Pope Francis in the Philippines Read Online Free PDF

people who are tempted to lose hope , to abandon their high ideals , to drop out of school , or to live from day to day on the streets .
    So it is essential not to lose your integrity ! Not to compromise your ideals ! Not to give in to temptation against goodness , holiness , courage and purity ! Rise to the challenge ! With Christ , you will be – indeed you already are ! – the architects of a renewed and more just Filipino culture .
    A second key area where you are called to make a contribution is in showing concern for the environment . This is not only because this country , more than many others , is likely to be seriously affected by climate change . You are called to care for creation not only as responsible citizens , but also as followers of Christ ! Respect for the environment means more than simply using cleaner products or recycling what we use . These are important aspects , but not enough . We need to see , with the eyes of faith , the beauty of God ' s saving plan , the link between the natural environment and the dignity of the human person . Men and women are made in the image and likeness of God , and given dominion over creation ( cf . Gen 1:26-28). As stewards of God ' s creation , we are called to make the earth a beautiful garden for the human family . When we destroy our forests , ravage our soil and pollute our seas , we betray that noble calling .
    Three months ago , your Bishops addressed these issues in a prophetic Pastoral Letter . They asked everyone to think about the moral dimension of our activities and lifestyles , our consumption and our use of the earth ' s resources . Today I ask you to do this in the context of your own lives and your commitment to the building up of Christ ' s kingdom . Dear young people , the just use and stewardship of the earth ' s resources is an urgent task , and you have an important contribution to make . You are the future of the Philippines . Be concerned about what is happening to your beautiful land !
    A final area in which you can make a contribution is one dear to all of us . It is care for the poor . We are Christians . We are members of God ' s family . No matter how much or how little we have individually , each one of us is called to personally reach out and serve our brothers and sisters in need . There is always someone near us in need , materially , emotionally , spiritually . The greatest gift we can give to them is our friendship , our concern , our tenderness , our love for Jesus . To receive Jesus is to have everything ; to give him is to give the greatest gift of all .
    Many of you know what it is to be poor . But many of you have also experienced something of the blessedness that Jesus promised to " the poor in spirit " ( cf Mt 5:3). Here I would say a word of encouragement and gratitude to those of you who choose to follow our Lord in his poverty through a vocation to the priesthood and the religious life ; by drawing on that poverty you will enrich many . But to all of you , especially those who can do more and give more , I ask : Please , do more ! Please , give more ! When you give of your time , your talents and your resources to the many people who struggle and who live on the margins , you make a difference . It is a difference that is so desperately needed , and one for which you will be richly rewarded by the Lord . For , as he has said : " you will have treasure in heaven " ( Mk 10:21).
    Twenty years ago , in this very place , Saint John Paul II said that the world needs " a new kind of young person " – one committed to the highest ideals and eager to build the civilization of love . Be those young persons ! Never lose your idealism ! Be joyful witnesses to God ' s love and the beautiful plan he has for us , for this country and for the world in which we live . Please pray for me . God bless you all !
     

Pope Francis Homily , Luneta Mass , Jan . 18, 2015
     
    “ A child is born to us , a son is given us ” ( Is 9:5). It is a