“ जाgo Is a Call to Stay Awake and Wait in Hope”: Cardinal Anthony Poola

Bangalore, Karnataka, January 1, 2026: Anthony Poola called on young people to remain spiritually alert and rooted in hope while addressing जाgo 2025, the National Youth Conference organised by Jesus Youth India, held at Christ Academy.

Speaking to an estimated gathering of 8000 youth, the Cardinal described जाgo—meaning “wake up”—as a summons to live attentive, faith-filled lives marked by hope. He said Christian waiting is not passive but active, sustained by trust in God and openness to the Spirit.

Reflecting on the Gospel figure of Simeon, Cardinal Poola underlined that authentic waiting involves perseverance in prayer, obedience, and love. Simeon’s life, he said, offers a model of hope that endures until God’s promise is fulfilled.

Linking this message to the mission of the Jesus Youth movement, the Cardinal said the movement embodies hopeful waiting combined with readiness to act. He urged young people to recognise Christ in the Eucharist, in the Word of God, and among the poor, and to carry this encounter into daily life as joyful witnesses of faith.

Concluding his address, Cardinal Poola stressed that JaaGo calls believers not to wait with folded hands but to remain spiritually awake and ready to respond when God intervenes. He encouraged the youth to remain faithful and to live as pilgrims of hope.

By Manisha Sharon

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