Dear brothers and sisters, Bom dia! 

I thank the Parish Priest for his words, and greet all of you, especially the friends of the Centro Paroquial da Serafina of the Casa Famiglia Ajuda de Berço and the Associazione Acreditar. I also thank you for your words, which have shown all the work that you are doing. Thank you! It is beautiful to be here together, in the context of the World Youth Day, as we reflect on the Virgin Mary who rises and sets out out to help (cf. Lk 1:39). Indeed, charity is the origin and goal of our Christian journey, and your presence, which is a concrete reminder of “love in action”, helps us remember the meaning of what we do and how we are to do it. Thank you for your testimonies. I would like to emphasize three aspects of them: doing good together, acting concretely and being close to the most vulnerable. This means doing good together. To act concretely. Not merely with ideas, but in concrete ways. Being close to the most vulnerable. 

First, doing good together. “Together” is the key word, and I have heard you repeat it many times in the words you addressed to us. Living, helping and loving together: young and old, healthy and sick, all together. João told us something very important: that 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. That is true: we must not let ourselves be “defined” by sickness or difficulty, for none of us “is” an illness or problem: each one of us is a gift, a unique gift, with our own limitations, but a precious and sacred gift for God, and for the Christian and human community. In this way, let us enrich everyone together, and may everyone together enrich us, just as we are! Just as we are! 

Secondly, acting concretely. This too is vital. As Father Francisco reminded us, with the words of Saint John XXIII, the Church “is not an archaeological museum. Some think this way, but it isn’t. It is the ancient village fountain that provides water for the people of today, as it did for past generations” (Homily for the Liturgy in the Byzantine-Slavic Rite in honour of Saint John Chrysostom, 13 November 1960). This fountain exists for quenching the thirst of newly-arrived travellers – just as they are – who bear the weight and fatigue of their journey! Acting concretely, then, paying attention to the “here and now”, as you are already doing, with an eye for detail and practical sense, are fine virtues, typical of the Portuguese people. There are many things I would like to tell you now. But it happens that my reflectors are not working. And I can't read well. And so I'm going to give the text to you so that you can make this public later, yes? Don't strain your eyes and read wrongly. That shouldn’t be done. 

I just want to dwell on something that is not written, but is connected to this, the concrete. There is no abstract love. It doesn't exist. Platonic love is in orbit and not in reality. Concrete love. That's what gets your hands dirty. And each one of us can ask: Is this love that I feel for everyone here, that I feel for everyone else, concrete or abstract? When I shake hands with a person in need, with a sick person, with a marginalized person, do I do this immediately after shaking hands so that they don't tell on me? Am I disgusted by poverty? By the poverty of others? I am always looking for the distilled life, the one that exists in my fantasy. But it doesn't exist in reality. How many distilled lives, useless, that pass through life without leaving a mark. Because their life has no weight. And here we have a reality that leaves a mark, a reality of so many years, so many years that it is leaving a mark that is an inspiration to others. There could not be a World Youth Day without taking this reality into account. Because this is also youth in the sense that you continually generate new life. You, with your conduct, with your commitment, with your hand in hand, by touching the reality of the misery of others, you are generating inspiration, you are generating life. And thank you for that. I thank you from the bottom of my heart. Keep going and don't lose heart. And if you do lose heart, take a glass of water and keep going.