The martyrs and witnesses of faith yesterday and today, including many lay faithful, show that, if necessary, we must not hesitate to give even our lives for Jesus Christ. In this regard, the Jubilee invites everyone to a serious examination of conscience and lasting spiritual renewal for ever more effective missionary activity. These words are still valid today in the presence of a humanity full of potential and expectations, but threatened by a multitude of snares and dangers. Dear lay faithful, as witnesses to Christ you are especially called to bring the light of the Gospel to the vital nerve centres of society. With these words we addressed God in the responsorial psalm.
Holiness continues to be the greatest challenge for believers.
We must be grateful to the Second Vatican Council, which recalled how all Christians are called to the fullness of Christian life and the perfection of charity. Do not forget that the fruits of the apostolate depend on the depth of spiritual life, on the intensity of prayer, on continual formation and on sincere adherence to the Church's directives. Today I repeat to you, as I did to the young people during the recent World Youth Day, that if you are what you should be that is, if you live Christianity without compromise you will set the world ablaze. You face tasks and goals which may seem to exceed human forces. Always keep your gaze fixed on Jesus.