I have heard (for so many times) of comments that the modern youth are in a period when there seems to have an accentuated search for their real identity, can be easily influenced by their environment, and can do just whatever they want with almost no limitation. Since I still belong to the modern generation, I could somehow affirm these comments. Indeed, our life shows how different the old generation was compared to our generation. For instance, we can see apparent “quick fixes” of life from which the youth are benefiting nowadays - the easy access to the world through the internet, the different gadgets that make our lives more pleasurable and easy, the “instant” foods that we enjoy without much burden of preparations, and the practice of getting into a relationship without much restrictions and a lot more.
I also heard of comments that these realities affect the modern-day ways of the Church to promote vocations to the young generation. Again, I could somehow affirm such comment. However, I must also assert that it is not always true to the youth in general. There are still some of the youth who opt to follow Christ thereby leaving the temporal goods that the modern world offers.
I want to explain my point through a real-life story that happened 6 years ago to ordinary high school students. Let us name the characters Jake and Nancy.
In one afternoon of January 2002, Jake was hurriedly walking going to the Student Council meeting where he served as an officer. Along the way, Jake noticed a girl dropped a lot of books that she was carrying along. Jake hurriedly knelt down and helped the girl to pick up her scattered books. Since they were going the same way, Jake helped her carry part of the burden. As they walk Jake learned that girl’s name was Nancy, a transferee and also a fourth year student from another section. They separated ways when they passed by the room where Jake had the Student Council meeting.
After the meeting, Jake happened to see Nancy again. Nancy told him that she intended to wait for Jake to thank him for helping her earlier that day. Their talk last for almost an hour. Day after day, Jake and Nancy continued seeing each other. Sometimes they had lunch together in school canteen. They even invited each other to their respective homes for meals or even just to watch television together. On weekends, they were going elsewhere to spend some time for malling or watching movies together. But the most remarkable part of their weekend were their visits in a chapel of nuns were they pray together before the exposed Blessed Sacrament. During Sundays, when time permits, they attend mass together. Jake and Nancy became really close and eventually fell in love with each other.
As time goes by, high school graduation came near. Jake and Nancy became busy with their separate concerns regarding the career that they were going to take. Nancy told Jake that she was planning to take up accountancy in college. Meanwhile, Jake was not yet telling Nancy of his plans. One Friday night of February 2003, Jake sent Nancy a message asking her to come with him on the following day for another visit in the chapel where they used to go. Nancy immediately replied “okay, I’ll go with you.” The next morning came. They did their routine, knelt down together then had a short walk around. Everything went ordinarily until when Jake invited Nancy to sit down in a kiosk. He said:
“Nancy, do you know what I told Jesus earlier? I told Jesus that I am happy to know that you are planning to take up accountancy in College for I am pretty sure that you can do it successfully, after all you are intelligent and hardworking.”
Nancy then was listening to Jake silently without any words. Then Jake continued,
“As for me, I am planning to enter the seminary right after high school. I want to be a priest. I guess you know how much I love you but Jesus reminds me that I should love him all the more.”
Upon hearing these statements, Nancy started to cry, then sob without saying any word in response to what she heard from Jake. They went home together without any words coming out of their mouths.
Couple of days, then weeks, then months passed but Nancy did not talk to Jake. In school, Nancy was taking another way every time she sees Jake coming. But Jake tried to get in touch with her through telephone and text messages, but no response was received from Nancy.
Graduation day came, Jake took courage to approach and congratulate Nancy for the honor that she received. Nancy smiled and whispered to Jake’s ears, “Thank you. I hope you will not turn me down if I will invite you tomorrow for our usual spree.” And so they agreed to meet each other again. They went to the convent-chapel where they usually go, after prayer they took a short walk. After a while, Nancy told His boyfriend:
“Jake, I am sorry for my attitude these past few days. I just realized that I should not feel bad about your plans to enter the seminary. You are correct; you should love Jesus more than you love me. I just would like to thank you for everything that we’ve shared together. It will not be the end of our relationship… we are just starting it.”
That moment it was Jake who was speechless. Nancy smiled and continued:
“Do you ever wonder why I was carrying so many things on the first time we’ve met? It was because I cleaned my locker in school because I didn’t want to leave a mess for anyone else. I was going home to commit suicide for I thought that I was no good at anything, that my family didn’t care for me, and that nobody loved me at all… Then you came to my life and made me realized that I am deserving of being loved too. After some time of being together, I realized that if had ended my life by committing suicide I could have missed that opportunity of knowing and loving you. You have made me realize that I am not alone in this life. You reminded me that I have you and I have Jesus by my side. All the while, I have forgotten all about Jesus but you introduced him to me once again. You are Jesus’ real witness. You see when you help me pick up my dropped books, you did a lot more. You saved my life. Thanks a lot, Jake for that. Always remember that I love you and because of that I will let you go. ”
That was the end of their conversation. One month after that, Jake entered the seminary. He did not see Nancy for 6 years until last summer 2008, when he was invited to be a god father of a child of his former classmate. Nancy was present there as well, now a CPA. She was with his present boyfriend (who was Jake’s classmate too in high school). Jake did not take the chance to talk to Nancy because she and her boyfriend left right away for another appointment.
Everything turned so normal. But Jake was just reminded of the words that Nancy told him on the last conversation that they had couple of years back… “Jake, you have made me realize that I am not alone in this life. You reminded me that I have you and I have Jesus by my side. All the while, I have forgotten all about Jesus but you introduced him to me once again. You are Jesus’ real witness.” To Jake’s surprise, even on his simple ways, he had made another person to believe once again in Christ. Indeed, Jesus was at work in his sweet love story.
That person whom we named “Jake” is still trying to persevere in the seminary up to this day and he is the author of this article. I hope my sharing gave you a contextualized proof that there is still a prospect for the youth to leave everything behind to opt for Jesus… nowadays!
I just wish that my perseverance in my vocation to the priesthood will last until I face Jesus who willed my vocation.
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This is the talk given to the students of St. Paul College – Island Park on October 26, 2008 during their Youth Camp
