Let’s answer the Pope’s call

Marie Anne Jacques, of Chicopee, Massachusetts, USA, joined us as a Full-Time Pilgrim of St. Michael last February 11, the feast of Our Lady of Lourdes.

Here is the speech she gave at our monthly meeting in Rougemont on Sunday, February 25, 2007:

Thank you for the warm welcome I have received. I especially would like to thank Miss Tardif and Diane Guillemette for helping me find where things are, and Jude Potvin for being kind enough to reprogram my computer. I’m very happy to be here as the newest Full-Time Pilgrim, everyone has been very supportive and helpful during this transition, it’s really starting to feel like a new home, with new brothers and sisters in this missionary work. This vocation, I feel, is most important for the times we are living… to live out the beatitudes in helping our brothers and sisters all over the world.

I would like to share a quote to the youth from Pope Benedict XVI for the 2007 World Youth Day:

"In particular, I invite you to carefully study the social doctrine of the Church so that its principles may inspire and guide your action in the world. May the Holy Spirit make you creative in charity, persevering in your commitments, and brave in your initiatives, so that you will be able to offer your contribution to the building up of the ‘civilization of love’. The horizon of love is truly boundless: it is the whole world!"

My reflections

1. "The social doctrine of the Church": it is most critical to inspire the youth to missionary work with the Pilgrims of St. Michael in the battle to establish the social doctrine of the church.
   
   
2. "Be creative in charity": the more experienced generation must harvest creativity in the youth of the next generation to become the next Pilgrims of St. Michael which will bring us closer to the Church.
   
   
3. "Be brave in your initiatives": the "Michael" Journal’s initiatives are to promote social justice throughout the world, in order to do that, we will need both the new and more experienced generations to work as a team to fulfill God’s plan to bring Social Justice to the world.

Is it possible to inspire the younger generation to become more proactive? Is it possible to establish a program of leadership training to help them move forward in our movement?

Thank you for your attention, I’m looking forward to working with all of you.