The Pope to the children in Verona: Go against the flow with Jesus, your friend!

Charlotta Smedes – Vatican City

With the joy of Jesus' love and faith, you can be a peacemaker and overcome all difficulties…

That was the reassuring reminder Pope Francis offered to children and young people in Verona on Saturday morning, during his pastoral visit to the northern Italian city. The Pope answered three questions from the children before they prayed the Lord's Prayer together.

Discerning the voice of Jesus

When asked how to recognize Jesus' voice, the Pope urged children to remember how good they feel when they do something good and how bad they feel when they do something wrong. As the children enthusiastically answered the Pope's questions, he explained that the good feeling they feel after doing a good deed is what they feel when the Lord speaks to them.

The next question was about how to be a peacemaker. The Pope encouraged them to be a “sign of peace” together, listening to each other, sharing and playing with each other, without fighting.

The last question was about keeping the faith even in difficult times.

Jesus comforts and strengthens us

The Pope spoke about the many difficulties of life. He mentioned the loss of loved ones, especially relatives, mentioned the terrible wars taking place, and went on to express his confidence that the joy that the Lord gives us comforts and comforts us. It allows us to keep moving forward no matter what comes our way.

With Jesus by their side, the pope said the children could truly be peacemakers, encouraging them to go against the tide with courage and faith and to use their talents to help others.

“Don't be afraid to go against the grain if you want to do something good, you know?” He insisted.

In conclusion, the Pope prayed the Lord's Prayer with the children and gave them his apostolic blessing.