FYYA

“Today’s young adults represent the most culturally diverse generation ever seen in the United States,” according to the Bishops in Connecting Young Adults to Catholic Parishes. ... Add this to the many cultural, economic and geographical differences present in our country and we find a beautiful but challenging diversity. One commonality, though, is that young people who have chosen a life of faith have a deep desire to connect that faith with everyday life.

The word “encounter” is a buzz word lately, and rightly so. Don’t we all crave community? The presence of others? A real and honest connection between ourselves and the world? We can’t build relationships from a distance.

I’m writing this article in the wake of another school shooting, this time in Wisconsin. On the morning after, I heard one young woman outside of Mass say to her mom, “I thought we were supposed to ‘Do what’s right and just.’” Her mom simply put an arm around her shoulders and continued walking to their car. I didn’t hear her response, but said a quick prayer that the mother would know what words would comfort her daughter and give her hope.

“Love isn’t something we feel, it’s something we do.” We’ve all heard this quote time and time again, but what does it really mean? It simply means we can’t just talk about loving one another. Our actions, words, and intentions need to express love genuinely and concretely. That’s not easy to do when we speak of loving our younger generation. Not because we don’t have hearts for young people, but because it’s difficult to love them if they’re not in our presence. If there aren’t younger Catholics in our midst—how can we show them we love them? ...

In some cases, a young person discovers a renewed faith-life, but doesn’t know how to nourish this new reality. Finding time and energy to give thought, let alone action, to their spiritual lives is often not a “luxury” they feel they can afford. We, as more “seasoned” Catholics, can offer simple ways to revitalize this important area of their lives. Reflecting on the story of St. Francis and his experience of renewal and transformation, we know he was close to the same age as many of the young people we hope to serve. He too sought answers when he felt confused ...

As the Franciscan Youth and Young Adult Commission has stated many times, our mission calls us to share the Franciscan way of life through prayer, formation, and social justice action. Even though we may only have a few official YouFras in the states, we discovered in reading last year’s annual reports, there are individuals, fraternities, and regions all across the United States who are taking seriously our OFS Rule, Article 24 to “Foster communion among members,” especially with our young people, and to “adopt appropriate means for growth in the Franciscan and the ecclesial life.” ...