HELPING OUR YOUTH IN DIFFICULT TIMES!

Never have the young people been confronted with so many moral obstacles as today. The widespread diffusion of drugs, alcoholic beverages at every party, suicide rates skyrocketing, the easy accessibility and exposure to the ravenous wolf of pornography, marriages terminating in separations and divorces—all these phenomena and much more is the reality of the young today.

What can we do to support the young in this difficult environment in which they are forced to grow and mature? Is there anything that we can do to protect, safeguard and support the young against so many minefields that can explode in any moment?  We will offer five short but important suggestions!

      

1.    PRAYER.   Prayer can move mountains, heal the sick, and even raise the dead. Now more than ever we should lift up our hearts and souls to God to save the young!

2.    GOOD EXAMPLE.  Jesus said that He is the Light of the world. But He also said that we are called to be the “light of the world”. In the Baptism ceremony the Paschal Candle is lighted the whole time. The parents or godparents—after the child is baptized—lights the small candle from the big Paschal Candle. The meaning?  Adults are called to radiate the light of good example to the child and the young. May we be shining lights in the path of our young people!

               

3.    GIVE GOOD ADVICE.   Many young people walk through life like a dog without a master, a ship with no port, an arrow with no target, a chicken with his head cut off, or even like a dog running after his tail.  In other words, they have no orientation.  As adults we should impart to the young especially an explanation as to the meaning of life.  What is the meaning of life?   Here it is!  God is love; He created us as an act of love; He loves us infinitely; He desires that we correspond by loving Him in return by obedience to His Commandments and service. He wants us to be with Him forever in Heaven.  May our advice always be pointing the young to Jesus who is the Way, the Truth and the Life.

            

4.    CORRECTION.  Fraternal correction is a dimension of love.  In one of his messages for Lent,  Pope Benedict XVI insisted on the importance of addressing the wrong by fraternal correction. If a house is on fire we cry out, “Fire!”.  If there is a dangerous animal approaching on the prey to devour we cry out “danger”! If a meadow-patch is full of poison-ivy, we warn our friends to avoid walking there.  Therefore, we must warn, admonish, and correct young people when they are making wrong decisions.  A timely word of correction can prevent a moral catastrophe that could have repercussions a whole life-time!

              

5.    INTRODUCE THEM TO JESUS.   One of the principal purposes of World Youth Day, started by Blessed Pope John Paul II, was to introduce the young people to the greatest person that ever walked on planet earth---JESUS CHRIST!   As adult believers in JESUS CHRIST we should not be ashamed of Jesus—otherwise, He will be ashamed of us on the Day of Judgment. On the contrary, Jesus said, “Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.”  It should be our most ardent desire to make Jesus known, especially to the young people of the world. Andrew could not keep the treasure of friendship to himself; he had to introduce his brother Peter to Jesus. Consequently this bond of friendship was established. Jesus is not loved because He is not known. May we make Him known to the whole world but especially to the young people.  Let us turn to Saint John Bosco, the patron of the youth, and beg him for the grace to convert the young to the Hearts of Jesus and Mary!