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Vigil for Youth 12 May 2007 Beloved youth, We are spending a few moments with the Mother of Jesus: we – you youths in particular – with her and she with us. What a great thing, what a beautiful thing is this "being" with Mary! You know that the Mother of God, venerated in this icon that is in front of you, for centuries has watched over our city from the height of the Guardia Hill. Mary watches over us; she keeps guard over our city. The watch, the maternal guard of Mary, what an unfathomable fact! I would like to help you, beloved youth, to understand a little this watch, this guard that Mary exercises towards you. The great prayer to the Madonna that concludes the Divine Comedy, finishes in this manner: "Let thy protection conquer human movements." My beloved youth, you have a patrimony, an extraordinary richness: your youth. This, in fact, is the time in which the human person – every one of you – makes a particularly intense discovery of that which truly signifies being a person, being an "I." You discover in an intense mode that life is a project that is being entrusted to you because in it, you fulfill yourselves; that life is a vocation to be completed. "Let thy protection conquer human movements:" Mary watches over each of you so that no "human movement," within or outside of you, should squander the patrimony of your youth. Today, which human movements ought to be outdone by the watch of Mary? From the fear that frequently occupies your heart when you think about your future; from "conformism" to a mentality, to a culture (that is to say) which refutes the fundamental distinctions of life, between true and false, good and evil, just and unjust. Therefore, I say to you this night: entrust your person to the Mother of God, place the patrimony of your youth in her hands. Our city has initialed its pact with Mary even through the stones; the porticoes which join there with the house of Mary are the sign of this covenant. Beloved youth, even you this night, place yourselves in this relationship: Mary watches over you and you entrust yourselves to the watch of Mary. La traduzione, non rivista dal Card. Caffarra, è di Ryan Hilderbrand.