At the same time I send this message to allbecause you are all important, and because together —those who are close and those who are far—manifest the desire of each of us to grow and renew ourselves. You remind us that we are all children and brothers, and that no one can exist without someone to bring them into the world, nor grow without having other people to love and feel loved (cf. Enc. Letter. Brothers all95).
In this way, all of you, girls and boys, who are the joy of your parents and your families, are also the joy of humanity and the Church, where each one is like a link in a very long chain, which extends from the past to the future and that covers the entire earth. That’s why I advise you to always listen carefully to the stories of your elders: your mothers and fathers, your grandparents and your great-grandparents. And at the same time do not forget how many of you who, even though you are so young, are already fighting against illnesses and difficulties, in the hospital or at home, those who are victims of war and violence, those who suffer from hunger and thirst, those who live on the streets, those who are forced to be soldiers or flee as refugees, separated from their parents, those who cannot go to school, those who are victims of criminal gangs, of drugs or other forms of slavery and abuse. In short, to all those children whose childhood is still cruelly stolen from them today. Listen to them, or better yet, let us listen to them, because with their suffering, with their eyes purified by tears and with the constant desire for good that is born from the heart of someone who has truly seen how terrible evil is, they speak to us about reality.
My little friends, to renew ourselves l. He gives us great courage, because he is always at our side, his Spirit precedes us and accompanies us on the paths of the world. Jesus tells us: “I make all things new” (Ap 21.5); These are the words I chose as the theme for the first World Day. These words invite us to be agile like children to understand the new things that the Spirit raises in us and around us. With Jesus we can dream of a new humanity and commit ourselves to a more fraternal society that is attentive to our common home, starting with the simple things, like greeting others, asking permission, apologizing, saying thank you. The world is transformed, above all, through small things, without being ashamed of taking only small steps. Furthermore, our smallness reminds us that we are fragile and that we need each other, as members of a single body (cf. Rm 12,5; 1 Co 12,26).