Youth called to discover their ‘deepest truth’
Attendees gather for an activity during the Year of the Clergy and Consecrated Persons Holy Spirit Parish Vocation Day. FR. JULITO SIO
CALAUAG, Quezon – In participation in the Year of the Clergy and Consecrated Persons celebration, the Holy Spirit Parish in Calauag, Quezon gathered young people for a Vocation Day that challenged them to discover “their deepest truth,” their God-given vocation, as well as to recognize the clergy and religious’ vital role in the Church’s mission.
“The event also promotes youth encouragement to help them discover the deepest truth about themselves and so they can respond generously and without reservation to their call, especially to the vocation of priesthood and consecrated life,” said Fr. Julito Sio, Jr., Holy Spirit Parish priest.
The priest emphasized that the goal of their event is to help youth become more aware of their calling “to holiness, to being catalyst of change and agents of evangelization in the modern world.”
The youth’s role in evangelization
According to Sio, the youth’s charisms, gifts and talents will be of great help in the Church’s mission of evangelization, as some of them go on to become members of the clergy and consecrated persons.
“The life sharing of some young seminarians and religious persons are the living testimonies of Gods working in the life of mission through the youth,” he stated.
Sio further added that if a young person is called to the vocation of priesthood and consecrated life, he should simply trust God. “He will take charge of everything, after all He is the one who calls him.”
The Vocation Day also focused on the young people’s call to be “renewed-servant leaders.”
“Just like the objective of this year’s celebration of having renewed servant-leaders for the New Evangelization, the youth must also share in the renewal of life after Christ and Mary,” explained Sio.
The call to a renewed life
Quoting Saint Pope John Paul II, he challenged the youth to dare to “go against the tide and proclaim with vigor and enthusiasm their personal faith in God, our Lord and Saviour.”
“Our prayers and activities in this year-long celebration help them to fulfill their life with the joy of the Gospel. So that they may have a renewed life for the new evangelization.” he said.
“They are invited to once again look on Jesus with love and devotions to help them see the fullness of their life, humanity and dreams,” concluded Sio. With reports from Niceforo Balbedina/CBCPNews
