Today’s youth challenge

THE Synod of Bishops on Young People, Faith and Vocational

Discernment just ended last October 27 and a final report has already

been submitted to Pope Francis. We will just wait for what the Holy

Father will make out of it. For sure, many interesting things will be

said.

            The final report tackled a great variety of issues

regarding the youth of today. The more prominent ones, of course, are

those related to sexuality and gender. Other issues addressed were

those of synodality, abuse, migration, the digital age, art, music and

sport, violence and persecution, suffering, education, and seminary

formation.

            I am sure that each of these issues can generate endless

discussions. But to me, the most important task is to give a working

and practical, not a theoretical, accompaniment to the youth with the

view of imbuing in them an authentic spirituality where the fullness

of Christ is known, followed and lived.

            This will obviously be a tall order. But today, there is

actually no challenge that is not a tall order. We just have to face

this challenge of the youth of today as boldly as possible, relying

always on God’s grace and on our unremitting effort that would include

heroic patience and humility. There is really no way but to be truly

holy to tackle this challenge effectively.

            In fact, in the final report a reference is made to that

episode of the two disciples on their way to Emmaus whom the

resurrected Christ approached without identifying himself as Christ.

(cfr Lk 24,13-35) It is proposed as the model of the accompaniment we

ought to give to young people these days.

            But this presupposes that to accompany the young people

effectively, we should be like the resurrected Christ himself and the

young people should already be in some basic level of discipleship,

which is hardly the case of what we have at the moment. But yes, we

just have to work this out, no matter how daunting and demanding the

prospect for this ideal would seem to us now.

            My experience with the young ones with whom I am dealing

these past years has always convinced me that what they need is an

authentic human and Christian spirituality. And I am happy to note

that in that final report of the Synod, there is mention about

something as basic as human sexuality that should be part of the

foundation for true Christian life.

            “It is necessary,” the report says, “to propose to young

people an anthropology of affectivity and sexuality capable of giving

the right value to chastity, showing pedagogically the most authentic

meaning for the growth of the person.”

            I find that statement very interesting because while we

already have a rich faith-inspired doctrinal body about affectivity

and sexuality, there is still a dearth of the finer points that would

effectively address the concrete situations of young people already

mired by all kinds of affective and sexual irregularities.

            In other words, we already have good theories and

principles, but we still lack the practical skills to apply these

theories to the concrete cases of young people. In this regard, what I

find important is to try our best to win the confidence of the young

people by developing a true friendship with them.

            We need to spend time with them, and in manner of

speaking, to mix and to “mess up” with them, regardless of the

differences of age, temperament, culture, etc. In other words, to be

“all things to all men,” as St. Paul once said. (cfr 1 Cor 9,22) Once

this friendship is established, we can start talking to them about

more serious things and offer plans and strategies to help them

develop their spiritual life.

            Things should be done very gradually, without overwhelming

them with stiff demands. In fact, the gradient of demands should be

low at the beginning. And we just have to pray and pray that what we

do with them now will bear fruit someday.