“In order to answer that question we must go back to his encounter with the Risen Jesus on the road to Damascus. At that time, Saul was a young person like you in his early twenties, a follower of the Law of Moses and determined to fight, ... and even to kill those he regarded as God's enemies. ... After that encounter, Paul's life changed radically, ... he was inwardly transformed by the Divine Love he had met in the person of Jesus Christ. ... From being a persecutor, he became a witness and a missionary.”
"For Paul, explains Pope Benedict, “hope is not simply an ideal or sentiment, but a living person: Jesus Christ, the Son of God. ... If we are not alone, if He is with us, even more, if He is our present and our future, why be afraid?"
The Pope also provides practical advice on how to encounter Jesus, encouraging young people to “Make space for prayer in your lives!”
While praying alone is good, Benedict XVI grants, “it is even more beautiful and fruitful to pray together, because the Lord assured us He would be present wherever two or three are gathered in His name."
This means that youth should take part in their parish’s liturgies “and be abundantly nourished by the word of God and your active participation in the Sacraments,” he explains.
"If you find your sustenance in Christ, my dear young people, and if you live profoundly in Him as did the Apostle Paul, you will not be able to resist speaking about Him and making Him known and loved by many of your friends and contemporaries.”
The Holy Father’s message also emphasizes the importance of the role played by young people in the Church, saying, "The Church depends on you for this demanding mission. Do not be discouraged by the difficulties and trials you encounter. Be patient and persevering so as to overcome the natural youthful tendency to rush ahead and to want everything immediately."
Bringing his words to the youth to a close, Pope Benedict asks Mary, Mother of Hope to intercede for young people the world over.
"Mary, Star of the Sea, we ask you to guide the young people of the whole world to an encounter with your Divine Son Jesus. Be the celestial guardian of their fidelity to the Gospel and of their hope."
The full text of Pope Benedict’s 2009 World Youth Day message can be found here: http://www.catholicnewsagency.com/document.php?n=804