God Loves Us As We Are

I spent the early evening of my day off on Thursday watching live coverage of the young people welcoming Pope Francis, as they gathered in the Edward VII park in Lisbon. This was World Youth Day 2023. It was an amazing spectacle to see: over 500,000 young people from all over the world expressing, with great joy, their delight in being together and welcoming the Holy Father. After some joyous music and choreography, there was a reading from the Gospel of St Luke — when Jesus sent the disciples out in pairs, saying: The harvest is great but the labourers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest to send labourers to bring in the harvest and I am sending you like lambs among wolves.

In his homily Pope Francis spoke to the young people, but his words are for all of us. He told the young people that they are not here, in Lisbon, by accident:

‘The Lord has called you. From the very beginning of your life Jesus has called you by name. The words “I called you by name” are written in your hearts. Each of us is called by name. Think on this: “Jesus called me by my name”. From the first moment of our existence we are called because we are loved. We are born because we are loved. We are precious children in the eyes of God. This makes us unique, and an original masterpiece, whose beauty we are only beginning to glimpse. Dear young people, at this World Youth Day let us help one another to recognise this fundamental reality. This is true despite the fact that our eyes are clouded by negativity and dazzled by so many distractions.’

The Pope assured the young people that:

‘God’s heart beats uniquely for you. Let us recognise that we are loved just as we are not as we would like to be. This is the starting point of our lives: that we are loved as we are’.

He went on to say:

‘If God calls you by name you know it means that for him you are not a number but a face. You are precious.’

He pointed out that:

‘Many people know your name but do not call you by name. Your name is known. It appears on social networks and is processed by algorithms that are associated with likes and preferences which are useful for market research; yet it does not begin to approach you in your uniqueness. How many wolves hide behind false smiles, when say they know you yet they do not love you? They insist they believe in you, and that you will become someone, but then abandon you when you do not matter. They show themselves for what they are — vain, superfluous, and surrogate things that leave us empty inside.’

The Pope reminded the young people that Jesus is different:

‘He trusts you, for him you truly matter. Each one of us matters. We are not a community of the perfect, but we are called as we are — with our problems, with our limitations, with all of our joys, and our wish to become better.’

He ended by saying,

‘In the church there is space for all as we are. There is room for everyone.’

I believe this is a very important message for all — not just the young — at this time. God loves us as we are and not as society wishes us to be.