"We are in a time when it seems that the decision of all is strength, power, and might. But these are illusions: whoever uses strength as a criterion will always find someone stronger than themselves. Our strength is testimony" and with these words, the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, outlined the path for the faithful gathered on the occasion of the moments of the Jubilee of Franciscan Order.

Before presiding over the solemn Eucharistic celebration, the Patriarch met with a church full of faithful from the diocesan community of Prato for an intense moment of listening and dialogue in which Cardinal Pizzaballa retraced with great realism the wounds and hopes that traverse the Holy Land, reminding that sufferings are not limited only to the Gaza Strip or the West Bank, but are deeply rooted in the social and human fabric of the entire region. In this context, the Cardinal placed a strong emphasis on the local Christian community and, above all, on the fundamental role of children and young people: it is precisely the little ones, he emphasized, who are to instill strength and hope in adults. For this reason, attention to their growth and education is the essential starting point for rebuilding the future and starting anew with an open view of trust, he said, "If we belong to God, one must see from our way of speaking, acting, and doing. It is not about proving to be better, but about showing with the heart who we are and to whom we belong, without stopping at mere theoretical principles."

During the Holy Mass, the Cardinal, referring to the parable of the ten virgins, instead of offering the opportunity for a deep meditation on the attitude of man towards history, recalled that "the first message we find in the Gospel is that our life is a waiting for an encounter, a decisive encounter." Entering into the text, the Patriarch emphasized that "the distinction between the wise virgins and the foolish ones does not lie in great sins or evil deeds. The foolish ones lived without meaning; they lived normally, as if that day did not exist. The wise, on the other hand, lived with a choice." But the difference, then, is the attitude of the heart with which we go through situations: "What makes the difference between things to do? The things to do are essentially the same. It is the attitude with which you do them that changes things. What makes you live life in one way or another? The way in which you set your values and the way you understand that God is there." The Cardinal stated that "in the midst of the many tragedies of the present time, we must not cry, denounce or accuse." He emphasized that "one can denounce ... but not only that. One must also do something positive, to build relationships... Because if you lose the sense of humanity of the other, you also lose yourself."

The presence of God in history thus becomes the key to opening consciences and returning responsibility to the individual. "The presence of God opens the possibility of an identity, it opens me up to the life of the other," the Patriarch continued, and "if the Lord is present in my life, then this testimony becomes an action, a way of being, a way of being a witness."

At the closing of the homily, the invitation to be present with active hope, without giving in to anxiety about tomorrow or a spirituality centered on oneself, because "we have time, we live within this time. We must not think about how the final kingdom will be, but we must fill this time with a presence of love, with the fire of love that gives light."

A commitment that translates into a request for a specific grace for the entire Prato community: "we ask for the grace to be those who keep a flame, an authentic and true flame, small perhaps, but well-fed and with true things, so that it may illuminate our lives."

At the end of the day, the Cardinal addressed a heartfelt thank you to the entire Prato community for the warm welcome and the sharing of an intense moment of prayer and fraternity in the sign of the Poor Man of Assisi, inviting the faithful of the Diocese to return as pilgrims to the Land of Jesus, and emphasizing that only Jesus is our only and authentic hope and above all that "the awareness of God's presence in our conscience opens us up to the life of the other and to the responsibility to generate good... Love drives us to go towards others, even through small and modest gestures. The light is something small, but it is there that our strength and our testimony reside."