The legacy of Pope Francis to the youth: Five bridges to the Heart of Jesus!

A heart that beats with yours!

The Heart of Jesus is very close to you – this is the first startling truth Pope Francis wants to impress on your heart through his encyclical Dilexit nos. He, Jesus, is not a stranger to your life. In a world that sometimes seems to have lost its center, we all feel an inner thirst for what is real and can give unity to our lives. But it is not enough to just listen to your own heartbeat; it is about perceiving the heartbeat of God. (cf. n. 81) The Heart of Jesus beats unceasingly for you. His eyes see you even when it seems that everyone else ignores you; when you feel that you don’t matter, or when your sins discourage you. His tender gaze rests upon you, seeing the good in you just as he did with the woman who quietly dropped her coins into the offering box (cf. Lk 21:2). As St. Francis de Sales once said, he constantly carries you in his Heart. (cf. n. 115) So carry him in your heart everywhere too, and do not be afraid! The Heart of Jesus wants to continue beating in this world through you today. He will not take away any of the beauty or joy of your youth; on the contrary: you will only truly become yourself when love reigns in your heart and the Heart of Jesus dwells within you. (cf. n. 21)

Make your love real in actions!

“Christ showed the depth of his love for us not by lengthy explanations but by concrete actions.” (n. 33) The love of the Heart of Jesus is something that needs to be ‘done’. He invites you to ask yourself: ‘How real are my relationships? Am I ready to give myself?’ Pope Francis calls love for others the “fuel” of our friendship with Jesus. (n. 212) If this friendship is not to fade away, it must constantly be nourished and supported by concrete acts of charity. Claiming it only for oneself would contradict the love of the Heart of Jesus: It is in its nature to unite. It creates community and sends us to our brothers and sisters.
One piece of advice from the Pope on this path is: “Have the courage to ask for forgiveness!” A sincere plea for forgiveness breaks the pride that sometimes prevents us from moving forward in a relationship. It opens both your own heart and that of the other person to the power of love. Whoever loves makes themselves vulnerable, but it is precisely in this vulnerability that love’s authenticity is shown: Looking at the wounded Heart of Jesus, who loved us infinitely, we see the model of truly active love.

Let the Heart of Jesus speak to you!

Your relationship with the Heart of Jesus must be nurtured. It is not just one form of devotion among many, because it is directed precisely at the core of Jesus Christ’s person: a heart of flesh and blood, overflowing with human and divine love. Pope Francis puts it this way: “For there we find the whole Gospel, a synthesis of the truths of our faith, all that we adore and seek in faith, all that responds to our deepest needs.” (n. 89)

Each of us should strive to build a heart-to-heart relationship with Jesus, as encapsulated by the motto of Saint John Henry Newman, Cor ad Cor. The Eucharist is the privileged place to conduct this dialogue, for it is where the Sacred Heart of Jesus is truly present. Pope Francis points out that devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus has always been closely linked to the call for Eucharistic adoration on Thursdays and receiving Holy Communion on the first Friday of the month. He adds: “How can we not recommend this?” (n. 85)

He who loves you infinitely waits longingly to unite himself with you in Holy Communion, to meet your gaze in silent wonder before his humble Eucharistic presence. In the Holy Eucharist, we discover that we, like John in the Upper Room, may be the beloved disciple of the Lord, resting on the Master’s chest. There, we hear what the Heart of Jesus wants to say to us. This is where our lives are transformed by the love of the Heart of Jesus, and where the Kingdom of God spreads in this world.

Surrender yourself to Him with trust!

Pope Francis encourages you to take steps of faith by saying: It’s about overcoming “our fear and to realize that, with him at our side, we have nothing to lose.” (n. 37) That sounds logical – and yet, it is often difficult to put this concrete trust into practice in everyday life. But Jesus has an answer to all the world’s fears, anxieties and doubts. He has not left us alone in our weakness. In the Heart of Jesus – that is, in the Holy Eucharist – we find the source of true trust. Can you remain under the gaze of Jesus, which brings peace to your soul?
Like Saint Thérèse of the Child Jesus, we want to say: We are ready to anchor the trust of our hearts not in ourselves, but in the Heart of Jesus. (cf. n. 90) By becoming Eucharistic people, we tell Him: “I trust in you.”

Place nothing in His way!

The Pope also mentions “obstacles we place before the expansion of Christ’s love in the world by our lack of trust, gratitude and self-sacrifice.” (n. 194) With the words of Jesus -“Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God” (Mt 5:8) – we realize how essential it is to ask God to remove those obstacles. Only a pure heart can truly see God.
When we gaze upon Jesus, we understand why His Heart draws us both to the Eucharist and to Confession. Listen to the Apostle John standing beneath the Cross: “One soldier thrust his lance into his side, and immediately blood and water flowed out.” (John 19:34) And in the First Letter of John we read: “The blood of Jesus, his Son, cleanses us from all sin.” (1 John 1:7)
In Confession, we are washed clean by the very blood that poured forth from His pierced Heart.
Pope Francis has given the Church a spiritual legacy for our times: the Heart of Jesus as the key to the very centre of our faith.
His encyclical distils this truth into a few powerful insights. Let them inspire you! Get to know the Heart of Jesus, discover its richness — in your own life, in the Church, and in the world. Begin to live the Gospel with renewed boldness.