Speaking Out

As World Youth Day quickly approaches, youth from all over the world are busy preparing for the celebration of the Catholic faith in Madrid, Spain. Millions of people will take part in a transformative worldwide encounter with Pope Benedict XVI during the week of Aug. 16-21.

Never having attended a World Youth Day, I am so excited to experience this year’s extraordinary opportunity to deepen my faith and grow closer to Christ during this week-long event.

When I first signed up to attend World Youth Day with my parish’s youth group, I admit that the idea of travelling to the beautiful city of Madrid with my closest friends quickly convinced me to take part. I didn’t stop to think about how the World Youth Day pilgrimage could have a potential effect on my life and faith.

When I was 17, I took my first pilgrimage to Antigonish, N.S., for the Steubenville Atlantic Catholic Youth Conference. I had never been on a pilgrimage before so I really didn’t know what to expect. Would it really make a difference in my life or just turn out to be a fun trip to Nova Scotia?

I soon discovered that not only would the pilgrimage have a huge impact on my life, but it would also help me come alive in my faith and act as a stepping stone on my journey to knowing God more closely.

My pilgrimage to Nova Scotia was more than just an outward physical journey; it was also an inward spiritual journey toward the heart of the Father. It gave me an opportunity to step back from the business of everyday life, refocus my priorities, gain a different perspective on life and look deeper within myself than I normally would. It called me to conversion and challenged me to take greater steps to both learn about and grow in my faith.

The Acts of the Apostles is quickly becoming my favourite book of the Bible. Yes, we have the Gospels, in which Christ shows and tells us how to live. And we also have the Letter of James, which is very practical in telling us how to live our Christian lives on a daily basis. But if you want to see what God can do to a person who opens up their lives to Him, look no further than the Acts of the Apostles. They receive the Holy Spirit at Pentecost and they are off to the races, converting thousands to the love and truth of Christ.

But there is an interesting part of the book where St. Paul and his companions “went through the region of Phrygia and Galatia, having been forbidden by the Holy Spirit to speak the word in Asia” (Acts 16:6). Here are the Apostles, on fire with the Spirit, ready to sacrifice their lives, and the Spirit says, “Don’t.”

The Holy Spirit telling someone to not spread the Gospel might seem odd. But I take it a step further and imagine the Spirit not only telling Paul “don’t,” but also telling him “not yet.” Jesus’ last command to His Apostles was to “make disciples of all nations” (Matthew 28:19). But the truth is that sometimes people are simply not ready to hear the full power of the Gospel. Whether it is because they are too stubborn, jaded or have hardened hearts from years of pain and struggle, sometimes people are not ready to be exposed to it. And in fact, sometimes openly telling someone a key point about the Catholic faith could push him or her further away from God.

Life is sacred from the moment of conception to natural death. Often, the media discusses moral issues related to death, such as situations concerning consent to “pull the plug” on life-support or individuals committing suicide.

Through recent advances in medicine, scientists have developed reproductive techniques to artificially create human embryos. One such method is therapeutic cloning, where scientists artificially produce embryos to study various diseases and ailments to assist them in finding cures for disease. Scientists can create as many ‘models’ as they please for their research, and if some embryos die in the experiment, other viable human embryos are generated. Therefore, although therapeutic cloning provides opportunities to find cures, there are obvious ethical repercussions for Catholics.

Every child is a unique gift from God, and it is immoral for humans to have the right to produce, let alone destroy, embryos for medical research. The Catechism of the Catholic Church explains the immorality behind producing artificial embryos: “The act which brings the child into existence is no longer an act by which two persons give themselves to one another, but one that ‘entrusts the life and identity of the embryo into the power of doctors and biologists and establishes the domination of technology over the origin and destiny of the human person.” Such a relationship of domination is in itself contrary to the dignity and equality that must be common to parents and children, says The Catechism.

Admit it. At some point in your life, you looked in the mirror and were not pleased with what you saw.

Society has given us standards we are expected to live up to. We have to be smart, we have to be athletic, we have to be talented. But of all these standards, the most persistent message youth are being fed is that we have to be beautiful — by societal standards of course.

Both girls and guys have to deal with self-esteem issues, and everyone has experienced one of those days where they just don’t feel good enough.

As Catholic youth, it is important to remember that we are all made in God’s image and that God created us to be unique and special in our own way.

What we are exposed to on television and in magazines is not real beauty. The technology of today, including software programs such as Photoshop, enhance the images we see in the media.

An eye for an eye. A tooth for a tooth. If you do something good for me, I will return the favour. But if you harm me, then I will harm you back. Should the goodness of our actions depend primarily on how others treat us? The all-too-common act of revenge in society, which lives this expression out literally, seems to answer in the affirmative. But as young Catholics, we must be wary of such desires for vengeance.

Revenge focuses on punishing others — making them “pay” for their actions. It is commonplace in society, but because it is rooted in hatred aimed at punishing another person, it is contradictory to Church teaching and tradition.  

In seeking revenge, the avenger becomes the judge and determines the punishment.

Some examples are more extreme than others, such as capital punishment and murder for vengeance, such as the recent killing of Osama bin Laden. Hatred is often a feeling that arises towards those individuals who commit atrocious acts in the world. As a response, revenge is pursued to quench the hatred, and supposedly, achieve justice.

There are two ways to live. You can merely survive or you can thrive.

Jesus Christ became human so that all of us might thrive, that we “may have life and have it to the full” (John 10:10). But while Jesus promises life to the full, He also gave all power and authority to the Church to be an instrument of guidance and grace for all of God’s people.

If Christ calls us to resurrection, then it is through the earthly kingdom — the Church — that we come to that new life. Of course we should receive the sacraments and pray, but we should do so while entering into the fullness of the liturgical life of the Church.

The Catechism of the Catholic Church poses this to us: “What is the Church if not the assembly of all the saints? The communion of saints is the Church” (946). The saints, enjoying God’s glory now, are always praying for us. If we want to get closer to Christ, then we should be learning about the ones who knew Him best and learning about their holy witness. The Church’s feasts throughout the liturgical year highlight this fact. In all her wisdom, she understands that we need help in attaining our heavenly goal, giving us shining examples by which to live. Far from distracting us from the source and summit of our faith — the Eucharist — the liturgical feasts lift us up and point us back towards Christ.

Before the 2011 March for Life in Ottawa, I always assumed I’d be able to take on any pro-choice arguments and brush off any criticism that came my way in response to the unpopular, “sexist” and “outdated” pro-life beliefs I held. The only problem was that I’d never actually heard those arguments or received that criticism — until the march.

The most memorable and impacting part of the march was encountering the pro-choice protesters along the side of the streets as we walked through our nation’s capital. The unfamiliar conflict was unsettling and uncomfortable. The lingering impact of these protesters, though I didn’t realize it at the time, would ultimately lead to a renewed perspective on this complex issue.

I was shocked by the anger of many on the pro-choice side, especially in contrast with the overall joyful and peaceful atmosphere of the march. Some of them were swearing at the marchers, singing vulgar chants and holding offensive signs.

Youth are the future. In both the Catholic community and beyond, it is the youth who will shape the world of tomorrow.If we want a better tomorrow or if we see issues that need alteration in the world today, it is the young people who can make these changes.

But sometimes age can be used as an excuse for inaction.Too often, many may feel they are too young to do anything that will leave a lasting impact.

A classic example of how youth are powerful enough to make a difference can be seen through the actions of Craig Kielburger.

He identified what needed to be changed by recognizing that child labour and slavery were wrong.Then, he acted to free the children from their poverty by founding Free the Children — when he was only 12 years old.

But we do not have to be the next Kielburger.Making changes in the world can start in our own daily lives. How can we be Christ for the world?Where is Christ absent and how can we include Him?

On May 2, Canadians will head to the polls to vote in Canada’s 41st general election. This will be my first time voting in a federal election and I plan on making the most out of this experience.

I will be actively involved in the election process as a poll clerk in my riding — assisting in the polling and in the tallying of the votes. And I will definitely be filling out a ballot. But, for a growing number of young Canadians, exercising their duty to vote is no longer a priority.

As Catholic youth in a society where secularism tends to dominate, it is of utmost importance that we participate in elections and ensure we cast our ballots.

Data from the College Student Alliance’s web site “It’s Your Vote,” a site created to encourage students to vote, says that since the 1960s young voter turnout has been declining — and at a significant rate. In the last federal election in 2008, only 37.4 per cent of 18- to 24-year-olds voted. Moreover, since a significant number of young people do not bother to vote, politicians may be inclined to not include issues that are pertinent to youth because of that demographic’s apathy when it comes to voting.