June

The Gospel of Matthew demonstrates the special place that young people have with God. It says, “Jesus said, ‘Let the children come to me, and do not prevent them; for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.’” (Matt. 19:13-15)
 
Children contribute to the good of the family. They bring love and vitality to their families, as well as grow in and share faith with their families. They also learn Christian discipleship from their parents and contribute to helping their parents grow in holiness through mutual affection, love and forgiveness.
 
As children grow into youth and young adulthood, they grow in faith according to their various stages in life, and are called to share in Christ’s mission at each stage. In his Apostolic Exhortation Christus Vivit,  Pope Francis states, “Filled with the love of Christ, young people are called to be witnesses of the Gospel wherever they find themselves, by the way they live.”
 
We can look to the lives of young people as examples of what it means to rely on our parents for our basic needs. As children of God, we rely on the love and mercy of our heavenly father as we grow in holiness throughout our lives. In what ways is God a father to you?

Investing in today’s youth is necessary in growing the body of Christ. Teaching young people in the church to grow in their relationship with the Lord prepares them to serve Christ in all they do. As a result, this nurtures the congregation and allows the church to flourish.

Serving young people cannot only prepare them to become future leaders, but also allow them to contribute to the church. This is seen many times in the Bible, as God often used young people to do great things. For example, God used Timothy to pastor and lead the Ephesian church when he was a teenager. 1 Timothy 4:12 says, “Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith and in purity.”

In addition, there is much to be learned from the faith of a child. Matthew 18:2-4 says, “He called a little child to him, and placed the child among them. And he said: ‘Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever takes the lowly position of this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.’” Because of God’s heart for young people, it is important to recognize their value in today’s church.

Pope Francis released a video message to youth just prior to World Youth Day held in Panama in 2019.  He said that like the Virgin Mary, the youth are needed, and they should not be afraid to leave their mark on the world.
 
“Like the young woman of Nazareth, you can improve the world and leave an imprint that makes a mark on history, your history and that of many others. The Church and society need you.” Pope Francis said in the message.
 
“With your plans and with your courage, with your dreams and ideals, walls of stagnation fall and roads open up that lead us to a better, fairer, less cruel and more humane world.”
    

“Dear young people, God is also watching over you and calling you, and when God does so, he is looking at all the love you are able to offer,” Francis said.

   
At the Synod, “we will talk about how you, as young people, are experiencing the life of faith amid the challenges of our time,” the Pope said. “We will also discuss the question of how you can develop a life project by discerning your personal vocation...In discerning the plan God has for our lives, we can look to Mary, who was very young herself, as an example of the gift of faith lived out,” he said.
  
“The Church is heir to a long tradition which, passed down from generation to generation, is further enriched by the experience of each individual. Your personal history has a place within the greater history of the Church.”
 
“Even young people should be mindful of tradition and the past,” he said, “though this is not the same as being nostalgic or remaining stuck on a certain period of history as being the best. One of the gifts of youth is questioning and dreaming about the future,” he said.
 
“God came to enlarge the horizons of our life in every direction. He helps us to give due value to the past so as to better build a future of happiness.”
 
“Many people think that young people are distracted and superficial,” Francis explained. “They are wrong! Still, we should acknowledge our need to reflect on our lives and direct them towards the future.”
 
“When God touches the heart of a young man or woman, they become capable of doing tremendous things.”

O God, like a mother who comforts her children, you sustain, nurture and strengthen us; like a father who cares for his children, you look upon us with compassion and goodness. We give you thanks for the birth of our children, and for the joy which has come to this family. Confirm their joy with a lively sense of your presence in them, and give them calm strength and patient wisdom as we seek to bring this child to love all that is true and noble, just and pure, lovable and gracious, excellent and admirable, following the example of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.