Youth Revival (Part III)
Pope Francis delivered the following words about our Lord and the special relationship He has with us: “He is our hope, and in a wonderful way, he brings youth[fulness] to our world, and everything he touches becomes young, new, full of life... He is in you, he is with you, and he never abandons you. However far you may wander, he is always there, the Risen One. He calls you and he waits for you to return to him and start over again... He will always be there to restore your strength and your hope” (CV 1-2).
Seek out opportunities to get involved, create the community you deeply desire. Pray boldly for the desires of your heart. The Lord can and will answer those desires. Embrace the mystery. Choose to pursue sainthood. And finally, trust and know that you are cared for and loved by a Father who sent His only Son to become poor so that we may one day be rich in Heaven. In a world that has consistently turned away from holiness, let us young people follow in the footsteps of JPII and remember his words: “Do not be afraid to be holy.”
We as young people have a unique opportunity to revive and carry on the Catholic Church. The Catholic faith is something a lot of us take for granted, I know I did for a period in my life. The richness of tradition and history seemed “boring” to me in my high school years, but after being surrounded by a great Catholic community in college, the fire for my Catholic faith was rekindled. My love for Jesus grew 10-fold after experiencing Eucharistic adoration more often and being held accountable by my closest friends who were all striving for sainthood. We as young people are in a unique spot in that we have grown up with so much technology and new social norms. The world around us seems to become more and more lazy, falling away from the great identity we have as sons and daughters of God the Father. But there is hope and good news. A shift is happening among young people desiring to turn back to traditional roots.