Pope tells young people in North Macedonia to build hopes and dreams

By Vatican News

The importance of dreams and dreaming was at the heart of Pope Francis’ meeting with the young people of North Macedonia on Tuesday afternoon.

Am I dreaming too much?

“One can never dream too much”, was Pope Francis’ response to a question put to him by a young woman. If anything, too many people “have lost their ability to dream”.

“Dreaming helps us to keep alive our certainty that another world is indeed possible, and that we are called to get involved”, he said.

Dreams come true when we apply “hope, patience and commitment”, said the Pope. We should never be afraid “to take chances or make mistakes”. “Even if you make mistakes, you can always get up and start over”, said Pope Francis. “Don’t be afraid to become artisans of dreams and of hope”.

The example of Mother Teresa

The Pope told the young people they are called to be like Mother Teresa: “to work with your hands, to take life seriously and make something beautiful of it”.

Mother Teresa always kept dreaming in a big way, said Pope Francis, “and this is why she also loved in a big way”. She wanted to be “a pencil in the hands of God”, said the Pope. “And God began to write new and amazing pages of history with that pencil”. 

Dreaming together

No one can realize his or her dreams alone, continued the Pope. ”We need a community that supports and helps us”.

“How important it is to dream together!”. “Dream with others and never against others! By yourselves, you risk seeing mirages, seeing things that are not there. Dreams are built together”, he said.

Getting involved

Pope Francis then shared what he called the best lesson he ever learned: the ability to talk to people “face-to-face”. 

“We have entered into the digital age”, he said, “but actually we know very little about communication. We are all “connected”, but not really “involved” with one another”. Getting involved requires life, said Pope Francis, “it calls for being there and sharing the good times but also the not so good times”. 

Listening to the elderly

Finally, Pope Francis encouraged his young listeners to spend time with their grandparents and the elderly. “Listen to their stories”, he said, even if they may “sometimes seem a bit unreal but in fact are full of…hidden wisdom waiting to be discovered and appreciated”.

When your dreams are dimmed and your heart seems to sink”, concluded Pope Francis, “look for a community, take each other by the hand, and remember that there is Someone who wants you to be alive”.