World Youth Day

World Youth Day is a day to celebrate youth and young adults in all of their diversity and goodness, and to encourage these young people to lead the church both now and into the future. The bishops of the United States, wanting to place full attention on the youth of our nation, voted to move the celebration in the United States from Palm Sunday, when much of the world celebrates, to the 30th Sunday in Ordinary Time, this year celebrated on October 24th. During this weekend, parishes are invited to bless their young people, involve them in all aspects of the Mass, affirm their leadership, and invite them to use their gifts in service to the church and the world.

Each year, the pope prepares a message to the young people of the world. This year's theme is based on Mark 10:17, the story of Jesus' meeting with the inquisitive, rich young man. As Jesus was setting out on his journey, recounts the Gospel of St. Mark, "a man ran up and knelt before him, and asked him, "Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?" After the man assures Jesus that he has observed all the commandments from his youth, “Jesus looked upon him,” Mark tells us, “and loved him.” He then tells the young man to go and sell his possessions and give everything to the poor. The young man goes away sad because, we are told, “he had many possessions.”

Because being Christian is about responding to the Word of God, Pope Benedict’s message to the young people of the world lists some of the challenges our young people must address now: the use of the resources of the earth and respect for the ecology; the just division of goods and the control of financial mechanisms; solidarity with poor countries; the struggle against hunger in the world; the promotion of the dignity of human labor; the building of peace between peoples; and the use of social communication, like email, texting, and Facebook, to spread the Good News of Jesus Christ. The leader of our Church challenges our young people to be good stewards of their time, talents, and treasure, and to be counter-cultural when it comes to materialism. These are challenges to which all of us, but especially our young people, are called to respond to build a more just world.

As we celebrate World Youth Day, we pray for our young people. We recognize and affirm their gifts, and encourage their continued full and active participation in the life of our faith community.