I see clearly that the thing the church needs most today is the ability to heal wounds and to warm the hearts of the faithful; it needs nearness, proximity.

To be saints is not a privilege for a few, but a vocation for everyone.

Advent increases our hope, a hope which does not disappoint. The Lord never lets us down.

The Eucharist is essential for us: it is Christ who wishes to enter our lives and fill us with his grace.

Holy Week is a privileged time when we are called to draw near to Jesus: friendship with him is shown in times of difficulty.

The Jubilee invites us to renew the gift of hope within us, to surrender our sufferings and our concerns to hope, to share it with those whom we meet along our journey and to entrust to hope the future of our lives and the destiny of the human family. And so we cannot settle for the fleeting things of this world or give in to sadness; we must run, filled with joy. Let us run towards Jesus, let us rediscover the inestimable grace of being his friends. Let us allow his Word of life and truth to shine in our life.