendship. In spite of divisions among Christians, "all those justified by faith through baptism are incorporated into Christ... brothers and sisters in the Lord". Every meeting between young Catholics and other young Christians must be one of discovering together ever more fully the riches of the Gospel message of life and love.

I greet all of you who have come from every corner of the United States, from every Diocese of this vast country. Among you there is one group which I wish to mention with particular esteem: the Native American peoples. Thank you for bringing the richness and color of your special heritage to the World Youth Day. May Christ truly be the way, the truth and the life of your peoples!

The great majority of you are from the United States. Many are from the other two countries of North America: from Canada; y tantos de México. ome of you are from the Caribbean, Bahamas, Cuba, Haiti, Puerto Rico, República Dominicana, Virgin Islands. Otros vienen de América Central, especialmente Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Panamá. Y de todos los países de América del Sur: Argentina, Bolivia, Brasil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Paraguay, Perú, Uruguay, Venezuela.

Many of you are from countries in Africa: Algeria, Angola, Benin, Burundi, Capo Verde Islands, Cameroon, Egypt, Ethiopia, Gambia, Ghana, Kenya, Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Mauritius, Mozambique, Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Sudan, Swaziland, Tanzania, Uganda, Zaire, Zambia, Zimbabwe.

From the countries of Asia: Bangladesh, China, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Japan, Kazakhstan, Korea, Macau, Malaysia, Myanmar, Pakistan, the Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand, Vietnam.

Young people are also from Oceania and the Pacific islands: Australia, New Zealand, Guam, Solomon Islands, Western Samoa.

And from the Middle East: Israel, Jordan, Lebanon.

And from Europe: Albania, Austria, Belgium, Belarus, Bulgaria, Croatia, Slovenia, Bosnia–Herzegovina, Bohemia (Czech Republic.), Slovak Republic, Denmark, England, Scotland and Wales, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Holland, Hungary, Ireland, Italia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxemburg, Malta, Norway, Polska, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Serbia–Montenegro, España, Sweden, Switzerland, Ukraine.

May Jesus Christ, the Lord of history and the light of nations, grant his peace to every one of you from east and west, from north and south, and to all the peoples you represent. God bless the young people of World Youth Day.

Voglio salutare insieme con i giovani i fratelli vescovi e sacerdoti che accompagnano i diversi gruppi dei diversi paesi e che si sentono anche loro giovani e vengono qui con i giovani per ringiovanire, per sentirsi giovani, e questo si riferisce anche al Papa.

2. At this point I wish to greet some of the groups present.

Con todo mi afecto saludo a los numerosos jóvenes de lengua española aquí presentes, procedentes de tantas ciudades de esta Nación, así como de la mayor parte de los países de América Latina y de España. Que esta Jornada, vinculada en la cercanía a la celebración del V Centenario de la llegada del Evangelio al Nuevo Mundo, sea una ocasión propicia para estrechar los lazos de fraternidad y esperanza entre los jóvenes de las Américas y de todos los continentes, y para reavivar la conciencia de vuestra misión como creyentes: dar testimonio con valentía de la Vida Nueva que Cristo nos ha dado para la salvación del mundo.

Jeunes de langue française, je souhaite que ce pèlerinage accompli dans la foi vous affermisse dans votre résolution d’être, de manière toujours plus ardente, des apôtres du monde des jeunes. Je salue ceux d’entre vous qui viennent de France, du Canada, ainsi que des autres nations francophones. J’adresse un mot d’encouragement tout particulier aux jeunes originaires d’Haïti et je prie pour la paix et le développement harmonieux de leur pays.

Ai giovani venuti dall’Italia: grazie per aver risposto cosí numerosi all’invito di venire a Denver. So che vi siete preparati spiritualmente in modo molto serio a questo pellegrinaggio, e confido che potrete raccogliere abbondanti frutti per la vostra vita e testimonianza cristiana.

Herzlich begrübe ich Euch, liebe deutschsprachige junge Menschen, die Ihr gekommen seid, um Zeugnis abzulegen von Eurem Glauben an Jesus Christus, der uns das Leben in Fülle schenkt. Mögen diese Tage des Gebetes und der Besinnung, der Begegnung und des fröhlichen Zusammenseins mit den Jugendlichen aus aller Welt Euch im Dienst an der Kirche und an der Welt bestärken.

Queridos Amigos de Portugal, Brasil, Angola, Moçambique e São Tomé e Príncipe, Jesus Cristo é a esperança do mundo. Oxalá possais descobrir cada vez mais profundamente a Sua amizade e intimidade ao longo destes dias, em Denver.

Pozdrawiam serdecznie młodzież przybyłą z Polski wraz ze swymi duszpasterzami, a także polonijną z Ameryki i z innych krajów. Po niezapomnianych przeżyciach Światowego Spotkania Młodych w Sanktuarium Jasnogórskim w Częstochowie w roku 1991, którego gospodarzem była młodzież polska, znajdujemy się dzisiaj w Denver, w Stanach Zjednoczonych. Jest to kolejny etap pielgrzymki młodych szlakiem nowej ewangelizacji. Młodzi Rodacy, niech świadectwo wiary tysięcy chłopców i dziewcząt przybyłych tu z całego świata pomoże Wam odkryć na nowo Chrystusa jako źródło życia. On – ukrzyżowany i zmartwychwstały – jest Drogą, Prawdą i życiem. On jest drogą do pełni życia."

[JPII then spoke in Russian, Lithuanian, Croatian, Arabic, Tagalog, Swahili, Korean & Vietnamese.]

3. We have come to Denver as pilgrims. We are continuing the journey made by millions of young people in the previous World Youth Days: to Rome, to Buenos Aires, to Santiago de Compostela, to Częstochowa.

Pilgrims set out for a destination. In our case it is not so much a place or a shrine that we seek to honor. Ours is a pilgrimage to a modern city, a symbolic destination: the "metropolis" is the place which determines the life–style and the history of a large part of the human family at the end of the 20th century. This modern city of Denver is set in the beautiful natural surroundings of the Rocky Mountains, as if to put the work of human hands in relationship with the work of the Creator. We are therefore searching for the reflection of God not only in the beauty of nature but also in humanity’s achievements and in each person. On this pilgrimage our steps are guided by the words of Jesus Christ: "I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly".

My purpose in this first meeting with you is to invite you to enter into the depths of your hearts, and to live the next few days as a real encounter with Jesus Christ.

Of course we are here to listen to one another: I to you, and you to the Pope. But above all we are in Denver to hear the one true Word of Life – the Eternal Word who was in the beginning with God; through whom all things were made, and without whom nothing was made that was made.

Young people of America and of the world, listen to what Christ the Redeemer is saying to you! "To all who received him, who believed in his name, he gave power to become children of God". The World Youth Day challenges you to be fully conscious of who you are as God’s dearly beloved sons and daughters.

4. Vuestra peregrinación por la ciudad de Denver os llevará a meditar sobre la promesa de vida en abundancia de Cristo, en las diferentes etapas a lo largo del camino.

En la iglesia de Santa Isabel la cruz del Año Santo os recordará dónde buscar la vida verdadera que Jesús da. Jesús dice: "El que no toma su cruz y me sigue detrás no es digno de mí". Os dice eso no porque no os ame suficientemente, sino porque os está conduciendo al descubrimiento de la vida y el amor auténticos. La vida que Jesús da sólo puede experimentarse mediante el amor que es entrega de sí, y ese amor implica siempre alguna forma de sacrificio: " Si el grano de trigo no cae en tierra y muere, queda él solo; pero si muere, da mucho fruto ". Eso es lo que la cruz nos enseña.

À l’église du Saint–Esprit, votre pèlerinage vous conduira jusqu’au Christ présent dans la sainte Eucharistie. En priant devant le Saint–Sacrement exposé, vous pourrez lui ouvrir vos cœurs, mais vous devrez écouter spécialement ce qu’il veut dire à chacun d’entre vous. Les mots préférés du Christ aux jeunes sont les suivants: "N’aie pas peur". et "Viens, suis–moi". Qui sait ce que le Seigneur vous demandera, jeunes d’Amérique, jeunes gens, jeunes filles d’Europe, d’Afrique, d’Asie, d’Océanie?

Presso la cattedrale dell’Immacolata Concezione il vostro pellegrinaggio vi condurrà all’icona di Nostra Signora del Nuovo Avvento. Maria, la Madre del Redentore, fu la prima e la migliore discepola del Figlio suo. Ella sarà presente ad ogni stadio del nostro pellegrinaggio. È la guida migliore che possiamo avere, poiché ci conduce a Cristo dicendoci: "Fate (tutto) quello che vi dirà".

5. Tomorrow, Friday, is meant to be a day of solidarity and penance. As a gesture of love towards our less fortunate brothers and sisters we are all asked to make a sacrifice at tomorrow’s mid–day meal and to give what we save for St Joseph’s Hospital of Kitovu in Uganda, where many AIDS patients are being cared for with great love and attention. That region has been drastically affected by this dreaded disease and thousands of children have been left orphans as a result of it. Our gesture is a small sign of our love, an invitation to society not to neglect those who are suffering, especially when that suffering, which Jesus takes to himself, can only be alleviated by the close, personal, caring presence of others.

Jesus has called each one of you to Denver for a purpose: You must live these days in such a way that, when the time comes to return home, each one of you will have a clearer idea of what Christ expects of you. Each one must have the courage to go and spread the Good News among the people of the last part of the 20th century, in particular among young people of your own age, who will take the Church and society into the next century.

Y a Ustedes, jóvenes Latino–Americanos, ¿qué les pide Cristo? Él busca colaboradores en la nueva evangelización. Busca misioneros y misioneras de su Palabra en todos los pueblos de este Continente de la Esperanza. Busca constructores de una sociedad nueva, más justa, más fraterna, más acogedora hacia los " pequeños " y necesitados. Cristo necesita a cada uno y a cada una de Ustedes.

6. Lord Jesus Christ,
Send your Holy Spirit upon the young people
who have set out to find you in the heart of the modern metropolis,
especially during the catecheses of these days.
Be with us at the great gathering of the pilgrims on the path of life,
when at the Vigil of the Feast of Mary’s Assumption into Heaven and at the Mass on that day,
the young people of the United States, of the Americas, of the world,
will proclaim and celebrate their faith in you,
you who alone have the words which unlock the depths of the mystery of true Life.

O Mary, Our Lady of the new Advent,
who kept all these things, pondering them in your heart,
teach these young people to be good listeners to your Son, the Word of Life.
Pray for them that no barriers will stand in the way
of their discovering the new Life which your Son brought into the world.
Virgin Daughter of Sion, guide each step of our way along the path that leads to Life!

Young people of the 8th World Youth Day, rise to the challenge which Denver sets before you:
Follow the "pilgrim" Cross; go in search of God, because he can also be found in the heart of a modern city;
recognize him in so many young people full of hope and noble ideals;
feel the breath of the Holy Spirit among so many different races and cultures,
all united in acknowledging Christ as the way, the truth and the life of every human being.

Dear young friends, in the name of Jesus Christ, I greet you all together, everyone, all the different linguistic groups, and all together. You are here, you are here, the universal Church, and I pray that Jesus be with you and bless all this World Youth Day for everyone and for all together. My speech was long, was too long, but now I have finished; I have finished. With great joy I look forward to our next meeting. Hasta la vista."</sub>

St John Paul II's words at the Vigil of Prayer
_{Cherry Creek State Park, Saturday 14 August 1993 - in English, Italian & Spanish}

_{First Part}

<sub>"Dear young people, Young Pilgrims on the path of Life,
"I came that they might have life, and have it abundantly" (Jn 10, 10).

1. This evening these words of Christ are addressed to you, young people gathered for the World Youth Day.

Jesus speaks these words in the parable of the Good Shepherd. The Good Shepherd: what a beautiful image of God! It transmits something deep and personal about the way God cares for all that He has made. In the modern metropolis it is not likely that you will see a shepherd guarding his flock. But we can go back to the traditions of the Old Testament, in which the parable is deeply rooted, in order to understand the loving care of the Shepherd for his sheep.

The Psalm says: "The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want" (Ps 23, 1). The Lord, the Shepherd, is God–Yahweh. The One who freed his people from oppression in the land of their exile. The One who revealed Himself on Mount Sinai as the God of the Covenant: "If you will obey my voice and keep my covenant, you shall be my own possession among all peoples; for all the earth is mine" (Ex 19, 5).

God is the Creator of all that exists. On the earth which He created He placed man and woman: "male and female he created them" (Gen 1, 27). "And God blessed them, and God said to them, ‘Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth and subdue it; and have dominion over... every living thing that moves upon the earth’" (Gen 1, 28).

2. The special place of human beings in all that God made lies in their being given a share in God’s own concern and providence for the whole of creation. The Creator has entrusted the world to us, as a gift and as a responsibility. He who is eternal Providence, the One who guides the entire universe towards its final destiny, made us in his image and likeness, so that we too should become "providence" – a wise and intelligent providence, guiding human development and the development of the world along the path of harmony with the Creator’s will, for the well–being of the human family and the fulfillment of each individual’s transcendent calling.

3. Con todo, millones de hombres y mujeres viven sin darse cuenta de lo que hacen ni de lo que les sucede. Aquí, esta tarde, en el Cherry Creek State Park de Denver, representáis a la juventud del mundo, con todas las cuestiones que los jóvenes de fines del siglo XX necesitan y tienen derecho a plantearse.

Nuestro tema es la vida, y la vida está llena de misterio. La ciencia y la tecnología han hecho progresos enormes para descubrir los secretos de nuestra vida natural, pero un examen superficial de nuestra experiencia personal muestra que hay muchas otras dimensiones para nuestra existencia individual y colectiva en este planeta. Nuestro corazón inquieto busca más allá de nuestros límites, en alas de nuestra capacidad de pensar y amar: pensar y amar lo inconmensurable, lo infinito, la forma absoluta y suprema del Ser. Nuestra mirada interior se extiende hacia el horizonte ilimitado de nuestras esperanzas y aspiraciones. Y en medio de todas las contradicciones de la vida, buscamos el significado verdadero de la vida. Nos maravillamos y nos preguntamos, por qué?

Por qué estoy aquí? Por qué existo? Qué debo hacer?

Todos nos planteamos esas cuestiones. La humanidad en su totalidad siente la necesidad apremiante de dar un sentido y una finalidad a un mundo en el que aumenta la complejidad y la dificultad de ser feliz. Todos los obispos del mundo reunidos en el Concilio Vaticano II se expresaron de este modo: "...Ante la actual evolución del mundo, son cada día más numerosos los que se plantean o los que acometen con nueva penetración las cuestiones más fundamentales... Qué es el hombre? Cuál es el sentido del dolor, del mal, de la muerte, que, a pesar de tantos progresos hechos, subsisten todavía? ...Qué puede ofrecer el hombre a la sociedad? Qué puede esperar de ella? Qué hay después de esta vida temporal?" (Gaudium et spes, 10).

Dejar de plantearse esas cuestiones básicas significa renunciar a la gran aventura de buscar la verdad acerca de la vida.

4. You know how easy it is to avoid the fundamental questions. But your presence here shows that you will not hide from reality and from responsibility!

You care about the gift of life that God has given you. You have confidence in Christ when he says: "I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly" (Jn 10, 10).

Our vigil begins with an act of trust in the words of the Good Shepherd. In Jesus Christ, the Father expresses the whole truth concerning creation. We believe that in the life, death and resurrection of Jesus the Father reveals all his love for humanity. That is why Christ calls himself "the sheepgate" (Jn 10, 7). As the gate, he stands guard over the creatures entrusted to him. He leads them to the good pastures: "I am the gate. Whoever enters through me will be safe. He will go in and out, and find pasture" (Jn 10, 9).

Jesus Christ is truly the world’s Shepherd. Our hearts must be open to his words. For this we have come to this World Meeting of Young People: from every state and diocese in the United States, from all over the Americas, from every Continent: all represented here by the flags which your delegates have set up to show that no one here this evening is a stranger. We are all one in Christ. The Lord has led us as He leads the flock.

The Lord is our Shepherd; we shall not want.
In green pastures he makes us find rest.
Beside restful waters he leads us;
He refreshes our souls.
Even though we walk in a dark valley
we fear no evil; for he is at our side.
He gives us courage (cf Ps 23).

As we reflect together on the Life which Jesus gives, I ask you to have the courage to commit yourselves to the truth. Have the courage to believe the Good News about Life which Jesus teaches in the Gospel. Open your minds and hearts to the beauty of all that God has made and to his special, personal love for each one of you.

Young people of the world, hear his voice!
Hear his voice and follow him!
Only the Good Shepherd will lead you to the full truth about Life."</sub>

<sub>Second Part

1. At this point the young people gathered in Denver may ask: what is the Pope going to say about life?

My words will be a profession of the faith of Peter, the first Pope. My message can be none other than what has been handed on from the beginning, because it is not mine but the Good News of Jesus Christ himself.

The New Testament presents Simon – whom Jesus called Peter, the Rock – as a vigorous, passionate disciple of Christ. But he also doubted and, at a decisive moment, he even denied that he was a follower of Jesus. Yet, despite these human weaknesses, Peter was the first disciple to make a full public profession of faith in the Master. One day Jesus asked: "Who do you say that I am?" And Peter answered: "You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God" (Mt 16, 16).

Beginning with Peter, the first apostolic witness, multitudes of witnesses, men and women, young and old, of every nation on earth, have proclaimed their faith in Jesus Christ, true God and true man, the Redeemer of man, the Lord of history, the Prince of Peace. Like Peter, they asked: "To whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life" (Jn 6, 68).

This evening we profess the same faith as Peter. We believe that Jesus Christ has the words of life, and that He speaks those words to the Church, to all who open their minds and hearts to Him with faith and trust.

2. "I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep" (Jn 10, 11). Our first reflection is inspired by these words of Jesus in the Gospel of St John.

The Good Shepherd lays down his life. Death assails Life.

At the level of our human experience, death is the enemy of life. It is an intruder who frustrates our natural desire to live. This is especially obvious in the case of untimely or violent death, and most of all in the case of the killing of the innocent.

It is not surprising then that among the Ten Commandments the Lord of Life, the God of the Covenant, should have said on Mount Sinai "You shall not kill" (Ex 20, 13; cf Mt 5, 21).

The words "you shall not kill" were engraved on the tablets of the Covenant – on the stone tablets of the Law. But, even before that, this law was engraved on the human heart, in the sanctuary of every individual’s conscience. In the Bible, the first to experience the force of this law was Cain, who murdered his brother Abel. Immediately after his terrible crime, he felt the whole weight of having broken the commandment not to kill. Even though he tried to escape from the truth, saying: "Am I my brother’s keeper?" (Gen 4, 9), the inner voice repeated over and over: "You are a murderer". The voice was his conscience, and it could not be silenced.

3. Avec le temps, les menaces contre la vie ne faiblissent pas. Elles prennent des dimensions énormes. Ce ne sont pas seulement des menaces venues de l’extérieur, des forces de la nature ou des " Caïn " qui assassinent des " Abel "; non, ce sont des menaces programmées de manière scientifique et systématique.

Le XXème siècle aura été une époque d’attaques massives contre la vie, une interminable série de guerres et un massacre permanent de vies humaines innocentes. Les faux prophètes et les faux maîtres ont connu le plus grand succès.

De la même manière, de faux modèles de progrès ont conduit à mettre en danger l’équilibre écologigue de la terre. L’homme fait à l’image et à la ressemblance du Créateur – était appelé à être le bon pasteur de l’environnement, cadre de son existence et de sa vie. C’est la charge qu’il a reçue depuis longtemps et que la famille humaine a assumée non sans succès tout au long de son histoire, jusqu’à une époque récente où l’homme est devenu lui–même le destructeur de son environnement naturel. Cela s’est déjà produit en certains lieux, ou c’est en train de se réaliser.

Mais il y a davantage. Nous assistons aussi à la diffusion d’une mentalité de lutte contre la vie – une attitude d’hostilité à la vie dans le sein maternel et à la vie dans ses dernières étapes. C’est au moment où la science et la médecine réussissent à avoir une plus grande capacité de veiller sur la santé et sur la vie que, précisément, les menaces contre la vie deviennent plus insidieuses. L’avortement et l’euthanasie – meurtre réel d’un véritable être humain – sont revendiqués comme des "droits" et des solutions à des "problèmes", des problèmes individuels ou des problèmes de société. Le massacre des innocents n’est pas un acte moins pécheur ou moins destructeur parce qu’il est accompli de manière légale et scientifique. Dans les métropoles modernes, la vie – premier don de Dieu et droit fondamental de chaque individu, base de tous les autres droits – est souvent traitée tout au plus comme une marchandise à organiser, à commercialiser et à manipuler à sa convenance.

Tutto questo avviene mentre Cristo il Buon Pastore, vuole che noi abbiamo la vita. Egli conosce ciò che minaccia la vita; sa riconoscere il lupo che arriva per rapire e disperdere le pecore. Egli sa individuare quanti tentano di entrare nel gregge, ma sono ladri e mercenari (cf Jn 10, 1.13). Si accorge di quanti giovani dissipano la loro esistenza fuggendo nell’irresponsabilità e nella falsità. Droga, abuso di sostanze alcoliche, pornografia e disordine sessuale, violenza: ecco alcuni gravi problemi che richiedono una seria risposta dalla società intera, in ogni paese e a livello internazionale. Ma essi sono anche tragedie personali da affrontare con atti concreti interpersonali di amore e di solidarietà, grazie ad un grande rinnovamento della propria responsabilità personale davanti a Dio, davanti agli altri e davanti alla nostra stessa coscienza. Siamo i custodi dei nostri fratelli (cf Gen 4, 9)!

4. Why do the consciences of young people not rebel against this situation, especially against the moral evil which flows from personal choices? Why do so many acquiesce in attitudes and behaviour which offend human dignity and disfigure the image of God in us? The normal thing would be for conscience to point out the mortal danger to the individual and to humanity contained in the easy acceptance of evil and sin.

And yet, it is not always so. Is it because conscience itself is losing the ability to distinguish good from evil?

In a technological culture in which people are used to dominating matter, discovering its laws and mechanisms in order to transform it according to their wishes, the danger arises of also wanting to manipulate conscience and its demands. In a culture which holds that no universally valid truths are possible, nothing is absolute. Therefore, in the end – they say – objective goodness and evil no longer really matter. Good comes to mean what is pleasing or useful at a particular moment.

Evil means what contradicts our subjective wishes. Each person can build a private system of values.

5. Dear young people, do not give in to this widespread false morality. Do not stifle your conscience! Conscience is the most secret core and sanctuary of a person, where we are alone with God. "In the depths of his conscience man detects a law which he does not impose upon himself, but which holds him to obedience" (cf Gaudium et Spes, 16). That law is not an external human law, but the voice of God, calling us to free ourselves from the grip of evil desires and sin, and stimulating us to seek what is good and true. Only by listening to the voice of God in your most intimate being, and by acting in accordance with its directions, will you reach the freedom you yearn for. As Jesus said, only the truth will make you free (cf Jn 8, 32). And the truth is not the fruit of each individual’s imagination. God gave you intelligence to know the truth, and your will to achieve what is morally good. He has given you the light of conscience to guide your moral decisions, to love good and avoid evil. Moral truth is objective, and a properly formed conscience can perceive it.

But if conscience itself has been corrupted, how can it be restored? If conscience – which is light – no longer enlightens, how can we overcome the moral darkness? Jesus says: "The eye is the body’s lamp. If your eyes are good, your body will be filled with light; if your eyes are bad, your body will be in darkness. And if your light is darkness, how deep will the darkness be!" (Mt 6, 22-23).

But Jesus also says: "I am the light of the world. No follower of mine shall ever walk in darkness; no, he shall possess the light of life" (Jn 8, 12). If you follow Christ you will restore conscience to its rightful place and proper role, and you will be the light of the world, the salt of the earth (cf Mt 5, 13).

A re–birth of conscience must come from two sources: first, the effort to know objective truth with certainty, including the truth about God; and secondly, the light of faith in Jesus Christ, who alone has the words of Life.

6. Con el espléndido telón de fondo de las montañas del Colorado, con su aire puro que da paz y serenidad a la naturaleza, el alma se eleva espontáneamente para cantar la alabanza del Creador: "¡Oh Señor, Dios nuestro, qué glorioso tu nombre por toda la tierra!" (Ps 8, 2).

Jóvenes peregrinos: el mundo visible es como un mapa que señala el cielo, la morada eterna del Dios vivo. Aprendemos a ver al Creador contemplando la belleza de sus criaturas. En este mundo resplandecen la bondad, la sabiduría y el poder omnipotente de Dios. Y la inteligencia humana, incluso después del pecado original – con tal que no esté ofuscada por el error o la pasión – puede descubrir la mano del Artista en las obras maravillosas que ha hecho. La razón puede conocer a Dios por medio del libro de la naturaleza: un Dios personal, infinitamente bueno, sabio, poderoso y eterno, que trasciende el mundo y, al mismo tiempo, está presente en lo más íntimo de sus criaturas. San Pablo escribe: "Porque lo invisible de Dios, desde la creación del mundo, se deja ver a la inteligencia a través de sus obras: su poder eterno y su divinidad" (Rom 1: 20).

Jesús nos enseñó a ver la mano del Padre en la belleza de los lirios del campo, las aves del cielo, la noche estrellada, los campos maduros para la cosecha, los rostros de los niños y las necesidades del pobre y el humilde. Si observáis el universo con corazón puro, también vosotros veréis el rostro de Dios (cf Mt 5: 8), porque revela el misterio del amor providencial del Padre.

Los jóvenes son especialmente sensibles a la belleza de la naturaleza y su contemplación les inspira espiritualmente. Pero tiene que ser una contemplación auténtica. Una contemplación que no revele el rostro de un Padre personal, inteligente, libre y amoroso, sino que llegue sólo a la figura oscura de una divinidad impersonal o fuerza cósmica, no es suficiente. No debemos confundir al Creador con su creación.

La criatura no tiene vida por sí misma, sino por Dios. Al descubrir la grandeza de Dios, el hombre descubre la posición única que ocupa en el mundo visible: "Lo hiciste poco inferior a los ángeles, lo coronaste de gloria y dignidad; le diste el mando sobre las obras de tus manos, todo lo sometiste bajo sus pies" (Ps 8: 6-7). Sí, la contemplación de la naturaleza no sólo revela al Creador, sino también el papel del ser humano en el mundo que ha creado. Con fe, revela la grandeza de nuestra dignidad como seres creados a su imagen.

Para tener vida y tenerla en abundancia, para restablecer la armonía original de la creación, debemos respetar esa imagen divina en toda la creación y, de modo especial, en la misma vida humana.

7. When the light of faith penetrates this natural consciousness we reach a new certainty. The words of Christ ring out with utter truth: "I came that they might have life, and have it abundantly".

Against all the forces of death, in spite of all the false teachers, Jesus Christ continues to offer humanity the only true and realistic hope. He is the world’s true Shepherd. This is because He and the Father are one (cf Jn 17, 22). In his divinity He is one with the Father; in his humanity He is one with us.

Because He took upon Himself our human condition, Jesus Christ is able to communicate to all those who are united with Him in Baptism the Life that He has in Himself. And because in the Trinity, Life is Love, the very love of God has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us (cf Rom 5, 5). Life and love are inseparable: the love of God for us, and the love we give in return – love of God and love of every brother and sister. This will be the theme of the last part of our reflection later this evening."</sub>

_{Third Part}

<sub>"Dear young pilgrims,
1. The Spirit has led you to Denver to fill you with new Life: to give you a stronger faith and hope and love. Everything in you – your mind and heart, will and freedom, gifts and talents – everything is being taken up by the Holy Spirit in order to make you "living stones" of the "spiritual house" which is the Church. This Church is inseparable from Jesus; He loves her as the Bridegroom loves the Bride. This Church today, in the United States and in all the other countries from which you come, needs the affection and cooperation of her young people, the hope of her future. In the Church each one has a role to play, and all together we build up the one Body of Christ, the one People of God.

As the third millennium approaches, the Church knows that the Good Shepherd continues, as always, to be the sure hope of humanity. Jesus Christ never ceases to be the "sheepgate". And despite the history of humanity’s sins against life, he never ceases to repeat with the same vigour and love: "I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly" (Jn 10, 10).

2. How is this possible? How can Christ give us Life if death forms part of our earthly existence? How is it possible if "it is appointed that human beings die once, and after this the judgment" (Heb 9, 27)?

Jesus himself provides the answer – and the answer is a supreme declaration of Divine Love, a high–point of the Gospel revelation concerning God the Father’s love for all of creation. The answer is already present in the parable of the Good Shepherd. Christ says: "The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep" (Jn 10, 11).

Christ the Good Shepherd is present among us, among the peoples, nations, generations and races, as the One who "lays down his life for the sheep". What is this but the greatest love? It was the death of the Innocent One: "The Son of Man is departing, as Scripture says of him, but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed" (Mt 26, 24). Christ on the Cross stands as a sign of contradiction to every crime against the commandment not to kill. He offered his own life in sacrifice for the salvation of the world. No one takes that human life from Him, but He lays it down of his own accord. He has the power to lay it down and the power to take it up again (cf Jn 10, 18). It was a true self–giving. It was a sublime act of freedom.

Yes, the Good Shepherd lays down his life. But only to take it up again (cf Jn 10, 17). And in the new life of the Resurrection, He has become – in the words of St Paul – "a life–giving spirit" (1 Cor 15, 45), who can now bestow the gift of Life on all who believe in him.

Life laid down – Life taken up again – Life given. In Him, we have that Life which He has in the unity of the Father and of the Holy Spirit. If we believe in Him. If we are one with Him through love, remembering that "whoever loves God must also love his brother" (1 Jn 4, 21).

3. Buen Pastor.

El Padre te ama porque das tu vida. El Padre te ama como el Hijo crucificado, porque vas a la muerte dando tu vida por nosotros. Y el Padre te ama, cuando vences la muerte con tu resurrección, revelando una vida indestructible. Tú eres la vida y, por tanto, el camino y la verdad, de nuestra vida (cf Jn 14, 6).

Tú dijiste: "Yo soy el buen pastor; y conozco mis ovejas y las mías me conocen a mí, como me conoce el Padre y yo conozco a mi Padre" (Jn 10, 14-15). Tú que conoces al Padre – el único Padre común de todos – sabes por qué te ama el Padre (cf Jn 10, 17). Te ama porque das tu vida por cada uno.

Cuando dices: "Doy la vida por mis ovejas", no excluyes a nadie. Viniste al mundo para abrazar a todos los hombres y reunir en uno a los hijos de toda la familia humana que estaban dispersos (cf Jn 11, 52). Todavía hay muchos que no te conocen: "También tengo otras ovejas, que no son de este redil; también a ésas las tengo que conducir" (Jn 10, 16).

4. Good Shepherd,
teach the young people gathered here,
teach the young people of the world,
the meaning of "laying down" their lives
through vocation and mission.
Just as you sent the Apostles
to preach the Gospel
to the ends of the earth,
so now challenge the youth of the Church
to carry on the vast mission
of making you known
to all those who have not yet heard of you!
Give these young people
the courage and generosity
of the great missionaries of the past
so that, through the witness
of their faith and their solidarity
with every brother and sister in need,
the world may discover
the Truth, the Goodness and the Beauty of the Life
that you alone can give.

Teach the young people gathered in Denver
to take your message
of life and truth, of love and solidarity,
to the heart of the modern metropolis
– to the heart of all the problems
which afflict the human family
at the end of the twentieth century.

Teach these young people
the proper use of their freedom.
Teach them
that the greatest freedom
is the fullest giving of themselves.
Teach them the meaning
of the Gospel words:
"He who loses his life for my sake will find it" (Mt 10, 39).

5. For all of this, Good Shepherd,
we love you.

The young people gathered in Denver
love you because they love life,
the gift of the Creator.
They love their human life
as the path
through this created world.
They love life
as a task and a vocation.

And they love that other Life
which, through you,
the Eternal Father has given us:
the Life of God in us,
your greatest gift to us.

You are the Good Shepherd!
And there is none other.

You have come that we may have Life
– and that we may have it abundantly.
Life, not only on the human level,
but in the measure of the Son
– the Son in whom the Father
is eternally pleased.

Lord Jesus Christ,
we thank you for having said:
"I came that they may have life,
and have it abundantly" (Jn 10: 10).
The young people of the 8th World Youth Day
thank you from their hearts.

Maranatha!

Here, from Cherry Creek State Park in Denver,
from this gathering of young people
from all over the world,
we cry out:
Maranatha! "Come Lord Jesus" (Rev 22, 20)."</sub>

Pope St John Paul II's homily at Holy Mass      
_{Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, WYD 1993,
Cherry Creek State Park, Denver, Sunday 15th August - in English, Italian & Spanish}

""God who is mighty has done, great things for me" (Lk 1, 49).

Beloved young people, and dear friends in Christ,
1. Today the Church finds herself, with Mary, on the threshold of the house of Zechariah in Ain–Karim. With new life stirring within her, the Virgin of Nazareth hastened there, immediately after the Fiat of the Annunciation, to be of help to her cousin Elizabeth. It was Elizabeth who first recognized the "great things" which God was doing in Mary. Filled with the Holy Spirit, Elizabeth marvelled that the mother of her Lord should come to her (cf Lk 1,43). With deep insight into the mystery, she declared: "Blest is she who believed that the Lord’s words to her would be fulfilled" (Lk 1, 45). With her soul full of humble gratitude to God, Mary replied with a hymn of praise: "God who is mighty has done great things for me and holy is his name" (Lk 1, 49).

On this solemnity the Church celebrates the culmination of the "great things" which God has done in Mary: her glorious Assumption into Heaven. And throughout the Church the same hymn of thanksgiving, the "Magnificat", rings out as it did for the first time at Ain–Karim: all generations call you blessed (cf Lk 1, 48).

Gathered at the foot of the Rocky Mountains, which remind us that Jerusalem too was surrounded by hills (cf Ps 124, 2) and that Mary had gone up into those hills (cf Lk 1, 39), we are here to celebrate Mary’s "going up" to the heavenly Jerusalem, to the threshold of the eternal Temple of the Most Holy Trinity. Here in Denver, at the World Youth Day, the Catholic sons and daughters of America, together with others "from every tribe and tongue, people and nation" (Apoc 5, 9), join all the generations since who have cried out: God has done great things for you, Mary – and for all of us, members of his pilgrim people! (cf Lk 1, 49).

With my heart full of praise for the Queen of Heaven, the sign of hope and source of comfort on our pilgrimage of faith to "the heavenly Jerusalem" (Heb 12, 22), I greet all of you who are present at this Solemn Liturgy. It is a pleasure for me to see so many priests, religious and lay faithful from Denver, from the State of Colorado, from all parts of the United States, and from so many countries of the world, who have joined the young people of the World Youth Day to honour the definitive victory of grace in Mary, the Mother of the Redeemer.

2. The 8th World Youth Day is a celebration of Life. This gathering has been the occasion of a serious reflection on the words of Jesus Christ: "I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly" (Jn 10,10). Young people from every corner of the world, in ardent prayer you have opened your hearts to the truth of Christ’s promise of new Life. Through the Sacraments, especially Penance and the Eucharist, and by means of the unity and friendship created among so many, you have had a real and transforming experience of the new Life which only Christ can give. You, young pilgrims, have also shown that you understand that Christ’s gift of Life is not for you alone. You have become more conscious of your vocation and mission in the Church and in the world. For me, our meeting has been a deep and moving experience of your faith in Christ, and I make my own the words of St Paul: "I have great confidence in you, I have great pride in you; I am filled with encouragement, I am overflowing with joy" (2 Cor 7, 4).

These are not words of empty praise. I am confident that you have grasped the scale of the challenge that lies before you, and that you will have the wisdom and courage to meet that challenge. So much depends on you.

3. This marvelous world – so loved by the Father that he sent his only Son for its salvation (cf Jn 3, 17) – is the theater of a never–ending battle being waged for our dignity and identity as free, spiritual beings. This struggle parallels the apocalyptic combat described in the First Reading of this Mass. Death battles against Life: a "culture of death" seeks to impose itself on our desire to live, and live to the full. There are those who reject the light of life, preferring "the fruitless works of darkness" (Eph 5, 11). Their harvest is injustice, discrimination, exploitation, deceit, violence. In every age, a measure of their apparent success is the death of the Innocents. In our own century, as at no other time in history, the "culture of death" has assumed a social and institutional form of legality to justify the most horrible crimes against humanity: genocide, "final solutions", "ethnic cleansings", and the massive "taking of lives of human beings even before they are born, or before they reach the natural point of death" (Dominum et vivificantem, 57).

Today’s reading from the Book of Revelation presents the Woman surrounded by hostile forces. The absolute nature of their attack is symbolized in the object of their evil intention: the Child, the symbol of new life. The "dragon" (Apoc 12, 3), the "ruler of this world" (Jn 12, 31) and the "father of lies" (Jn 8, 44), relentlessly tries to eradicate from human hearts the sense of gratitude and respect for the original, extraordinary and fundamental gift of God: human life itself. Today that struggle has become increasingly direct.

4. Dear Friends, this gathering in Denver on the theme of Life should lead us to a deeper awareness of the internal contradiction present in a part of the culture of the modern "metropolis".

When the Founding Fathers of this great nation enshrined certain inalienable rights in the Constitution – and something similar exists in many countries and in many international declarations – they did so because they recognized the existence of a "law" – a series of rights and duties – engraved by the Creator on each person’s heart and conscience.

In much of contemporary thinking, any reference to a "law" guaranteed by the Creator is absent. There remains only each individual’s choice of this or that objective as convenient or useful in a given set of circumstances. No longer is anything considered intrinsically "good" and "universally binding". Rights are affirmed but, because they are without any reference to an objective truth, they are deprived of any solid basis. Vast sectors of society are confused about what is right and what is wrong, and are at the mercy of those with the power to "create" opinion and impose it on others.

It is above all the family that is under attack. And the sacred character of human life denied. Naturally, the weakest members of society are the most at risk: the unborn, children, the sick, the handicapped, the old, the poor and unemployed, the immigrant and refugee, the South of the world!

5. Young pilgrims, Christ needs you to enlighten the world and to show it the "path to life" (Ps 16, 11). The challenge is to make the Church’s "yes" to Life concrete and effective. The struggle will be long, and it needs each one of you. Place your intelligence, your talents, your enthusiasm, your compassion and your fortitude at the service of life!

Do not be afraid. The outcome of the battle for Life is already decided, even though the struggle goes on against great odds and with much suffering. This certainty is what the Second Reading declares: "Christ is now raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who have fallen asleep. ...so in Christ all will come to life again" (1 Cor 15, 20-22). The paradox of the Christian message is this: Christ – the Head – has already conquered sin and death. Christ in his Body – the pilgrim People of God – continually suffers the onslaught of the Evil One and all the evil which sinful humanity is capable of.

6. At this stage of history, the liberating message of the Gospel of Life has been put into your hands. And the mission of proclaiming it to the ends of the earth is now passing to your generation. Like the great Apostle Paul, you too must feel the full urgency of the task: "Woe to me if I do not evangelize" (1 Cor 9, 16). Woe to you if you do not succeed in defending life. The Church needs your energies, your enthusiasm, your youthful ideals, in order to make the Gospel of Life penetrate the fabric of society, transforming people’s hearts and the structures of society in order to create a civilization of true justice and love. Now more than ever, in a world that is often without light and without the courage of noble ideals, people need the fresh, vital spirituality of the Gospel.

Do not be afraid to go out on the streets and into public places, like the first Apostles who preached Christ and the Good News of salvation in the squares of cities, towns and villages. This is no time to be ashamed of the Gospel (cf Rom 1,16). It is the time to preach it from the rooftops (cf Mat 10, 27). Do not be afraid to break out of comfortable and routine modes of living, in order to take up the challenge of making Christ known in the modern "metropolis". It is you who must "go out into the byroads" (Mat 22, 9) and invite everyone you meet to the banquet which God has prepared for his people. The Gospel must not be kept hidden because of fear or indifference. It was never meant to be hidden away in private. It has to be put on a stand so that people may see its light and give praise to our heavenly Father.

Jesus went in search of the men and women of his time. He engaged them in an open and truthful dialogue, whatever their condition. As the Good Samaritan of the human family, he came close to people to heal them of their sins and of the wounds which life inflicts, and to bring them back to the Father’s house. Young people of World Youth Day, the Church asks you to go, in the power of the Holy Spirit, to those who are near and those who are far away. Share with them the freedom you have found in Christ. People thirst for genuine inner freedom. They yearn for the Life which Christ came to give in abundance. The world at the approach of a new millennium, for which the whole Church is preparing, is like a field ready for the harvest. Christ needs labourers ready to work in his vineyard. May you, the Catholic young people of the world, not fail him. In your hands, carry the Cross of Christ. On your lips, the words of Life. In your hearts, the saving grace of the Lord.

7. At her Assumption, Mary was "taken up to Life" – body and soul. She is already a part of "the first fruits" (1 Cor 15, 20) of our Saviour’s redemptive Death and Resurrection. The Son took his human life from her; in return he gave her the fullness of communion in Divine Life. She is the only other being in whom the mystery has already been completely accomplished. In Mary the final victory of Life over death is already a reality. And, as the Second Vatican Council teaches: "In the most holy Virgin the Church has already reached the perfection whereby she exists without spot or wrinkle" (Lumen Gentium, 65). In and through the Church we too have hope of "an inheritance which is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for us" (cf 1 Pet 1, 4).

You are blessed, O Mary!
Mother of the eternal Son
born of your virgin womb,
you are full of grace (cf Lk 1, 28).
You have received the abundance of Life (cf Jn 10, 10)
as no one else
among the descendants of Adam and Eve.
As the most faithful "hearer of the Word" (cf Lk 11, 28),
you not only treasured
and pondered this mystery in your heart (cf Lk 11, 2, 19, 51),
but you observed it in your body
and nourished it by the self–giving love
with which you surrounded Jesus
throughout his earthly life.
As Mother of the Church,
you guide us still
from your place in heaven
and intercede for us.
You lead us to Christ,
"the Way, and the Truth, and the Life" (Jn 14, 16),
and help us to increase in holiness
by conquering sin (cf LG 65).

8. The Liturgy presents you, O Mary,
as the Woman clothed with the sun (cf Apoc 12, 1).
But you are clothed
even more splendidly
with the divine light
which can become the Life
of all those created
in the image and likeness
of God himself: "this life was the light of the human race;
the light shines in the darkness,
and the darkness has not overcome it" (Jn 1, 4-5).

O Woman clothed with the sun,
the young people of the world
greet you with so much love;
they have come to you
with all the courage of their young hearts.
Denver has helped them
to become more conscious of the Life
which your Divine Son has given.

We are all witnesses of this.

These young people now know
that Life is more powerful than the forces of death;
they know that the Truth is more powerful than darkness;
that Love is stronger than death (cf Cant 8, 6).

Your spirit rejoices, O Mary,
and our spirit rejoices with you
because the Almighty has done great things for you and for us,
– for all these young people gathered here in Denver,
for all of us,
for all the young people of the world,
for all the young people, this generation,
the future generation.
The Almighty has done great things for you, Mary. And for us. For you and for us, for us with you.
The Almighty – and holy is his name!

His mercy is from age to age.

We rejoice, Mary, we rejoice with you, Virgin assumed into heaven.

The Lord has done great things for you! The Lord has done great things for us! Alleluia. Amen."