On the Feast of the Annunciation, His Holiness Pope Francis signed his Apostolic Exhortation for the Synod on Young People, the Faith, and Vocational Discernment. “Christus vivit – Christ lives” is a letter to the world’s young people that represent the fruit of the October Synod. The Vatican will release the full text in the near future.
During his visit to Loreto, His Holiness Pope Francis spoke about the Exhortation and explained that there are 3 sections to the document, which mirror 3 phases of the Synod process. To explain this further, he outlined this process whilst referencing the story of the Annunciation. As reported by Vatican news, “The first moment, that of listening, is manifested by the words of the angel: ‘Do not be afraid, Mary, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name him Jesus.’ It is always God who takes the initiative in calling people to follow Him”, said the Pontiff.
The Pontiff went on to explain that young people need to find moments of quiet and stillness to listen to God’s call and that God’s voice will not be heard amongst noise and agitation. He highlighted the Virgin Mary as the model Christian disciple and suggested that today’s young people try to imitate her example as they search for God’s plan for their lives. His Holiness Pope Francis pointed out that Mary had lived a multitude of family relationships. She was a daughter, a fiancée, a bride and a mother, so all young people, no matter what their role in life and calling from God, can find an example and inspiration in her.
