Youth problems today

Today’s youth are ignorant of their value as youth and their power to make a difference in the world. We may think that the prophets, John the Baptist, Paul the Apostle were old when the people believed, or kings or philosophers. This is not true. They were young, but they changed the world. The Bible makes it clear that the grace of God combined with the determination of youth is the power to change the world.

The Bible says, “In those days I will pour out my Spirit on your youth, and they will prophesy.” Youth must have a prophetic voice, that is, a voice that does not accept the present as it was received. This prophetic movement among youth is characterized by three things: 1) It is committed, that is, it is not afraid to stray from its principles, 2) It develops talent, 3) And its view of the future is only with big dreams and not with frustration. The age of youth, even if it is an age of questions and inquiries, is not one of doubt or skepticism, because the mind can also play its role in faith.

The most important problem facing young people is that they have not carried all their faith to the world and feel frustrated in front of a world that is open to each other, and they are not able to change it. Man has become a dwarf in front of a world in tremendous communication. Indeed, man alone is not He can change, only the “Almighty” can, but only through us. The youth withdraws because they can’t do anything. They feel pressured and are drawn to follow what is in front of them. But we are not the ones who change, we put our energies in the hands of the Almighty. The prophets changed, but not by themselves.

The world is indeed big but fragile before the divine truth. The word is a double-edged sword. Feeling inferior and dwarfed is wrong. Let us see how Paul set out from a small country, Palestine, and went to preach to the world. He did not do this on his own, but was encouraged because he realized that he was sent. So we also set out into the world because we know that we are sent. We are not alone. We go with confidence and courage.

Temptations for young people

There are many temptations before the youth, and they are three, but they are weak in front of the beauty of the Gospel and faith: The first is philosophies - thought - ideology, and they often take from us the best of our thinking and educated youth; the second is the love of the world, the worldly, that is, the love of what is lower instead of the love of what is higher. Christ said: I chose them, that they might be in the world; but sometimes while we use the world we become slaves to it; as for the third, it is related to life, that is, the wife, the trade and the field as the Gospel says. We make excuses for the worries of life and the time of work. Man must live and often he does not have time left and he becomes a slave to work. We must work in a way that does not lose ourselves but rather enables us to pay attention to ourselves.

A person can be exposed to different ideas, cultures and trends, but first he must have known the sweetness of the Gospel. He must work, and God knows our weakness and does not ask us to give Him 24 hours a day, but let us give Him one hour, and it will become like a mustard seed that grows and becomes a tree.

As for desires, they exist in every human being. They require satisfaction. But the question is: What desire do we want? David says, “Taste and see that the Lord is good.” David felt this, but young people do not?! The pleasures of this world are fragile before the Lord. Education plays a major role in guiding a person to develop the right desires in the appropriate direction.

Youth interaction with the church

Most people are used to seeing the church as a stand-alone organization. But the church is when we come together, when you come to it. It is a possibility that comes true when I answer the call. The call is for everyone, as is clear from the parable of the sower who sowed the word of God, on good and bad soil. The problem is not in extending the call, which is for everyone, but in answering it.

When I want to respond, one is asked: How do I respond? Christ did not change the profession of the apostles, but the purpose of their profession. Instead of being fishermen, they became fishers of people. They remained fishermen. The purpose has changed. Young people today choose a profession for a thousand reasons, but do they choose a profession for a reason that is God? Our work is our mission. The profession of a Christian, according to St. Gregory of Nyssa, is to become a Christian. The value and purpose of the profession is for me to become a Christian. In my profession and work, I bear witness to Christ. All doors of work are possible. The profession is not an excuse for us before God, but our work must be for Christ. The criterion in vocation is dedication, not on the basis of choosing between marriage or virginity, but on the basis of internal dedication. What is required here is not to cut ourselves off from the world in order to fulfill the vocation. My work must be more for God.

How the Church is with Youth

The Church is weak without young people. Her call to young people: Come and do what you want. We cannot ask the Church, but we must ask ourselves. The feeling of alienation among young people regarding the Church comes from their belief that those who work in the Church are closer to it than they are. Sometimes young people isolate themselves from the Church, putting it outside their concerns. One cannot ask about the Church from the outside. This is not possible, just as it is not possible for an athlete to practice sports outside the stadium. Whoever approaches the Church finds that there is ample room for him to quench his thirst from it. Where there is a deficiency, we cannot be content with criticizing; I must say to myself: I come to serve and do better than what is now in place.

Conclusion

A call to zealous young people to work in the Church. Young people must be pioneers in everything they do, because then they can put their work and their professions at the service of Christ and his gospel. Young people need to take risks. Hope and faith are a dangerous and good risk.

Excerpts from an interview on Telemaire TV
With His Eminence Bishop Paul Yazigi
Titled “Youth Challenges in the Third Millennium: Reality and Expectations”
Friday, June 18, 2004