Metanoia — A Change of Heart.
Living Words from Saint Pope John Paul II
“Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord…”
Psalm 33:12 (New International Version)
Korazim, Mount of the Beatitudes, Friday, 24 March 2000
Entering a new day, a new year, and a new century, the 21st century, the Third Millennium offers a chance to share the enduring wisdom of the Ten Commandments and the Beatitudes, inspiring messages of truth, goodness, grace, and freedom.
Wisdom is timeless
1. For generations, the Sermon on the Mount has inspired young hearts with Christ’s personality and message.
Thank you, Archbishop Boutros Mouallem, for your warm welcome. Please convey my prayerful greeting to the Greek-Melkite community you lead.
I send good wishes to the Cardinals, Patriarch Sabbah, bishops, and all the priests.
I greet the Latin, Hebrew-speaking, Maronite, Syrian, Armenian, and Chaldean communities, along with brothers and sisters from other Christian Churches and Ecclesial Communities.
I want to warmly welcome our Muslim friends here, along with members of the Jewish faith and the Druze community, and extend heartfelt thanks.
Young people of Israel, the Palestinian Territories, Jordan, and Cyprus; youth from the Middle East, Africa, Asia, Europe, America, and Oceania! With love and affection, I warmly greet each of you!
2. The first to hear the Beatitudes carried the memory of Mount Sinai, where God spoke to Moses and gave the Law, - The Ten Commandments – “written with the finger of God” (Exodus 31:18).
Together, Sinai and the Mount of the Beatitudes offer the roadmap of Christian life: guide us from evil to love: loving God fully and our neighbor as ourselves (Matthew 22:37, 39).
Jesus Honors Those the World Considers Weak.
3. Jesus says, “Blessed are you!” All who are poor in spirit, gentle, merciful, mourn, seek righteousness, are pure in heart, make peace, and are persecuted.
He assures losers that they’re the real winners, for “theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” Spoken by the one who is “gentle and humble in heart” (Matthew 11:29), it calls for a profound metanoia—a change of heart.
Why Do You Need This Change of Heart – Metanoia?
An inner voice and external influences suggest that the proud, violent, pitiless, and cunning always win. You know better!
Choosing the Voice of Christ
4. Jesus calls you to choose between good and evil, life or death. Faith in Jesus means trusting his words, even when they seem strange, and rejecting evil, no matter its appeal.
Jesus does not merely speak the Beatitudes; he lives them.
Trust in Him: “My grace is enough for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness” (2 Corinthians 12:9).
Now it is Your Turn
5. Young people of the Holy Land and the world. Open your hearts!
Become ambassadors of that Kingdom!
Spread the Good News about the Kingdom of God (Matthew 14: 24)!
Be a light among nations!
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“Lord Jesus Christ, in this sacred place you knew well, kindly listen to these young hearts. Enlighten their minds and transform them into joyful witnesses. Stay with them always, especially in tough times. Be their strength and guiding victory.
You made these young people Your friends.
Amen.”
Excerpted from the writings of Pope John Paul II
Jubilee Pilgrimage to the Holy Land (March 20–26, 2000)
Homily at the Mount of the Beatitudes
Read the original Vatican text