Youth Theme
Youth Theme
My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord; my spirit rejoices in God my savior… The Mighty One
has done great things for me, and holy is his name. [Lk 1:46-47, 49[i]]
This is our sentiment—we who gathered on 2018 May 31, Feast of Mary’s Visitation and Encounter
with Elizabeth, in St. Paul University of Quezon City, upon the invitation of the Episcopal Commission
on Youth (ECY) of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP). Youth leaders and
youth ministers, clergy and consecrated women and men as well as lay people, through a 3-day
process of reflecting and sharing—we drew up a roadmap for the celebration of the Year of the
Youth (YOTY) in 2019, following the 2018 celebration of the Year of the Clergy and Consecrated
Persons and continuing the 9-year preparation for the 500th year of evangelization of the
Philippines.
Like Mary, we are thankful for this privilege of putting ourselves in the shoes of the Filipino youth to
prepare for the Year of the Youth. On behalf of our fellow Filipino youth, like the two disciples of
Emmaus, we will tell Jesus, the Son of Mary, our situation, our concerns and our youthful dreams for
the Church and for the society. With Jesus and His Mother Mary, who went in haste to help
Elizabeth, we encourage our youthful peers to hasten and join in realizing the goals of the Year of
the Youth.
The Scripture Story to Inspire and Guide us for the Year of the Youth
[Jesus] asked them, “What are you discussing as you walk along?” [Lk 24:17a] We liken ourselves to
the two disciples of Emmaus and converse with Jesus about who we are, where we are, and what
our concerns and hopes are as we journey in life and walk in faith.
Filipino youth of the 21st century are life-given and want to be life-giving. We are dynamic
individuals, overflowing with blessings, willing and open to learn and to grow when provided with
opportunities to do so.
We are all searching for our identity—who we are. We search for our meaning and ultimately our
purpose in life. We know that we are called for something more than ourselves.
We are called to act, but we still need to be guided and formed. We lack critical thinking and
decision-making skills that usually make us hesitant to commit.
We do not see ourselves as “the future”, but as “the present” of the Church, the world, and of
society. Hence, we are gifts, life-given to the Church and to the Philippines, and we want to be truly
life-giving.
Many of us, young people of today, regard ourselves as more spiritual than religious. We
acknowledge the presence of God; we believe in Him, and we yearn for Him. We choose to express
this longing for a deeper relationship with our Lord and heighten our experience of faith through
personal prayer and participation in various prayer gatherings. Our apparent distrust and doubt on
the credibility of the Church, on the other hand, is but an expression of our burning desire to see her
truly living the joy of the Gospel.
We long for a Church that embodies Christ’s vision and dream for her—a Church that:
· has confidence in us[ii], and ensures that we are “not marginalized but feel accepted”[iii];
· declares and actualizes her preferential apostolate for us[iv]; and
· “draws the attention of young people by being rooted in Jesus Christ”[v].
Our Family
Our family is where we first experience love, care and belongingness. It is also where we have our
first role models who guide and shape us as we are prepared to be launched into the bigger
environment. Our Filipino culture that influences our family plays a major role in shaping us as young
people. Practices and cultural behaviors, such as “utang na loob” and “pagmamano”, are still very
much present in us, as well as the values of respect, obedience, and being family-oriented.
However, there are many different family situations present for each of us. Nowadays, due to the
need for financial stability, some parents have to leave their children to seek greener pastures.
Through these various situations, we still see the family as a foundational aspect of our lives. In our
dreams for a better life, our families will always be part of our hopes and aspirations.
We value our relationships as much as our families—at times even more. We want to belong, more
than anything. Hence, we seek a community that empowers, encourages, and challenges us. Friends
and our social relationships are very important as they are part of the environment that we live in.
These people not only journey with us and encourage us, but also form and influence us.
Despite our being hyperconnected with the world, we still feel left out. We still sense that we do not
belong. We also do not see enough opportunities to actively participate. Now, more than ever, we
are ready to be trusted as partners in shaping our country and our Church.
Health
We acknowledge the need to be healthy. However, in many places, young people do not receive
enough nutrition and the needed medical attention. Depression and suicide are prevalent issues
being discussed by the young and about the young. Substance abuse, other forms of addiction, and
HIV/AIDS also gravely affect our fellow youth. We feel that there is an urgent need to address these
concerns as these may involve us and affect the people around us.
Education
We value our education together with our teachers and formators, who teach us majority of what
we know, as we spend most of our time in school. Unfortunately, not all Filipino youth are given the
opportunity for formal education. Some even end up on the streets or find themselves before high-
risk situations such as child labor.
Environment
We dream of a safe and sustainable world to live in. We value Mother Earth and all of God’s
creation. We understand the importance of caring for our common home, but still need to realize
that our seemingly small actions can either have a greatly positive or negative impact.
Economic Challenges
Our national economy is said to be growing at its potential[vi]. However, majority of the Filipino
youth do not feel this growth nor understand what it means and yet are very much affected by it.
Many of us still experience difficulty in finding stable jobs to keep our future secure; others even fall
victim to human trafficking and other forms of exploitation. Most want to make a living not just for
ourselves, but more for our parents who have given much for us. We dream of a more inclusive
economy that provides equal opportunities to people regardless of age and gender.
Politics
Filipino youth comprise majority of the voters in the country. We seek honest and authentic leaders
who stand for truth, justice and integrity. We need credible leaders we can count on and trust to
lead and make moral decisions for the good of our country and its people. In the same way, we feel
that we too can be leaders ourselves in various ways. Although there are opportunities to be the
leaders we seek, we feel that these are limited, and at times even superficial.
Regular interaction with our friends is now more of a need than a mere pastime as our elders
presume. We value much our peer group relationships or “barkada”. During this stage of our lives,
we seek to construct an identity of our own, one that may be independent from our family, but
defined by the peer group that we belong to.[vii] When we find a sense of connection between our
identity and the values that our peer group has, we feel a greater sense of belongingness.[viii]
Unlike before, however, our peer groups today vary from physical groups to digital communities.
Most of us live a part of our lives online as technology is already part of our daily life. We are a
generation that is very much connected, yet still disconnected. Most of us who are frequently
engaged online would rather express ourselves through “emojis” or posts on our social media
accounts as these appear to be separate from our physical selves. Some of our behaviors now are
also influenced by the number of followers we have online, or the number of “likes” that our posts
have earned. These online friendships could even bring about different pressures—to be popular, to
be “always-on”; these play an integral part in how we form and maintain our relationships both
online and offline.
Filipino youth will always find meaning in the reality of the family. Dreams of prosperity emerge as
we aspire to improve the plight of our families. However, aside from laboring for our parents and
families, we also acknowledge our need to be devoted in discerning our vocation.
We feel at times that our purpose and meaning are imposed on us by those in positions of power
and authority, whom we often sense as doubtful over the goals we set in life. We yearn for people in
authority whom we can look up to as regards integrity and credibility, as well as look to for guidance
and accompaniment.
Our hearts are open to see and embrace role models who give witness to the goodness of life while
rooted in the family. We want our elders to journey with us, to be approachable and not
untouchable, to level with us to a certain extent, to walk the talk, and to make us sense that we are
all equal. We are persons capable of contributing in the way others do—with our own skills,
knowledge and wisdom.
It is our ultimate hope that as we seek our purpose, we are given much life in order for us to share
our lives with and for those around us. We wish to be given more opportunities to share ourselves:
not just with and for our families, but with and for the rest of the community, our country, and the
Church.
Then beginning with Moses and all the prophets, [Jesus] interpreted to them what referred to him in
all the scriptures. [Lk 24:27]
The two disciples not only conversed with Jesus on the road to Emmaus, but also listened to Him as
He explained the Scriptures to them. In this roadmap for the Year of the Youth, Jesus, whom we
know speaks in various ways, invites us to listen and find enlightenment, the way the two disciples
did.
Jesus declares to us, “As the Father loves me, so I also love you.” [Jn 15:9] Thus, He invites us to
remain in His love by following His commandments. Only then will we experience joy that is
complete [cf. Jn 15:9-11].
Indeed, Jesus looks at us and loves us. He gives us a challenging proposal: “Go, sell what you have,
and give to [the] poor and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me.” [Mk 10:21]
Following Jesus entails letting go of our possessions for us to give ourselves fully to Him and attain
fullness of life.
And Jesus tells us: “Rise, and do not be afraid.” [Mt 17:7b] “Go into the whole world and proclaim
the gospel to every creature.” [Mk 16:15] “And behold, I am with you always, until the end of the
age.” [Mt 28:20] Jesus sends us to be His missionary disciples, and promises to be with us.
Jesus expresses His love and affection for us through the Church—a love that is incarnate,
preferential and unconditional[ix]. Through the Church, His Body, He is always concerned with us,
with all our expectations and hopes[x], and He reminds us not to be afraid “especially when we are
faced with the fundamental choices on which depend who we will be and what we will do in this
world”[xi].
Through Pope Francis, the Church challenges us to be “revolutionaries… to swim against the tide… to
rebel against this culture that sees everything as temporary and that ultimately believes [we] are
incapable of responsibility, that believes [we] are incapable of true love.”[xii]
The Church in the Philippines puts her confidence in us Filipino youth to raise the social
consciousness not only of our peers but also of our elders[xiii]. In his message to the youth for the
World Youth Day 1995 in Manila, St. John Paul II told us that we “are especially called to become
missionaries of this New Evangelization, by daily witnessing to the Word that saves.”[xiv]
Our Blessed Mother is a model for us, as she herself was called to mission through the Annunciation
at a very young age [cf. Lk 1:26-38]. Like her, the Lord continues to call and challenge us. Recently,
Pope Francis tells us: “the Lord, the Church, the world are waiting for your answer to the unique call
that each one receives in this life!”[xv]
At our young age, our challenges and calling may strongly disturb and overwhelm us, just like Mary
[cf. Lk 1:29]. Time and again, we are reminded not to be afraid, for we have found favor with God [cf.
Lk 1:30]! May her inspiration allow us to respond with a courageous and committed YES, proclaiming
with her: “I am the servant of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word” [cf. Lk 1:38].
As with the two disciples, may these words from Jesus open our eyes to recognize Him [cf. Lk 24:31],
and make our hearts burn with joy to share the good news to our fellow Filipino youth [cf. Lk 24:32-
33].
So they set out at once and returned to Jerusalem where they found gathered together the eleven
and those with them who were saying, “The Lord has truly been raised and has appeared to Simon!”
Then the two recounted what had taken place on the way and how he was made known to them in
the breaking of the bread. [Lk 24:33-35]
Indeed, like the two disciples, we now are filled with excitement to witness to Jesus who listens to
our story, speaks to us words of encouragement, and challenges us. We respond to Jesus and
witness to Him in the Year of the Youth through the strategic pastoral plan that the Episcopal
Commission on Youth proposes at the national and diocesan levels.
Pastoral Plan for