Aug 10, 2025 Written by 

Being mortal and ultimate choices: not easy, but with Christ it is possible

The young man in the Gospel as we know asks Jesus: "What must I do to inherit eternal life?". Today it is not easy to speak about eternal life and eternal realities, because the mentality of our time tells us that nothing is definitive that everything changes, and changes very rapidly. "Change", in many cases, has become the password, the most exalting exercise of freedom, and that is why even you, young people, have often come to think that it is impossible to make definitive choices that would tie you down for the rest of your life. But is this the right way to use your freedom? Is it really true that in order to be happy we should content ourselves with small, transient joys that once they are over leave bitterness in the heart? Dear young people, this is not true freedom nor can true happiness be reached in this way. Not one of us is created to make provisional and revocable choices but rather definitive and irrevocable decisions that give full meaning to our existence. We see it in our lives: we should like every beautiful experience that fills us with happiness never to end. God created us with a view to the "forever", he has placed in the heart of each one of us the seed of a life that can achieve something beautiful and great. Have the courage to make definitive decisions and to live them faithfully! The Lord may call you to marriage, to the priesthood, to the consecrated life, to a special gift of yourselves: answer him generously!

In the dialogue with the young man who possessed many riches Jesus pointed out what was the most important, the greatest treasure in life: love. To love God and to love others with one's whole self. The word love we know it lends itself to many interpretations and has different meanings. We need a Teacher, Christ, to teach us its most authentic and profound meaning, to guide us to the source of love and life. Love is the name of God himself. The Apostle John reminds us: "God is love", and adds, "not that we loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son", and "if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another" (1 Jn 4: 8, 10-11) In the encounter with Christ and in reciprocal love we experience in ourselves the life of God, who abides in us with his perfect, total and eternal love (cf. 1 Jn 4: 12). Therefore there is nothing greater for man a mortal and limited being than to participate in the life of God's love. Today, we live in a cultural context that does not encourage profound and disinterested human relationships; on the contrary, it often induces us to withdraw into ourselves, into individualism, to let selfishness, that exists in people, prevail. But a young person's heart is by nature sensitive to true love. That is why I address each one of you with great confidence in order to say: it is not easy to make something beautiful and great of your life it is demanding, but with Christ, everything is possible!

[Pope Benedict, Meeting with Young People, Turin 2 May 2010]

65 Last modified on Sunday, 10 August 2025 03:53
don Giuseppe Nespeca

Giuseppe Nespeca è architetto e sacerdote. Cultore della Sacra scrittura è autore della raccolta "Due Fuochi due Vie - Religione e Fede, Vangeli e Tao"; coautore del libro "Dialogo e Solstizio".

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The basis of Christian construction is listening to and the fulfilment of the word of Christ (Pope John Paul II)
Alla base della costruzione cristiana c’è l’ascolto e il compimento della parola di Cristo (Papa Giovanni Paolo II)
«Rebuke the wise and he will love you for it. Be open with the wise, he grows wiser still; teach the upright, he will gain yet more» (Prov 9:8ff)
«Rimprovera il saggio ed egli ti sarà grato. Dà consigli al saggio e diventerà ancora più saggio; istruisci il giusto ed egli aumenterà il sapere» (Pr 9,8s)
These divisions are seen in the relationships between individuals and groups, and also at the level of larger groups: nations against nations and blocs of opposing countries in a headlong quest for domination [Reconciliatio et Paenitentia n.2]
Queste divisioni si manifestano nei rapporti fra le persone e fra i gruppi, ma anche a livello delle più vaste collettività: nazioni contro nazioni, e blocchi di paesi contrapposti, in un'affannosa ricerca di egemonia [Reconciliatio et Paenitentia n.2]
But the words of Jesus may seem strange. It is strange that Jesus exalts those whom the world generally regards as weak. He says to them, “Blessed are you who seem to be losers, because you are the true winners: the kingdom of heaven is yours!” Spoken by him who is “gentle and humble in heart”, these words present a challenge (Pope John Paul II)
È strano che Gesù esalti coloro che il mondo considera in generale dei deboli. Dice loro: “Beati voi che sembrate perdenti, perché siete i veri vincitori: vostro è il Regno dei Cieli!”. Dette da lui che è “mite e umile di cuore”, queste parole  lanciano una sfida (Papa Giovanni Paolo II)
The first constitutive element of the group of Twelve is therefore an absolute attachment to Christ: they are people called to "be with him", that is, to follow him leaving everything. The second element is the missionary one, expressed on the model of the very mission of Jesus (Pope John Paul II)
Il primo elemento costitutivo del gruppo dei Dodici è dunque un attaccamento assoluto a Cristo: si tratta di persone chiamate a “essere con lui”, cioè a seguirlo lasciando tutto. Il secondo elemento è quello missionario, espresso sul modello della missione stessa di Gesù (Papa Giovanni Paolo II)
Isn’t the family just what the world needs? Doesn’t it need the love of father and mother, the love between parents and children, between husband and wife? Don’t we need love for life, the joy of life? (Pope Benedict)
Non ha forse il mondo bisogno proprio della famiglia? Non ha forse bisogno dell’amore paterno e materno, dell’amore tra genitori e figli, tra uomo e donna? Non abbiamo noi bisogno dell’amore della vita, bisogno della gioia di vivere? (Papa Benedetto)
Thus in communion with Christ, in a faith that creates charity, the entire Law is fulfilled. We become just by entering into communion with Christ who is Love (Pope Benedict)
Così nella comunione con Cristo, nella fede che crea la carità, tutta la Legge è realizzata. Diventiamo giusti entrando in comunione con Cristo che è l'amore (Papa Benedetto)
From a human point of view, he thinks that there should be distance between the sinner and the Holy One. In truth, his very condition as a sinner requires that the Lord not distance Himself from him, in the same way that a doctor cannot distance himself from those who are sick (Pope Francis))
Da un punto di vista umano, pensa che ci debba essere distanza tra il peccatore e il Santo. In verità, proprio la sua condizione di peccatore richiede che il Signore non si allontani da lui, allo stesso modo in cui un medico non può allontanarsi da chi è malato (Papa Francesco)

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