Evolution of Jesus Youth as a Movement - 2016 (BJMM014)

 

Evolution of Jesus Youth as a Movement

JY Int’l Assembly 2016 – Ashirbhavan, Ernakulam 27 Dec 2016 – Edward.edezhath@gmail.com

Today more than ever, it is important for us to discover in simple and clear terms what Jesus Youth is. We believe that it is the work of the Holy Spirit and hence to consider that we know it all is a bit presumptuous. A humble and childlike search to rediscover what the movement is as and what it is in my place and at this point of time, and renewing my commitment to be at its service, makes my life greatly focused and efforts more fruitful. It is good to tell ourselves, ‘Jesus Youth know who you are and become what you are!’

Jesus Youth is a place where all kinds of people especially the younger generation are helped to mature in Christ. Here is a path where a person can meet the Lord and through a daily walk grow into maturity. Isn’t the whole Church doing it? Yes, but the Spirit offers something special here, a simple pathway to walk, a set of friendly people to fellowship with and help in growth, and some dynamics relevant to contemporary generation and their life’s challenges. Our challenge is that though people are the same they are so very different in a place and at a time, and so an incarnated approach is a must. Offering this Jesus Youth path to a person of this place and these changing times may not be easy, yet all things are possible in Him.

The movement on the move

Jesus Youth as a movement sprouted as a youth awakening in the context of Charismatic Renewal in mid 1970s, efforts of consolidation started in 1978 and with the First Line group in 1982 started a search for a vision and identity. Its Epiphanic social presence started with ‘Jesus Youth 85’ when it stumbled upon its label which also bestowed on it a fresh vigor for focused New Evangelization

In the early days JY was a network of lively prayer groups >>  It later grew into a complex movement with a distinct array of leaders, network of prayer groups, formative platforms and a variety of initiatives and ministry networks. In short it is growing into what the Church today calls an “Ecclesial Movement”.

It is “a providential answer arising from the Holy Spirit to the necessity of communicating in a persuasive manner the Gospel to the whole world, considering the grand processes of change in action at a global level, often marked by a strongly secularized culture. This leaven of the Spirit has brought to the Church's life an unexpected newness which is sometimes even disruptive.” [1]

Vigilant and faithful in holding fast to the treasure and building it up

For Jesus Youth leadership it is very important to keep in mind that there are varieties of Renewals in the Church, and one among these renewals, the Charismatic Renewal also has over the years emerged into a variety of forms and styles.

While some forms of renewal have opted to focus on spiritual experiences and ‘prosperity’, JY path is that of growing in Christ, to be at the service of the Church, building loving fellowships and taking the good news to younger generation, with a special thought for the poor.

In Jesus Youth, I believe, some of the leadership challenges today are:

Facing change: JY is not what it was. The world has gone ahead much and along with it, JY also has changed much. Be a good learner looking at the changes around (Mt 16:3), contemplating on what the Spirit is doing in JY.

Facing its variety and complexity: The maturity of the movement is that it is like the Noah’s ark accommodating much variety (Is 11: 6 – 9). Only a leader with an inner stillness can hold this variety in one’s heart and be a good shepherd of the Lord flock.

A renewed self-acceptance: JY has a rich, unique and relevant style and Spirituality. Simple, Joyful, participative, mutually supportive and natural styles are innate to the movement; not only in the way we pray, but also in its exercise of leadership and group functioning. Around us there is a great wave of artificiality, authoritarianism and negativity even among Spiritualities. Here JY has a prophetic role to play.

Building the movement with clarity: “A clear path makes a journey smooth, but a rigid path, difficult”. Jesus Youth as a movement has passed through infancy, growth phase and is approaching maturity with clearer identity and mission in the Church and the world. But the movement or one of its ministries in a country or a place may be in infancy, growth phase or may be reaching maturity. The working model and leadership intervention will be quite different in these distinct stages of growth. Grasp it! The need of the hour is to take a new look at the various components of the movement, namely, Encounter, Fellowship, Lifestyle, Formation, Mission, and Networking, to make it serve the goal of helping a person mature in Christ with clarity and focus. We have started this process with formation and now to the other components of the movement.

They say, ‘Think globally, act locally’. Holding the fast-growing

Jesus Youth reality in the heart prayerfully and using that lovely tool in my particular living situation to help someone to effectively walk with the Lord, should be the leadership attitude needed in Jesus Youth today.

Calling attention to the JY path

It is important to remind us that our Statutes help us in this refocusing [2]:

II. Purpose   

5. Jesus Youth strives to lead people, especially the youth, to a renewed life in Christ, assists them in their growth in holiness and prepares them for the apostolate in communion with the mission of the Church.

6. The association helps people to have a personal relationship with Christ and experience the love of the Father and the fellowship and guidance of the Holy Spirit in their lives.

7. The association strives to cultivate in its members a life of missionary discipleship, urging them to become joyful witnesses of the Gospel in the contemporary world.

 

And how we do it? By inviting people to meet Christ today, by building prayer groups, cells and households, by helping them to live the six pillars, by encouraging them to go forth and by bringing together committed leadership to refocus on our pastoral vision and be more fruitful in it. May this our gathering encourage all of us to serve the Lord with greater clarity and commitment.

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 [1] John Paul II, Discourse to those belonging to Ecclesial Movements and to the New Communities on the Vigil of Pentecost (30 May 1998); also quoted in “Iuvenescit Ecclesia” (2016) by Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith.

[2] Jesus Youth Statutes, approved by Vatican 15 May 2016.