Dear young friends, your heart longs for love. A love that is deep, passionate and enduring.

This desire is no accident. It is a sign that you are made for love. Saint Augustine, whose burning heart pierced by an arrow is depicted in my coat of arms, put it this way: "You have made us for yourself, and our heart is restless until it rests in you" (Confessions 1, 1). In this way, the Saint expressed the desire for divine love, which God truly pours into our souls when we are united to him. Yes, God himself can be present in human love, transforming it, giving us the capacity to love as he loves, through service, generous self-giving and, when necessary, forgiveness. Indeed, God is Love, and he created you to love him and the people around you.

Among all forms of human love, that between a man and a woman holds a special place. It can strike the heart like an arrow, swiftly and powerfully. True love, however, does not stop there. It is not merely a fleeting emotion, kindled for a moment. It is something more. It is a profound "yes" to the other person, a decision, a journey and a lifelong covenant: "Love is authentic and can last forever only if it reflects the eternal splendor of God, God who is love (cf. 1 Jn 4:8). Solid and fruitful relationships are built together on mutual trust, on this 'forever' that beats in every vocation to family life and to religious consecration" (Meeting with young people in Lebanon, 1 December 2025). This love leads us to ask first of all: "How can I love as Christ loves?" (cf. Jn 15:12), setting aside the question: "What do I get out of it?" In marriage something of the very mystery of God is revealed. When husband and wife give themselves totally and mutually in love, God becomes present in their midst. Their fidelity, their forgiveness, their daily struggle for the good are an image of Christ's love for his Church. It may seem like a romantic idealization, but it expresses a profound truth about reality: "In the one Christ we are one" (Saint Augustine, Exposition on Psalm 127, 3).

God calls you, dear young people, to this great love. Do not be afraid of its depth! The love to which you are called is strong enough to overcome difficulties and great enough to sustain you for your whole life. It is not perfect, but it grows in the light of faith. True love is a gift from God, and we cannot produce it on our own. Where human love is often tainted by selfish desires, God's love is instead selfless, patient, persevering, and possesses all the wonderful qualities that Saint Paul lists in his First Letter to the Corinthians (cf. 1 Cor 13).

We see the most beautiful image of true love when we look at the cross of Jesus Christ. He loved us to the point of giving his life for us. Here is the "DNA" of Christianity: "This is my commandment: love one another as I have loved you. No one has greater love than this: to lay down one's life for one's friends" (Jn 15:12-13).

The book you hold in your hands, YOUCAT. Love Forever, wants to accompany you on this journey. Young people like you, from more than thirty different countries, have testified in these pages that the ideal to which Christ calls us is a fascinating treasure. This book invites you to open your heart to a project greater than any human dream. It is a preparation for a "yes" that is valid not just for a day, but for a lifetime, a "yes" that, like God's love, is tireless and faithful.

I pray for you who will read this book, encouraged by the beloved Pope Francis.

May Jesus Christ trouble your heart, until it finds rest in him.

May the Holy Spirit be your light and your strength.

And may you, like Mary, Mother of Beautiful Love, respond with trust and courage to the most beautiful of vocations: the vocation to love.