'WHAT GREAT THING DO YOU WANT TO DO WITH YOUR LIFE?'

Archbishop John Kennedy

During the Pilgrimage of Young People from Ireland to Rome, for this year’s Jubilee Year of Hope celebration, Archbishop John Kennedy – originally a Dublin priest but who now serves in the Vatican as the Secretary for the Disciplinary Section of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith – celebrated Mass in Saint Peter’s Basilica on 2 August.

During his homily, Archbishop Kennedy addressed his young adult audience, which was made of some of the 800 Irish pilgrims in Rome to celebrate the Jubilee Year, reflecting, “As I was passing by a parish church along the river Tiber, I noticed it was under renovation.  In place of the usual protective netting, the scaffolding was covered with a large television screen and was being used as a marketing space.  Because I was on my motorbike, and needed to keep my eyes on the road, I didn’t spot what was being advertised, but I remember the catchphrase written in big letters which said, ‘Che cosa di grande vuoi fare con la tua vita?’ which translates as, ‘What great thing do you want to do with your life?’”

Archbishop John emphasised, “This is an important question.  We each have one life.  No one knows its length.  We can’t save up our life until a future date or put it on pause and then resume later like the way you might with a Netflix movie.  If we try to live each moment that we are given as a gift, we can, with God’s help, respond courageously and fully, with generosity of spirit and humility of heart, to this invitation to greatness, to do something great and to discover what the Lord is calling you to be.  God wants to help us to do great things, as He himself does great things each day.  Mary referenced this in her hymn of praise when she said, ‘The Almighty has done great things for me.  Holy is his name.’

The senior prelate continued, “The Scriptures tell us quite plainly that God, from the very outset, has a grand design for humanity.  We are made in his image and likeness.  We look like him and we share his ability to love as something natural and spontaneous.  Have you found that again and again we are most happy, most at peace and completely fulfilled when our thoughts and actions are infused with love?  For example, we often find that it costs us little effort to do something for someone we love simply because we love them.

“It is no surprise then to see how responding in love to whatever our calling in life will be makes us realise three things: as we journey, we follow a path that leads one to discover who we are, who others are and who God is.  This shouldn’t come as a shock because the first and second commandments tell us precisely this: to love the Lord your God with all your heart and all your soul and all your strength, and to love your neighbour as yourself.

“One of the greatest things that we can do with our lives is to become a symbol of hope.  This is what Pope Leo asked the young people gathered this week to strive for.   He emphasized that the world needs messengers of hope.  You are those messengers, and you must continue bringing hope to everyone.  Pope Leo also added that you can bring God’s grace, light and peace not only to the city of Rome but to the entire world.  You, young people, with all your talents, intelligence, energy and faith can change the world.  You can renew the Church.  You can change society.  Your impact on the city of Rome has been transformative.  Everyone is commenting on the energy, the joy, the enthusiasm that you have brought.  Thank you for reminding us of the beauty of smiling, of being alive and of having faith.  You are witnesses to hope, you are witnesses to God’s love.

“If you think that maintaining this energy and transformation sounds like an impossible task when you get home, allow me to share a dialogue between a conversation someone had with Mother Teresa.  Mother Teresa was asked by a young person: ‘How can I change the world.’  She replied, ‘Go home, and love your family.’  Start small but remember that even the smallest things, done with love, have a transforming effect.”

Archbishop Kennedy concluded, “May Christ grant you during this pilgrimage to rejoice each day in the potential that you have as God’s sons and daughters to do great things in his name.  May He guide you as you move forward and may your footsteps be marked with many great events and enriched with the assurance you are given to each other as a gift and that you are beloved of God as you continue your pilgrimage to heaven, our final destination.”