Tourists or Pilgrims? The Youth Dilemma

INTRODUCTION

Living in a “liquid society” where definite beliefs and permanent choices are seen as unattractive, young people enjoy seeing themselves as pilgrims. Life, then, is a pilgrimage made up of an adventurous itinerary and the focus on the final destination of the journey.

WRITTEN BY

SHARE THE WORD

PUBLISHED ON

During a meeting with some university students, I proposed to meditate on some words of Pope Francis: “The fact that we are not in this world by our own choice makes us sense that there is an initiative that precedes us and makes us exist. Every man and woman is a mission; that is the reason for our life on this earth.”

To illustrate the point, I cited the examples of two ladies of this generation. The first is the recently nominated Nobel Peace Prize winner Nadia Murad, 25 years old, an Iraqi Yazidi forced into slavery by ISIS. After escaping, she used her voice to promote the end of the use of sexual violence as a weapon of war. The other is the more known Malala Yousafzai, born in 1997 in Pakistan, the youngest person to receive the Nobel Peace Prize at 17 for her efforts to promote the education of women, before and after surviving an assassination attempt by the Taliban.

My students obviously admired the courage and the dedication to a single cause of these two young ladies. But when I asked, “Do YOU feel you are a mission on this earth?” One of them answered: “I want to be a traveler who enjoys different experiences and multiple destinations, more than a single-purpose person.”

The others agreed. This answer reflects well the cultural shift of our generation. We are now living in a so called “liquid society,” where definite beliefs and permanent choices are seen as unattractive. The problem is that, without a clear route to follow, it is easy to live carried by different winds, currents and waves, and then, be lost at sea.

We all feel the difficulty of ministering to the youth: on one hand, we educate them insisting on security and on “fitting into the system.” On the other hand, young people, while externally seem to abide to these values, inside their hearts they dream instead of a multi-destination travelling, made of different segments, where no permanent commitment is needed, a dream which will be acted out, sooner or later.

To solve the impasse, one student had an idea: what about living as pilgrims? Life as a pilgrimage maintains both the dynamism of an adventurous itinerary and the clarity of the final destination, making the journey itself the focus of all the life-experiences. Then, all agreed that this was how Jesus and all his disciples lived! This is a good inspiration on how to begin the incoming new year.

Share Your Thoughts

All comments are moderated

From The Same Issue

The articles and content about this issue

From The Same Issue

The articles and content about this issue

From This Topic

The articles and content about this topic

From This Topic

The articles and content about this topic

Explore Other Topics

Browse other coverage

Explore Other Topics

Browse other coverage

WM SPECIAL

Presents, discusses and draws readers to reflect on issues of outmost relevance to the world today.


FRONTIERS

Very often, mission is carried out in frontier situations around the world. Those who embrace these situations have much to share.


UNITY IN DIVERSITY

Writer Ilsa Reyes will be exploring the richness of Pope Francis’s latest encyclical Fratelli Tutti with a view of helping our readers to get a grasp of the this beautiful papal document.


FRONTLINE

Puts to the front committed and inspiring people around the world who embrace humanitarian and religious causes with altruism and passion.


IN FOCUS

Focus on a given theme of interest touching upon social, economic and religious issues.


FAITH@50

As the Philippines prepares to celebrate 500 years of the arrival of Christianity. Fr. James Kroeger leads us in this series into a discovery journey of the landmark events in the history of faith in the Philippine archipelago.


INSIGHT

Aims to nurture and inspire our hearts and minds while pondering upon timely themes.


FILIPINO FOCUS

The large archipelago of the Philippines, in its richness of peoples and cultures, offers varied and challenging situations for mission.


FOLLOW ME

Reflections and vocation stories that shape up the lives of young people.


MISSION IS FUN

As humor and goodness of heart are qualities of Christian and missionary life, the new column “Mission is fun” will be publishing some anecdotes and stories that have happened in a missionary context to lighten up the spirits and trigger a smile in our faces.


LIVING COMMUNION

To help readers of World Mission live this year dedicated to Ecumenism, Interreligious Dialogue and Indigenous Peoples, Tita Puangco, writer and lecturer, shares in this section insights on the spirituality of communion.


WINDS OF THE SPIRIT

A historic view of the Catholic movements that emerged from the grassroots as an inspiration by the Holy Spirit.


BRIDGE BUILDERS

On the Year of Ecumenism, Interreligious Dialogue and Indigenous Peoples, radio host and communicator Ilsa Reyes, in her monthly column, encourages Christians and people of good will to be one with their fellow people of other sects, religions and tribes.


INTERVIEW

Questions to a personality of the Church or secular world on matters of interest that touch upon the lives of people.


WORLD TOUCH

News from the Church, the missionary world and environment that inform and form the consciences.


CARE OF THE EARTH

A feature on environmental issues that are affecting the whole world with the view of raising awareness and prompting action.


EDITORIAL

The editor gives his personal take on a given topic related to the life of the Church, the society or the world.


YOUNG HEART

A monthly column on themes touching the lives of young people in the Year of the Youth in the Philippines by radio host and communicator I lsa Reyes.


SCROLL

A missionary living in the Chinese world shares his life-experiences made up of challenges and joyous encounters with common people.


EXTRAORDINARY PEOPLE

Life stories of people who deserve to be known for who they were, what they did and what they stood for in their journey on earth.


ONE BY ONE

Stories of people whom a missionary met in his life and who were touched by Jesus in mysterious ways.


INCREASE OUR FAITH

Critical reflection from a Christian perspective on current issues.


SPECIAL MOMENTS

Comboni missionary Fr. Lorenzo Carraro makes a journey through history pinpointing landmark events that changed the course of humanity.


PROFILE

A biographical sketch of a public person, known for his/her influence in the society and in the Church, showing an exemplary commitment to the service of others.


WM REPORTS

Gives fresh, truthful, and comprehensive information on issues that are of concern to all.


LIFE'S ESSENTIALS

A column aimed at helping the readers live their Christian mission by focusing on what is essential in life and what it entails.


ASIAN FOCUS

Peoples, events, religion, culture and the society of Asia in focus.


THE SEARCHER'S PATH

The human heart always searches for greatness in God’s eyes, treading the path to the fullness of life - no matter what it takes.


INDIAN FOCUS

The subcontinent of India with its richness and variety of cultures and religions is given center stage.


AFRICAN FOCUS

The African continent in focus where Christianity is growing the fastest in the world.


JOURNEY MOMENTS

Well-known writer and public speaker, Fr. Jerry Orbos, accompanies our journey of life and faith with moments of wit and inspiration based on the biblical and human wisdom.


IGNATIUS STEPS

On the year dedicated to St. Ignatius of Loyala, Fr. Lorenzo Carraro walks us through the main themes of the Ignatian spirituality.


THE SEVEN LAST WORDS OF JESUS

Fr. John Taneburgo helps us to meditate every month on each of the Seven Last Words that Jesus uttered from the cross.


INSIDE THE HOLY BOOK

In this section, Fr. Lorenzo delves into the secrets and depths of the Sacred Scriptures opening for us the treasures of the Sacred Book so that the reader may delight in the knowledge of the Word of God.


CONVERSATIONS

Reflections about the synodal journey on a conversational and informal style to trigger reflection and sharing about the synodal path the Church has embarked upon.

Shopping Cart