Let us stop and think for a moment: what would Jesus Christ do today, in Spain, if the next December 25, 2023 Was this the day I was going to be born? And after 33 years, when did he begin his public life?
I answer you: he would do the same thing as 2023 years ago. Perhaps our current times are more like the society of all those years ago than we realize. And here, out of all the people, Christ would call and choose twelve, that “they might be with Him and send them forth to preach,” and I am convinced that thousands of people of all nationalities they would go and listen to it.
What made so many young people, including young Juan, say YES? Ideals of goodness, beauty and truth. Exemplarity as a way of life, consistency, love. Nembrini (2014) asserts that the current environment has instruments to despotically invade consciousness. It’s true: empty churches, social media, lack of engagement, cancellation, legislation contrary to universal values and, if we stop to think, a long etcetera could fill this brief reflection.
However, young people follow models, models of flesh and blood, as they followed Christ over 2,000 years ago. A few months ago, 350,000 young people invaded the streets of Lisbon to say YES to Christ.
This year we celebrate the 25th anniversary of the Congress of Catholics and Public Life and its Youth Congress We will hear – from flesh and blood models – that it is possible to move the hearts of young people and accept the values that Christ teaches each of us today, thus achieving true conversion.
Pope Francis told us in his message of preparation for WYD: the Mother of the Lord is a model of young people on the move, not motionless in front of the mirror contemplating their own image or “trapped” in networks. She was totally outward facing.
Jesus Christ transforms the fear of the disciples in the boat into confidence and security. Her educational process Its purpose is a mission, to accept oneself and let oneself be transformed by HIM: to live, to share, to announce. Evangelize.
