I write in response to Br Damien Price’s letter regarding his youth day sadness.
I am surprised by his comments. As one who was at Tor Vergata I thought the Pope’s homily on Sunday morning particularly inspiring and seemed to be well appreciated by the 2 million youth who were there judging by the cheering, singing and calling out. I was particularly impressed by his words “do not be ground down by mediocrity but always aspire to your ideals”.
As one who works in a government agency trying to protect the environment I can attest to the unflinching, take no prisoners attitude of the system. It does not muck around. The only way I can survive is in a belief in Jesus Christ, regular Mass and prayer, an understanding of the centrality of Church and evangelisation. The Pope understands this.
Unfortunately a significant amount of sincere enthusiastic Catholic youth do not know their faith and what the Church teaches, both on salvation and social justice. The Bible may also remain unread in their homes and regular prayer and Mass not adhered to.
If young people would like to take on the “structures of injustice”, they would need to understand that they are embarking on a spiritual battle where the strength of their faith in Christ is paramount and their only weapon. Organised promoters of sin don’t really appreciate good intentions and sentimentality! One would also need to ask oneself why do youth have to take on the brunt of this battle of establishing the kingdom in the first place when often it is their elders who support and promote the injustices of the global economy?
So I agree and disagree. One needs to walk before one can crawl. I believe a person needs to be reasonably holy before one starts to tackle, in earnest, the things he mentions with a firm belief that sin is the source and festering sore that caused all this corruption. Mother Teresa spent 18 years in a semi-enclosed order, praying, going to Mass etc, before God would allow her on to the streets of Calcutta. I believe there is a lesson in that.
STUART ROBERTS Kelvin Grove, Qld
