His Eminence Aloysius Cardinal Ambrozic
Archbishop Emeritus of Toronto
Biography :: Letters, Homilies, Statements :: Articles

Pastoral Letter
November 2001

My dear friends,

For the World Youth Day to be held in Toronto next July, the Holy Father has chosen as its guiding thought the words taken from the Sermon on the Mount, "You are the salt of the earth . . . You are the light of the world." In preparation for this great event, I wish to offer a few thoughts about Jesus as the Light of the world and his invitation to all of us, and to the young in particular, to radiate his light.

What made them follow Jesus?

The more I think of Jesus' personal followers during his time on earth, Peter and Andrew, James and John and others, the more astonished I am at their acceptance of his invitation to follow him. They were young men, probably in their early twenties. What was it that drew them to Jesus? Theirs was no mere sporadic attraction but a definitive and permanent leaving behind their extended families, trades and professions, the only means of achieving status, success and social security available to them.

It was not because Jesus was a celebrity; completely genuine as he was, he could not be one even if he had tried. It was not his social standing or political or economic clout ?? he had none. Yes, there were his miracles; crowds were attracted by them, for a variety of right and wrong reasons, but these crowds evaporated when the powers-that-be turned against Jesus. It was hardly Jesus' cleverness that attracted them; yes, he was wise and profound, but his was hardly a purely human brilliance.

What drew the disciples to Jesus was a reality shining through his entire being and behaviour, through his acting and reacting, his works and words, through his unshakable conviction and utter humility, through his freedom from all self-seeking, all false fears and compulsions. What shines through Jesus and is seen more and more clearly by those who are constantly with him is a reality beyond mere human excellence, talent or achievement. The light emanating from Jesus is above the capability of any earthly force (cf. Mark 9:3). Jesus' agenda is not a human agenda, his aims and power are those of God alone.

At the conclusion of the first section of his Gospel, in which St. Matthew tells us who Jesus is and what he is about, we find Prophet Isaiah's exultant statement that "the people who sat in darkness have seen a great light" (4:16). The Light is Jesus, the Son of God.

You are the Salt, You are the Light

This is what Jesus says of his disciples. This is what he says of us, of all his disciples today. As the first people he called were young so he calls the young of today, with the same urgency, to be the light of the world. It takes little imagination to see the lips of our non-believing or half-believing contemporaries curl pityingly or contemptuously if and when we make such claims about ourselves. Yet Jesus means what he says: this is what he calls us to be. Furthermore, he was and is no stranger to such superior smiles, either about himself or about those who follow him.

Those who have been called by Jesus to make his way their own share in his light. They shine in the darkness of this world. We are the light of the world and the salt of the earth for the simple reason that he has made us his own. With him we dispel the darkness and cleanse the world we live in by our life, work and words. Like Jesus, we must be active in our environments, not permitting the light to be hidden or the salt to go stale.

World Youth Day 2002

I wish to speak of a few concrete things and events in connection with the great religious encounter which is to take place in Canada and in Toronto.

The guiding idea of the World Youth Day 2002 set by the Holy Father is true of all of us, but is to be particularly true of the young Catholics who will be with us in the two July weeks of 2002.

First to be mentioned is the cross, which was received in Rome on Palm Sunday by our young people and is now travelling from city to city in Canada. It is to come into Toronto on June 9, 2002. The cross proclaims the One who died on it for the world; it tells us what we are to be and to do. It is the most telling sign of God's nearness to us and thus the foundation of our hope. A Prayer Book has been published by the Canadian Bishops' Conference to be used in the parishes visited by the cross.

The World Youth Day is a pilgrimage; it is a free departure from the routines of everyday. It is a journey creating a community of its own, motivated by the goal it sets for itself. This goal consists in meeting other young people, strengthening and being strengthened by the faith they share, focussing on the prayer and the Eucharist with the Holy Father. A very significant element of this journey is the Sacrament of Reconciliation which will purify our minds and hearts.

It is our young people who will be the principal hosts of the young pilgrims from all over the world. Many of them will act as volunteers, serving the needs of the pilgrims. A good way of preparing for the work of being hosts is for those young Catholics who go to church regularly to invite others to join them in their weekly meeting with Jesus Christ in the Eucharist.

I am firmly convinced that the World Youth Day will make Jesus' light shine more brightly in their hearts and in our hearts, and in the world beyond us.

Aloysius Cardinal Ambrozic

Archbishop of Toronto.