Walking with the youth

Pope Francis in his message for the 36th World Youth Day said, “Whenever a young person falls, in some sense all humanity falls. Yet it is also true that when a young person rises, it is as if the whole world rises as well.” Therefore, “Walking with the youth” should confine not to let the youth fall, but facilitate them to rise so that they could testify what they have seen and experienced as well. 

Luke used two very simple lines to describe the growth of Jesus in his gospel: After Jesus finished discussing with the teachers at the temple at the age of 12, “Then he went down to Nazareth with them and was obedient to them. But his mother treasured all these things in her heart. And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and man [Luke 2:51-52]. 

Luke did not give us details of how Mary and Joseph “walking with Jesus” and did not tell us how the couple educated Jesus in treating others well, reflecting daily life, reading bible or praying to God. Yet, “Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and man.” Being our Messiah, there is no need for anyone to teach Jesus. Yet, Luke stressed that Jesus “went down to Nazareth with them and was obedient to them.” 

It is not difficult to know from the historical and cultural background that, being Jesus’ parents, Mary and Joseph acted intuitively by caring, accompanying Jesus and doing their best to give him a model to learn from. By their efforts, Jesus grew, and arose to testify to God’s love and salvation by preaching to the people, healing the people, driving out demons and comforting the poor. 

In this first week of Lent, let us walk with the youth by caring them with our hearts, accompanying them with patience and modelling to them of our Christian faith. With these, our youth will not fall but “arise” to testify what they have experienced: “God’s goodness and beauty in yourself, in others and in the communion of the Church, where all loneliness is overcome. And, testify that lives of failure can be rebuilt, that persons spiritually dead can rise anew, that those in bondage can once more be free, that hearts overwhelmed by sorrow can rediscover hope” [Pope Francis’ message for the 36th World Youth Day].

Lenten Campaign Organising Committee, 2024