Jesus, you were a man of youthful spirit,
You chose to live as one
with the poor and the oppressed.

You wanted to set at work in the world
an inner dynamic:
To bring to life in us, a power
that would both form and transform us.

You came as a brother to all;
You desired that we hate no one,
That we never repay evil with evil.

You wanted to give hope to all people,
Above all, the lost.

You defended sinners from `the just`,
You took children and the defenceless
under your protection

In you the human soul found its home
You bore within yourself a simple reverence
for all created things.

You lived a simple, unpretentious life, taking
pleasure in small everyday things:
A good meal, a cool drink,
A stretching walk and true friends.

Indeed Jesus,
You had a daring and youthful spirit
Your very existence was `good news`.

Even in your pain you were ordinary.
You wept, you were sorrowful;
You felt empty and abandoned.

Right to the end, you gave hope
to the broken-hearted.
On the cross you offered forgiveness,
happiness and peace.

Jesus, by the way you lived it was as if you said:
`You have a right to life.
I will not condemn you; live in peace.`

Who is a good person, Lord?
One who is well disposed towards life,
who never condemns, who works for justice.
One who is gentle, cheerful and at peace.

Perhaps our task in life may be simply this:
To realise, by our witness,
the goodness of Christ.


Amen