Pope thanks Portuguese charity workers for 'love in action'
By Deborah Castellano Lubov
'Love in action,' is the way Pope Francis characterized the selfless work of charity workers during his third day in Portugal for the occasion of the 37th World Youth Day.
Addressing representatives of some aid and charitable centers in the Centro Paroquial da Serafina” in Lisbon on Friday morning, the Pope urged them to continue making “life a gift of love and joy.”
The Pope said there is no such thing as "abstract love," noting, "it doesn't exist."
"Concrete love, that which gets its hands dirty, and each one of us can ask: is the love I feel for everyone here, what I feel for others, concrete or abstract? When I shake hands with a person in need, with a sick person, with a marginalised person, after shaking hands, do I do so immediately, so that they do not "infect" me?"
He called on individuals to ask themselves if I am disgusted by poverty, and warned against living, what he described as, "distilled lives," which exist only in our imaginations, but not in reality.
The Pope instead called for living in a way that "leaves a mark" and can be an "inspiration to others."
Getting hands dirty
"With your behaviour, with your commitment, with your getting your hands dirty by touching the reality and the misery of others, you are generating inspiration, you are generating life," the Pope stressed, saying, "thank you for that."
The Pope thanked them from the bottom of his heart, telling them to keep going and not get discouraged. "And if you get discouraged, have a glass of water and keep going," he said.
The Pope had made these comments off the cuff while distributing the prepared speech. In that text, the Pope said charity is the origin and goal of our Christian journey, and of the charity worker's presence, which is a "concrete reminder of “love in action.”
The Pope said it helps us remember the meaning of what we do and how we are to do it.
The secret to being truly happy
Love, the Pope told the charitable workers, makes us happy not only in heaven, but here on earth too, because it expands our hearts and allows us to embrace the meaning of life.
He encouraged the young people and those gathered before him, to live in this way. “All of us can do it, and everyone needs it, here and throughout the world,” he said.
The Pope called for living, helping and loving together, among the “young and old, the healthy and sick, all together.”
Reflecting on illness, Pope Francis said “we must not allow ourselves to be “defined” by our sickness, but instead make it a constructive part of our contribution to the wider community.”
Wonderful things can happen
Emphasizing the need to acting concretely, the Pope said, "this requires paying attention to the “here and now."
“Carry on, with gentleness and kindness,” the Pope implored, “taking up challenges, with their old and new forms of poverty, and responding in concrete ways, with creativity and courage.”
Church's real treasure
The Pope appealed for being close to the most vulnerable.
“While we are all fragile and in need, the Gospel’s compassionate outlook leads us to see the needs of the most vulnerable. It likewise impels us to serve the poor – the excluded, the outcast, the discarded, the little ones, the defenceless – those most beloved of God, who made himself poor for,” the Pope recalled.
Make lives a gift of love
The Pope called on faithful to make their lives a gift of love.
“Let us love in that way!” the Pope said, “Please, carry on making life a gift of love and joy.”
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