Nurturing the faith of the new generation - 2012 (BJMM008)
Nurturing the faith of the new generation
Looking beyond
the JY Jubilee: Life in the movement, its spirituality, formation & working
style
[Presented on 22 April 2012 at Jesus
Youth - Bishops’ Meet, Dubai, UAE by Dr Edward A. Edezhath]
Nurturing the faith of the new
generation has been a favored mission of the Church of every age and in
contemporary times Jesus Youth movement has taken this mission close to its
heart. This becomes ever more important in the context of the approaching Year
of Faith:
Through his love, Jesus Christ attracts to himself the
people of every generation: in every age he convokes the Church, entrusting her
with the proclamation of the Gospel by a mandate that is ever new. Today too,
there is a need for stronger ecclesial commitment to new evangelization in
order to rediscover the joy of believing and the enthusiasm for communicating
the faith. (Porta Fidei, 7)[1]
To share the message of salvation to the fast-changing
contemporary world, the mother Church counts upon her dear children actively
involved in the world out there, especially those in the fast-growing new
generation ‘ecclesial movements’. With his characteristic effusion of the
Spirit Pope John Paul II of happy memories exclaimed, “What a great need there
is today for mature Christian personalities who are aware of their baptismal
identity, of their call and mission in the Church and in the world! … This is
where the ecclesial movements and new communities appear: they are the answer
which has been raised up by the Holy Spirit to this dramatic challenge at the
end of the millennium. You are this providential answer!” [2]
Already in many areas of Asia
and the other parts of the world Jesus Youth movement has become quite a
relevant model for engaging the present-day generation effectively with the
message of Christ and also for nurturing them in the dynamics of Catholic life
and culture. In
a letter to the World Congress of Ecclesial Movements in May, 1998, Pope John
Paul II spoke of the post conciliar movement as "a concrete ecclesial
entity … with an itinerary of faith and Christian testimony that finds its own
pedagogical method on a charism given … in determined circumstances and
modes." As Jesus youth movement passed one of its thresholds of growth in
the celebration of its silver jubilee of its inception and entered into another
phase of its maturity, it is pertinent to ask, “what are some of the
pedagogical approaches arising out of the distinguishing charism of Jesus
Youth?” and to reflect on the Jesus Youth “itinerary of faith”.
1.
The
Defining Context
As the primary emphasis of the movement is brining contemporary youth to
a Christ-encounter and accompanying them into rootedness in Christian life and
community, an on-going reflection on current youth orientations is extremely
important for Jesus Youth movement as well as for understanding certain of the
dynamics of this movement.
What are some of the distinguishing
marks of contemporary life? Today’s generation is on the move. They seem to say
“there is no permanent stay”[3]. They are
good at multi-tasking and practically focused. They love and value relationships
but have a nagging fear of commitment. A good number of them have faith and
religion, but it is often impulsive and narrowly spanned, by way of time and
content. A newer version of their favorite OS or useful App is only months
away, and the same principle of rapid transformation is generally true of youth
culture and its contours. The famous adage, “the only unchanging thing is
change” is truer of the youth culture of today than ever before.
While the foregoing
discussion points to some micro level preferences, certain of the macro level
“new situations in human history which, in recent decades have become the
places to proclaim and witness to the Gospel” has been indicated in the
“Lineamenta” of the forthcoming XIII Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of
Bishops. These new sectors [4] are 1.
Culture, 2. Migration, 3. The means of social communication, 4. Economic
concerns, 5. Area of scientific and technological research, and 6. Civic and
political life. While the document tries to point to the fast-changing face of
the society that requires urgent attention by the Church, the list also serves
as strong indicators of prime attention areas of contemporary youth world. “The
new evangelization calls us to engage in dialogue with these sectors, not
remaining confined to our communities and our institutions, but accepting the
challenge to take part in these phenomena so as to speak and bear witness in
these sectors, from the inside” [5]. Who else
can do it but youth!
On another front families
are facing multi-pronged challenges all across the world. Cultural changes
coupled with the onslaught of the media and values that they carry are shaking
the very foundations of domestic life. The greatest damage is suffered in the
area of parenting and in imparting moral guidance to the younger generation. Consequently,
most of the families find themselves completely at a loss.
Jesus Youth being a youth
initiated as well as youth centered movement the above youth related concerns
receive abundant focus and addressing such a culture in the context of faith
transmission becomes the very raison d'etre for the movement. This focus
has in turn given rise to a distinct approach to faith formation as well as to
all other aspects of life and organization of the movement. On a further note
many well-meaning elders and pastors in the Church discover in Jesus Youth an
approachable channel for dialoguing with the culture of youth
today, which otherwise may appear so very remote and unapproachable. In other words,
the movement could double up as a two-way path for the Church to approach the
youth culture today and vice versa.
2.
The
Movement March
The example and teaching of Pope John Paul II have had a deep formative
influence on Jesus Youth. His teachings on contemporary mission of the Catholic
laity along with the emphasis on New Evangelization form the very core the
movement’s orientations. The youth-to-youth approach or “the apostolate of the
like towards like” [6]
coupled with an emphasis on building faith centered lifestyle among the young
generation differentiates Jesus Youth from other youth support groups of
contemporary times.
For a quick intro to the movement: Jesus Youth is an international
Catholic Youth Movement with a charismatic spirituality originated in Kerala,
the picturesque coastal state in the southern tip of India, with its rich
cultural backdrop and special Christian tradition of three Catholic rites and
numerous other churches. Starting from 1976 the
Catholic Charismatic Renewal (CCR) touched the lives of many in those parts
resulting in the formation of a number of youth groups which were well
networked by 1978. By the early 1980s, these groups had already matured into a
vibrant presence. In 1985, the International Year of Youth, the network
received a brand-new tag, ‘Jesus Youth’,
which in turn helped it to forge ahead with a clearer vision for themselves,
looking for greater participation in the Church and society. Stirred by the
Spirit and impelled by their inner dynamism these youth took the spirit of the
movement to their life situations and also to the places to which they moved
for studies and jobs. From its small beginnings in Kerala, Jesus Youth
gradually spread across the length and breadth of the country with an active
presence in all the states of India. At the turn of the millennium the movement
had already spread to a number of countries in different continents. Jesus
Youth always values its joyful spontaneity, yet well thought out formation
programs, youthful evangelistic ministries and coordination teams that evolved
over the years ensured continuity and growth in the movement. This network of
youth groups gradually matured into a full-fledged international Catholic
movement that shared a number of characteristics with post-conciliar Catholic
Ecclesial Movements. By the time Jesus Youth celebrated its Silver Jubilee in
2010 the movement had already been approved as Catholic movement by India
Catholic Bishops (CBCI) and had become a vibrant presence in more than 30 countries
and all continents.
3.
Life
in the Movement: Towards Holiness and Mission
A fast-growing movement like Jesus Youth is a complex and dynamic reality not easily amenable to descriptions and definitions. With its twin emphasis of holiness and evangelization, it is easier to ask what some of the indispensable elements in the movement are that assist the members in their journey of formation and mission. Befriending a youth ‘out there’ in the ordinary circumstances of life, leading them to an “Encounter”, providing a supportive context and helpful tools for fostering this newfound treasure, forming them to the maturity of Christ-centred community living, and finally preparing to send them forth on their personal journey of mission, are the steps of this process that help a person in their faith maturing. As the youth reality is so varied and the movement is present to wide spectrum of youth situations, such as different age groups, cultural situations, country backgrounds, etc., this faith nurturing approach takes innumerable forms and styles. Yet what keeps the movement cohesive, enduring and effective is a certain set of tools and approaches that primarily promote faith-maturing and effective Christian life. They are:
1.
The Encounter: The Jesus Youth faith journey begins, informally,
with a befriending or invitation of a Jesus Youth which leads to a period of
companionship leading to a more formal Christ encounter or an adult renewal of
baptism. In this process the person receives an initial rooting and sprouting
in the Catholic faith, spiritual life, faith community as well as Christian
mission.
2.
Fellowships: The Encounter is a virtual doorway to some Jesus Youth
fellowship. These groups are mainly of four types: JY Households, prayer
groups, ministry groups and informal fellowships. JY Households are groups of committed
members for sharing and mutual support often comprising of smaller cell groups;
prayer groups are more open groups of joyful fellowship and faith instruction;
ministry groups come together with an emphasis on mission using certain talents
and/or in certain situations; and, finally, there are a number of regular and
occasional gatherings, online and otherwise that gather for friendship and
mutual support. What characterize all these Jesus Youth fellowships are i)
prayer, ii) faith up building, and iii) warmth of relationships. Prayer forms
the lifeline of these groups, and how do they pray? For prayer these groups use
a) informal prayer styles in line with Charismatic spirituality as well as b) more
streamlined Jesus Youth Prayer mode, more attuned to traditional Catholic
community prayers. In both cases there is abundant opportunity for singing,
joyful praise and spontaneous shared prayers. For faith up building Word of
God, Catholic Catechism and active participation in the liturgical cycle of the
Church are made use of.
3.
JY Itinerary of Holiness (The six pillars): The movement strives to
promote an active Catholic life style responding to the modern day challenges
of a layperson by cultivating certain spiritual habits in each of its members,
popularly known as the Six Pillars of Jesus Youth life style. They are: i) Prayer: A daily quiet time with the
Lord leading to an experience of the companionship of Jesus enabling one to
have a joyful attitude in daily life. ii) Word
of God: A regular time with the Holy Scripture that helps in shaping one’s
life according to God’s will. In this way the person learns a life style of
seeking God’s guidance through continuous consultation. iii) Sacraments: Frequent recourse to these
channels of grace helps one to lead a life of wholeness and strength. A Jesus
Youth advances in holiness and receives power to fulfil the mission through the active participation in the
liturgical life of the Church. iv) Fellowship:
Christian life is a call to live the life of the Trinity in communion with
one’s brothers and sisters in Christ through mutual support, encouragement and
gentle correction. Informal relationships and groups, the JY Household, prayer
groups and various Service Teams are the important forums of fellowship in
Jesus Youth. v) Evangelization: The
fruit of an active life with Jesus is a joyful commitment to witnessing and
sharing the person and message of Jesus with others. This commitment to
evangelization is the touchstone of effective Jesus Youth lifestyle. vi) Option
for the poor: A willingness to serve those in need and a preferential
option for the poor are the signs of a true disciple of Jesus Christ. Following
the footsteps of the Master, who brought the Good News to the poor, Jesus Youth
stretches out a helping hand to those burdened with poverty and deprivation.
4.
Formation Programs: As faith related and personal
effectiveness formation is essential for mature living there is much emphasis
in the movement for formation. While Grassroots trainings take place in the
context of JY fellowships, the Live-in Trainings take place in centres. There
are age and stage specific formations as well as talent and mission related
trainings in the movement. Yearlong Full-timer Training, Discipleship Training,
Master Builders, Professionals to Mission and the like are only a few of the
varied formation programs in the movement.
5.
Ministries: Jesus Youth Ministries are mission oriented groups, some
talent related mission like music, media, literature, etc. while others
relating to certain life situation or career related initiatives like Campus
Ministry, Teens Teams, etc.
6.
The Network: As a movement, Jesus Youth is a network of fellowships and
active individuals. In the movement there is a coordinating network with Jesus
Youth Councils at the International level to the local grassroots level. The
movement is also characterized by a wide chain of leadership net often dubbed
as the “JY Family”. In spite of the complexity brought about by the
multiplicity of countries, cultures and levels of involvement such a leadership
rapport is maintained though certain movement gatherings, leadership travel and
effective use of communication pathways. There are also a number of informal
leadership networks which function quite effectively, some of them with the
help of the various online facilities.
4.
JY Formation: towards fuller life, personally,
in the movement, in the church and in the world
Through the three decades of its evolution Jesus Youth movement has
attempted a variety of faith transmission and youth accompaniment approaches.
In spite of the fact that the whole dynamics is in a state of flux as the
object of this process, the youth culture, is in constant metamorphosis,
certain marked trends stand out amidst this jumble of Jesus Youth approaches to
spiritual up building of the young generation.
Stages of Jesus Youth Formation
Path of journey of faith is at the same time the path
of progress in God’s love. The movement comes across a person as a Seeker for a
fuller life, often indirectly asking “what must I do . . .”[7]. In this
first Contact Phase the movement helps the person to have a taste of the love
of God, which leads him to an encounter with or an experiential knowledge of
the Lord. In this second phase in the person’s walk as a Believer he or she is
challenged to ‘loving God’ or actively responding to God’s love. Sharing the
Love of God and finally building others in the Love of God.
The journey of formation is characterised by a spiritual
plane, a phased guidance and a crossing of threshold. The four phased Jesus
Youth formation plan can find correspondence to the four court arrangement of
the ‘Tabernacle’ starting with the ‘Court of Gentiles’ leading finally to ‘the
Holy of Holies’. In the Lineamenta of the forthcoming Synod of Bishops the
Pope’s there is the observation on the need of this phased leading of today’s
generation: “I think that today too the Church should open a sort of
"Court of the Gentiles" in which people might in some way latch on to
God, without knowing him and before gaining access to his mystery, at whose
service the inner life of the Church stands.”[8] The
movement of the people of Old Testament times from Court of Gentiles passing
through the Inner Court, Holy Place and Holy of Holies becomes an image of
spiritual journey of a young person from Contact Phase through Companion,
Commitment phases to the Confirmed phase. Each court was separated by a door
and passing the door was a significant step in one’s progress in holiness.
Today the commitment ceremony or a solemn pledge marks the transition from one
stage of spiritual journey to another. Perhaps a major departure from the OT
image to contemporary reality is that in the former the journey of holiness was
thought to be away from wider society and the world, but in the contemporary
formation a Jesus Youth is equipped to go out into the world as a witness to be
light and leaven in the wider world.
Faith formation of Jesus Youth movement tries to
communicate the four part faith instruction format of the Church. The four
phases of walk in holiness and mission dubbed as Contact, Companionship,
Commitment and Confirmation phases have preferential content emphasis on the
four parts of Catholic Catechism respectively.
i.
Contact Phase is
characterized by the new person coming with a desire to discover God and the
also this loving fellowship and the teaching content has the emphasis on “What Catholics believe and
why” or the core Christian doctrine. The fellowship will attempt to take the
person to a personal encounter with God or a “Baptism in the Holy Spirit”.
ii.
Companion Phase is the stage of a person’s gradual growth in the
relationship with the Lord and getting introduced to the life and culture of
the movement. As the person is gradually introduced to movement’s ‘Itinerary of
Holiness’ the person also learns “How Catholics celebrate the mysteries of the
faith” or the significance of sacraments. A focused formation ending with
commitment ceremony takes the person to the next phase in the movement.
iii.
Commitment Phase finds the person to be a regular member of Jesus
Youth movement, committed to the ‘six pillars’ and participation in its regular
fellowship, “JY Household”. Here the emphasis is on the transmission as well as
living of the Catechetical content of “How Catholics are to live” or the
details of the moral life proposed by the Church. Another transition in the
commitment is proposed by the movement if the person decides to be Confirmed
member of the movement, for which the person signs up for a guided formation
ending with a formal confirmation of their commitment.
iv.
Confirmation Phase finds a Jesus Youth with leadership
responsibilities in the movement, the Church and the world. Here teaching
emphasis is on the deeper aspects of prayer and spirituality, especially what
the Catholic Catechism speaks on “How they should pray”.
The words of Pp John
Paul II finds resonance in the formation plan of the movement: “One solid cause
of hope [for a new springtime of Christian life in Asia] is the increasing
number of better trained, enthusiastic and Spirit-filled lay people, who are
more and more aware of their specific vocation within the ecclesial community.”
[9].
Cornerstones of Jesus Youth Formation
Formation, more than its content, is a
culture and transmission of a vision and a lifestyle of a community, the very
life blood of a movement. What are some of the defining features of JY
formation.
1) Personally Experienced and Life Focused:
A ‘personal encounter with Christ’ or having a ‘God experience’ becomes a
starting point of Jesus Youth lifestyle. In an age of ‘infotainment’ such an
experience oriented spirituality and faith transmission become quite relevant
for the contemporary generation. In JY programs this is achieved through the
personal lived conviction of the formators, their personal sharing, a
preferential focus on informality, use of the media, greater participant
involvement and the like.
2) Formation through and for relationships:
For youth relationships are central to their lives and so in JY formations this
dimension receives great focus. These formation sessions may appear more like
friendship building, engaging wholehearted participation and resulting in
spontaneous follow up. Even spirituality and Trinitarian life are presented
from the point of view of Father – Son or fraternal relationships. Healing of
hurts, forgiveness, building relationships, etc. receive abundant focus in
these training programs. And what is the outcome? Jesus Youth faith formation
programs, if it is effective, end up forming right relationship with God,
improving family ties and they in turn form loving fellowships.
3) Formation for a culture and lifestyle:
Jesus Youth programs invite people to a culture with Christian foundations and
they result in instilling a lifestyle in individuals and in fellowships. There
are characteristic songs and styles, even a kind of language. There is the goal
of training people in the habits of the Six Pillars that result in a JY
Lifestyle.
4) Youthful language and dynamics: Clichés
and monotony are the greatest roadblocks of spiritual intake for youth. Jesus
Youth programs attracts youth, because they use youthful language and dynamics.
“Evangelization loses much of its force and effectiveness if it does not take
into consideration the actual people to whom it is addressed, if it does not
use their language, their signs and symbols, if it does not answer the
questions they ask, and if does not have an impact on their concrete life”[10]. These
dynamics have changed over the years, but in the movement there is a natural
and on-going reflection about formation dynamics.
5) Community Context: Jesus Youth formation
programs take place in the context of a local or wider community and they in
turn become portals of entry into a community. Every stage of preparation for a
program is done by a close-knit group. Very often good number of senior Jesus
Youth are present during any such training. As a result of this the formation
becomes a process of getting added to the wider JY community.
6) Teaming up of Charisms: A Formation Team
is a prerequisite for any JY formation. This in effect becomes a collaborative
effort of committed Christians with complementing spiritual gifts. Teaching,
music, personal encouragement, service, media talents, insightful guidance
skills, prayer animation, groups dynamics, general team and program
coordination, etc. are Chrisms that come to take clear contributory role in
most Jesus Youth programs. That these roles are undertaken by youth themselves
adds to the efficacy of these formations.
7) Supported by prayer: Every Jesus Youth
program is seen as a spiritual campaign, especially leading a person to
salvation experience and missionary maturity. As a result prayer support for
the trainees and for the whole effort by the Formation Team and by the wider
community becomes a crucial ingredient of the formation.
8) Part of an inspiring vision: There is an
underlying effort in the movement to keep the vision of the movement and wider
Church alive, and also to communicate the same through every faith formation
module. A firm foundation of this vision comes from a conscious effort to learn
from and integrate with the vision of the Church.
9) Challenge to mission: There is gradual
progression of themes in a Jesus Youth Faith Formation program: i) Context, ii)
Confession of faith, iii) Commitment, and iv) Call to mission. The end part
mostly comprise of the Great Commission, models and examples, specific planning
and commissioning ceremony. The vibrancy and relevance of the movement is primarily
due to this emphasis on mission.
10) Taught by living models: In the
tradition of the Israel as well as the Church saints play a vital role of faith
transmission. Case study of saints, short hagiography clips, mission examples,
personal testimonies, interviews, panel sharing, select group animators are all
different modes of transmission of examples of ‘faith made flesh’ in an
everyday Jesus Youth program.
11) The Conviction Factor: The clarity of
conviction of leaders and trainers as well as the ministry groups add a special
quality and fascination to Jesus Youth programs. The Great Teacher taught ‘with
authority’ and that made the difference between His approach and that of the
teachers of the day.
12) Continuity and on-going career and life context: What makes Jesus Youth different from other similar movements is
the dynamics that ensure continuity and follow up, including its relevance to
life and family.
5.
The
Missionary Face of Jesus Youth
The name Jesus Youth brings to mind a number of vivid images of
mission: zealous and friendly catholic campus groups in the universities,
engineering and medical colleges and other educational institutions; young
full-time volunteers who set apart one year after graduation to work in
missions; various initiatives for online presence and groupings including those
on the Facebook, other social networking sites, YouTube, etc.; captivating kids
and teens catechetical approaches grouped as Teens Ministry and Angels Army;
vibrant media initiatives like the Rex Band; a number of interesting formation
approaches and modules; youth initiated youth animation modules for priests,
sisters and elders labelled “Communion”; various exhibition and art related
initiatives; Nurses Meets, professionals’ gatherings, young couples groups; and
much more. It is pertinent to ask what engenders this zeal and commitment in
the movement and also in the individuals Jesus Youth.
i.
Spirit of New Evangelization: Pope John Paul II’s call for a New Evangelization “one that is new
in its fervour, new in its methods and new in its expression" [11] had caught
the imagination of Jesus Youth from the very beginnings. The movement carries a
special evangelistic burden for youth and has always searched for greater
effectiveness in reaching out to youth. More than any technique it is this felt
need that impels Jesus Youth to mission. Any program or formation session in
Jesus Youth invariable lead to a call to mission and very often mission
planning. This habit has kept mission on top of Jesus Youth agenda.
ii. Youth to Youth: Jesus Youth is an
initiative of youth and for youth and naturally retains its focus on the youth
reality. Years of experience have given Jesus Youth the conviction that the
most effective instruments to minister to youth are youth themselves. Youth
always look for challenging models. When they see and listen to people of their
age group living active Christian life and witnessing to Jesus, it is always
more convincing.
iii. Teaming up for mission: In the movement
there is an attempt to have a fine blending of the involvement of youth and
presence of mature elders. Priests, religious and families often forget the
dividing lines to complement each other in reaching out and offer guidance to
youth. Jesus Youth animators, whether priests, religious or laity, often manifest
an extraordinary zeal to reach out and accompany youth. This surely is a
strongpoint of the movement.
iv. Formation that promotes mission: The
movement has a variety of formation programs, but some topics come up
repeatedly in most of these. Love of God, Acceptance of Jesus as Lord and
Saviour, sensitivity to the promptings of the Holy Spirit, What and how of
Evangelization, Self Awareness, My personal call, Charisms, etc. Not just the
topics that promote deep sense of mission, but the very dynamics of Jesus Youth
programs help instil in the participant a deep desire for mission. Personal
faith and mission witness sharing, panel sharing, anointing prayer, outreach
sessions, social exposures, etc. also lead to this missionary commitment.
v. A Paradigm of call-equip-fellowship-send
forth-followup: The
missionary commitment and journey in the life of an individual follows a
pattern and Jesus Youth is sensitive to that reality. On the path
of life someone with a missionary commitment challenges and invites an individual
to new byway of life’s journey, often to a comminty of people with mission,
where he or she is specifically equipped
for a newfound responsibility. The process and event of sending forth is
invariably a turning point for the
person as well as for the wider movement. Each committed Jesus Youth is in turn
a precious gift to the movement and the Church, contributing in very distinct
manner. This consciousness sets the special tone of Jesus Youth missionary style.
vi. Ministry Approach: With the vision of
sharing the faith and building a witnessing Christian community there is always
an effort in the movement to promote various ministries. A Jesus Youth ministry
usually begins as a simple initiative of an individual or a small youth
fellowship, to share Jesus in a specific context, using some special talent or
charism. From a simple initiative this grows step by step into an organized
movement and it gets accepted as a formal ministry of Jesus Youth. While
helping young people to come together and grow in fellowship, a Jesus Youth
ministry prepares youth to practice a life style of evangelism.
vii. An eye on contemporary tools: In Jesus
Youth mission being a felt response of ordinary youth to their life situations
impelled by their own inner call, there is a natural tendency to use the
language and approaches that are in tune with their living situations. Use of
trendy music or skits, video clips or games, all arise out of this natural
desire to communicate effectively. The ‘netizens’ of today spontaneously use
Facebook or YouTube to share their positive likes and experiences. This in turn
makes Jesus Youth evangelization effective and relevant.
viii. Continuity and networking: Unlike many
other youth realities, Jesus Youth has steadily built up and refined formation and
mission approaches and this in turn has made them more professional and mature.
In an age of global growth and linkages, the movement has very effectively made
use of networking possibilities for formation as well as mission initiatives.
The modern media and technology have thrown up immense possibilities of
communication, organisation and updating and these have come to be of great
assistance for the movement.
ix. Constantly challenged to ‘deeper and wider’ missionary fields: Missionary dynamism of the movement begins and blooms with a
spiritual emphasis and in the precincts of JY community and the mother Church,
but a number of them as they walk further enter into deeper and wider
commitments, very often, with greater socio-cultural implications. Some of the
contemporary forays into political involvement, targeted immersion in the wider
media realm, planned placement of families and missionary communities, focused
business initiatives, special projects of Child Support, healthcare, etc. are
strong pointers of future JY mission.
In Conclusion
The
world is facing new challenges every day. Technology is changing rapidly,
political processes posing new issues, the moral questions that new generation raises
are disturbing. The Church on the other hand is eagerly seeking the
intervention of God’s Spirit to bring in something creative, joyful and new in
these changing circumstances. In this special context Jesus Youth movement has
a unique mission to fulfil, in the Church and in the world. That the Church
regards the movement with much love and encouragement lends a fresh resolve to
renew its efforts of renewal and mission. May the Lord who called us and
‘appointed to live for the praise of his glory’ lead us to greater commitment
and fruitfulness.
[1] Pp Benedict XVI. Porta Fidei, 7
[2] John Paul II, to members of ecclesial movements and new
communities, at the vigil of Pentecost, L'Osservatore Romano, Spanish language
edition, June 5, 1998.
[3] Heb 13:14
[4] The Sectors Calling
for the New Evangelization, Lineamenta, Synod of Bishops: XIII Ordinary General
Assembly, 6.
[5] Ibid.
[6] Vatican Council II, Lay People, 13
[7] Acts 2:37
[8] Lineamenta, Synod of
Bishops: XIII Ordinary General Assembly, 5
[9] John Paul II. Ecclesia
in Asia, 9.
[10] Pope Paul VI, Evangelii Nuntiandi, 63
[11] Pp. John Paul II - Haiti, 1983
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