“Youth, faith and vocational discernment”
INTRODUCTION
This guide aims to
motivate us to read and study the final document of the Synod of bishops on
young people that took place in Rome between 3rd and 28th
of October. Before the richness of this content, we can say that we have in our
hands a preciousness, “first for us”, according to Pope Francis. This document
is divided into 3 parts, 12 chapters, 167 paragraphs and 60 pages. The point of
reference, that is, the thing that guides all the text is the episode of the
Disciples of Emmaus.
PART I- «WALKED WITH THEM»
I. A CHURCH LISTENING
Listen and see with empathy: the Synod emphasizes the value of listening.
Everything starts from an empathic listening: young people wish to be listened
to, recognized and accompanied with helpfulness and patience by pastors and
qualified lay people.
The diversity of contexts and cultures: it calls attention to the plural world and
its changes. This, on the one hand facilitates life, but on the other generates
exclusion and marginalization. It is necessary to recover the dynamism of
faith.
A first look at the Church today: it talks about the educational commitment of
the church that aims towards the integral formation of young people. Schools
and universities have their task, but the parish must also rethink its pastoral
action in order to be more attractive to young people.
II. THREE CRUCIAL JOINTS
The newness of the digital environment: this is a pervasive reality which provides a
net of opportunities, but also brings with it a dark side. We must enter into
this reality facing courageously the relationship between faith and the
challenges of this current time.
Migrants as a paradigm of our time: this phenomenon presents itself in a
multiform way. Many migrants are vulnerable young people, subject to all sorts
of violence. The prophetic role of the Church is defined by Pope Francis with
four verbs: “to welcome, to protect, to promote and to integrate”.
Recognizing and reacting to all kind of abuse: to take the commitment seriously with truth
and ask for forgiveness. Deal with this bad situation with strict decisions.
The synod also expressed gratitude and
encouragement to those who had the courage to denounce.
III. IDENTITY AND RELATIONS
Family and intergenerational relations: it speaks about the family as a privileged
reference, emphasizing the role of parents and the relationship between the
generations. The focus here is on sharing of the faith and mutual help in the
testimony.
Body and Affectivity: recalls the changes that bring with them a
certain permissiveness on these issues. The sexual morality of the Church is
seen as a form of judgment and condemnation. We must propose an anthropology of
affectivity and sexuality capable of giving the right value to chastity for the
growth of the person in all the states of life. About the homosexuality, it is
necessary to help young people to integrate the sexual dimension into their own
personality, growing in the quality of relationships in view of the self-gift.
Forms of vulnerability: this reality manifests itself before the lack
of work - which decreases young people’s ability to dream – before the violence
and the persecution, leading to marginalization. The synod makes an appeal to
conversion and solidarity.
IV. BEING YOUNG TODAY
Aspects of the current youth culture: it asks to appreciate the sporting activities
of the young people, which carry in itself an educational, formative and inclusive
potentiality. Music is especially
considered as a powerful evangelizing channel and a great pastoral resource,
because it offers young people the opportunity to express their talents.
Spirituality and religiosity: young people come from plural religious
contexts and this results in profound religious research. They wish to meet
Jesus Christ, especially through a living and authentic liturgy, in which the
beauty of signs, the care of preaching and the participation of the community
speak truly of God and are greatly appreciated.
Participation and Protagonism: Young people want to be protagonists; they
seek to be active in the evangelization of their coetaneous. They want a more
authentic and fraternal ecclesial community where they feel integrated, can
assume responsibility and are appreciated.
PART II - «THEIR EYES WERE OPENED»
A new Pentecost: The Spirit rejuvenates the Church and the
life of every believer.
I. THE GIFT OF YOUTH
Young Jesus among the young: it speaks of Jesus’ youth inviting all to fix
their eyes on him. Consider that only from his gaze is it possible to obtain an
authentic experience of God. The healthy disquietude of young people is a great
gift. They are a “theological place”, that is, the place where God is present
and from whom he speaks to the Church and to the world.
Becoming an adult: it underlines the characteristics of youth
age as the age of choice. It is our task to help the young people to live their
existence under the sign of the mission with a pedagogy capable of questioning
and of fascinating. We should offer them the true sense of authority and help
them to set up their family relationships in an evangelical way.
Called to freedom: the Gospel that the church announces is the
Gospel of freedom. Christ does not take away freedom but frees it, i.e., He
gives true freedom, the responsorial one, which cannot be lived without
fraternity and solidarity, especially with the last ones of society.
II. THE MYSTERY OF VOCATION
The vocational research: The concept of vocation is in close
relationship with that of mission. Every life is a vocation and it relates with
God. It is not a private asset to be managed on its own. Every baptismal
vocation is a call to holiness. It is important to create the conditions for
all Christian communities to develop a real vocational culture.
The vocation to follow Jesus: The Life of Jesus remains deeply attractive
and inspiring in this day and age. It is to all young people, a provocation
that interpellate. Revealing the mystery of the Father and his love. Jesus also
reveals fully the man to himself and expresses his very high vocation. In this
sense the Virgin Mary, a young woman, is presented as a model for her ability
to welcome God’s call and make his plans possible.
Vocation and vocations: the vocation and mission of the Church is
communion with God and among all people. For this reason, she relies on the
variety of charisms, which are the expression of his identity and gifts of
grace that the Spirit continually raises in the Church to rejuvenate her. From
baptism, we are all called to holiness in a logic of faith and gift to be lived
in every choice of life that is made: marriage, consecrated life, ordained
ministry, “single”, etc.
III. THE MISSION TO ACCOMPANY
The church that accompanies: exercising her maternal function, the Church
is called to be present, to support and accompany the itinerary of the young
towards authentic choices. Accompanying involves breaking the bread together
and the first subject of this process is the
community, where the plot of relationships can support the person on his
way and provide guidance. To this service, are called all significant people in
the different areas of life of young people; this also comprises inclusion in
the society.
The accompanying community, group and staff: accompanying is a mission to be done not only
on a personal level but also as a group. In spiritual accompaniment, one learns
to recognize, interpret and choose in the perspective of faith, listening to
what the Spirit suggests within the daily life. It motivates the frequency of
the sacrament of Reconciliation, to assume responsibility and welcome the
diversity as an opportunity for fraternal communion and mutual growth.
Quality accompanists: The Deacon Filippo is presented here as a
model: he puts himself at the disposition of the Spirit, finds a way to enter
into a relationship, formulates questions that lead to a decision and get out
of the scene with humility. In this sense, the accompanist must be a balanced
person, of listening, of faith and of prayer, who is measured with his own
fragility. For this reason, he knows how to be welcoming, correcting
fraternally, without assuming possessive and manipulative behaviour. It is
important to seek specific formation for this ministry.
IV. THE ART OF DISCERNING
The church, the environment for discerning: discernment is the spiritual dynamic through
which a person, a group or a community seeks to recognize and accept the will
of God in the concrete of own situation. Along the history of the Church, this
process has had a variety of meanings but with many common elements. It is
never reducible to the individual dimension alone but it challenges the whole
community that in the light of the Word listens to what the Spirit suggests
through the spiritual experience of its members.
Consciousness in discernment: consciousness is a privileged place of
intimacy with God, in which his voice becomes present. In this sense, it does
not refer to the “self-awareness”, but it certifies a transcendent presence.
The formation of consciousness is a work of a lifetime and requires an inner
care: silence, prayer, sacramental practice, Church teaching and good works.
The practice of discernment: discernment is understood as a work of
conscience and an authentic form of prayer. To each person in this process,
familiarity with the Lord, the regular meeting with the spiritual guidance,
sacramental practice, the disposition of the heart to listen to the voice of
the Spirit and the willingness to put order in his/her own life is required.
The responsibility for the decision is confirmed by the fraternal experience
and the service to the poor.
PART III - «DEPARTED WITHOUT
DELAY»
A young church: the image of the young Church that we dream
of is that of Mary Magdalene, who inhabited by a deep love for the Lord, runs
to the disciples causing their movement towards Jesus. The church wants to
reach all the young people, walk with them and through them, listening to the
voice of the Lord who asks us to convert our hearts and renew the structures.
All young people, none excluded, are in the heart of God and are also in the
heart of the Church.
I. THE MISSIONARY “SYNODALITY” OF THE CHURCH
A constitutive dynamism: young people ask us to walk together in a
continuous “synodal” process. Starting from this Assembly and the Final
document, the Episcopal Conferences and the Particular Churches are invited to
continue the process of discernment in a participatory and co-responsible way
with the aim of developing specific pastoral solutions.
A style for the mission: “synodal” is a style for the mission that
urges us to pass from “I” to “we”, considering the different races,
sensibilities, origins and cultures. It is required we appreciate the different
charisms that the Spirit gives to all, avoiding clericalism and living the
authority as a service. Should be in a “synodal” way also the ecumenical and
interreligious dialogue: having Parresia
in speaking and humility in listening.
II. WALKING TOGETHER IN DAILY LIFE
From structures to relationships: the need of walking together concerns not
only the Church at Universal level, but above all the single communities. It
demands movement from the logic of delegation to involvement. We must rethink the
pastoral care of the parish and its structures in which authentic relationships
are developed, favouring meaningful experiences in the lives of young people.
The life of the community: Our communities are marked by diversity, a
mosaic of many faces. This allows young people to insert themselves into social
life, bringing in it the joy of the Gospel. In the Announcement and Catechesis,
it is important to renew the commitment for the sake of languages and
methodologies, but without losing sight of the essential: the liturgical
experience through which young people grow in the sensitivity of Diakonia, finding in volunteering and
service a way to meet the Lord.
Pastoral Youth in Vocational key: The church is called to be a home for young
people, characterized by a family atmosphere made of trust and confidence. As
the vocation is the nucleus around which all the dimensions of the person are
integrated, only in the vocational dimension can all the pastoral find a
unifying principle. This is why the entire pastoral care of the Church must be
carried out in a vocational focus, especially youth pastoral.
III. RENEWED MISSIONARY IMPETUS
Challenges to be
taken: the digital environment –
impregnating with the Gospel its cultures and its dynamics; migrants – to welcome, to protect, to
promote and to integrate; women in the
church - a courageous cultural conversion and change in pastoral practice; sexuality – proposing to the youth an
anthropology that gives the right value to chastity, helping them to integrate
the sexual dimension in their own personality; on the economy, politics, work - promoting and accompanying the
inclusion of young people in this world; Intercultural
contexts, inter-religious ecumenical dialogue - young Christians are called
to unity, opening up also to young people of other traditions and maintaining
with them authentic dialogues that foster mutual knowledge and healing from
prejudices and stereotypes.
IV. FULL EDUCATION
In a world where
everything is connected, it takes a new formative approach to unite the
different dimensions of the person. Our presence in schools and universities
must be meaningful in view of the integral formation of young people. It is
necessary to appreciate the mission experience of youth investing with
generosity, educational passion, prolonged time and also economic resources. In
the end, the synod formulates three proposals to foster renewal: to perform
formation moments of lay people, consecrated persons and priests together; to
include in preparation for the priesthood or consecrated life a specific
preparation concerning the pastoral care of young people; within a genuine
discernment having the formative journey in an experiential and communitarian
sense.
CONCLUSION
The synod recalls that
we are all called to holiness and only starting from this one vocation is
possible to articulate the different forms of life. Young people need saints
who form other saints, thus showing that “holiness is the most beautiful face
of the church.” Even young people can teach us a lot about this. Through the
holiness of young people, the Church can renew its spiritual zeal and its
apostolic vigour. Young people make us return to our first love.
Fr Ndega
English Review: Mwalimu Mary Kung'u
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