Journey as a believer

Just today, I decided to delete a few of my school-related files to free disk space in my hard drive. And as I looked through the folders, I came across an essay-type activity I had submitted for our Religious Class, the year 2020. It was really fun to see how my twenty-year-old self expressed herself through words and.. well, I think it would be cool to have it saved here. Not a good read, but I guess you can still learn a thing or two about me and Him.

“The formation of a natural pearl begins when a foreign substance slips into the oyster between the mantle and the shell, which irritates the mantle. It's kind of like the oyster getting a splinter. The oyster's natural reaction is to cover up that irritant to protect itself. The mantle covers the irritant with layers of the same nacre substance that is used to create the shell. This eventually forms a pearl.”

In a sense, the oyster represents me, the foreign substances represent the hurtful schemes of the world, the nacre substance represents the three great truths, and the pearl represents my testimony.

The Lord covers the earth with His glory, and as His followers, we must also proclaim His goodness even when we are being tempted and oppressed. By doing so, we exercise our faith and allow His words to manifest in our lives. As we continue to grow and dwell in spirit and truth, the perfect time will come for our Christian journey to turn into powerful living testimonies. And when that happens, we become the salt and the light of the world.

---

Q: Think and narrate personal experiences of being young. Cite one positive and one negative experience.

Negative experience

People often say that it’s good to be young because you have a lot of opportunities to do something with your life. Well, I agree, but that’s not always the case.

I grew up in a family of Christians, and for that, I am beyond grateful. But this religion that we have, follows several doctrines. We had prohibitions on the way we dress and groom ourselves, as well as the music we listen to, the songs we sing, the things we watch, etc. In a sense, we have so many rules to live by. I know that every religion has its own set of principles and I have nothing against it. I am aware that it’s just how the world works; for without the laws, it would be chaos. However, by abiding and following such restrictions, I made myself think that it was selfish to pursue the visions I had for myself.

Thankfully, by attending Sunday school classes, I was able to keep it all in. And as I involved myself in church ministries, I also participated in different spiritual activities outside the church. Through the years, I witnessed how hundreds of young people were used as His instruments. I began wanting to do more, of course by using and developing the gifts He has given me. But up until today, I have no clue what I should be doing. All I know is that my personal experience of His love would remain engraved in me.

When I entered the teenage period, the visions and dreams I had for myself that I have once buried deep down have managed to resurface. With it came a lot of questions, such as “Why couldn’t I pursue my passion? Was it because doing so will anger my God? Or was it because it would upset my church?” I have been struggling to find the answers up until today. Choosing my college course was the most crucial situation I have had in my life, so far. I wanted to chase after my dreams, but ironically, I had so much interest in things that we were not allowed to associate ourselves in. I felt lost and stuck in the mud; more so, because of the achievements I have garnered, a lot of people had their eyes fixed on me, saying I could easily become anything I wanted to. That made me feel pressured and more confused, which led me to pick Multimedia Arts instead of other courses. It’s not that I have zero interest in this path, but it was more of an excuse rather than a direct execution. By becoming a visual artist, I could stay anonymous if I wanted to. By becoming a visual artist, I could do things related to what I really love without hurting anybody. By becoming a visual artist, I could silently pursue my passion behind the spotlight.

That I guess, is my most personal negative experience of being young. I may have had all the strength I need to work on my future endeavors, but I was not as free as a bird-like the others. I was a prisoner of my mind, and I have this conflict of the soul. This story shows how huge the impacts of tradition, culture, and religion can bring upon the thinking process of the youth. Being young in general is thrilling–most of the life-changing events occur during this period. But note that it all depends on the weight of some factors that need to be considered when making decisions: the severity of the situation, the environment, and the outlook and courage one person has towards living a purpose-filled life.

Positive experience

My experience of being young is advantageous in many ways. My transportation fairs are discounted, I go to school with enough pocket money, I do not pay any bills, I have twice the aggression and physical strength of older people, and I am much more exposed to many opportunities linked to technology and information because of this rising digital world. As my parents were blessed with stable occupations, being young made me carry fewer responsibilities. This means all the time I have in my hands can be utilized for my growth and development. Besides, I am full of motivation to actively participate in society and experience the things I have not experienced before. This, I believe, is what makes youth the very opportunity for a person to recognize his qualities, establish his values and principles, build social connections, and secure his paths to success.

In a small amount of time, we are given the responsibility to decide for our future, and often, our opinions get dismissed by adults. The pressure we feel gets too much to endure sometimes, as the world quickly progresses day by day. Being young is not as easy as it sounds; being young is experimenting with life choices, facing fears, becoming confused, risking chances, and getting lost. But despite all that, being young is also discovering potentials, learning life lessons, experiencing growth, and being found. As one of my favorite scripture says, “Do not let anyone look down on you because you are young but set an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, and in purity.” Indeed, youth is the most bitter-sweet transition in our lives.

---

For your answers on the following questions, please refer to "Christus Vivit", a post-synodal apostolic exhortation of the holy father, Pope Francis, to the young people and the entire people of GOD.

Q-A: What were the youth experiences of Jesus? Give two. Why does Pope Francis call Him "Jesus, ever young"?

The Lord’s youth

His family’s return to Nazareth after Exile: Jesus as an adolescent, had returned with His parents to Nazareth. It was a time of training and preparation to carry out the plan of God, as He grew His relationships with the Father and the people around Him.

Jesus’ baptism in the Jordan: Jesus was baptized by John the Baptist and was filled with the Holy Spirit. Then He was prepared to perform miracles, signs, and wonders, bringing healing and freedom into the world.

Ever young

Jesus is eternally young; He had always emphasized that age will never be able to create privileges. And being young does not imply having less dignity. The very reason why is well explained in the following quoted text, “13. Jesus, himself eternally young, wants to give us hearts that are ever young. God’s word asks us to “cast out the old leaven that you may be fresh dough” (1 Cor 5:7). Saint Paul invites us to strip ourselves of the “old self” and to put on a “young” self (Col 3:9-10).[1] In explaining what it means to put on that youthfulness “which is being renewed” (v. 10), he mentions “compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another and forgiving each other if anyone has a complaint against another” (Col 3:12-13). In a word, true youth means having a heart capable of loving, whereas everything that separates us from others makes the soul grow old. And so he concludes: “above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony” (Col 3:14).”

Q-B: What does the "cult of youth" mean? What are the examples of this cult? What does the pontiff mean when he said, "young people with roots"?

Cult of youth

About the readings, the cult of youth refers to those young people who foolishly dismiss the older persons or those from other generations. From this cult emerges several groups of self-centered manipulators and deceivers. They exploit our youth and promote shallow standards of beauty, spirituality without God, and disrespectful behaviors toward elders.

Young people with roots

Young people can be compared to a tree. When the greatest winds begin to swing its branches, the only way for the tree to survive through the storm is to rely on its firmly planted roots, or else, it may helplessly fall. Without a strong foundation, the youth too can easily fall into temptations and be enslaved by sinful desires. We have to be reminded that our roots are the sources of our strength; they are the key to growing, flourishing and bearing fruit. Hence, these roots are who we are and what we firmly believe in; they should be well taken care of and nurtured.

Q-C: What are the three great truths presented by Pope Francis as his great message for young people? Among the three, choose one that you find most striking to you? Why? How will you respond personally (actions to be done every day) to this particular message or truth?

1. God loves you

“His is “a love that does not overwhelm or oppress, cast aside, or reduce to silence, humiliate or domineer. It is the love of the Lord, a daily, discreet, and respectful love; a love that is free and freeing, a love that heals and raises. The love of the Lord has to do more with raising than knocking down, with reconciling than forbidding, with offering new changes than condemning, with the future than the past”.”

2. Christ saves you

“The same Christ who, by his cross, saved us from our sins, today continues to save and redeem us by the power of his total self-surrender. Look to his cross, cling to him, let him save you, for “those who accept his offer of salvation are set free from sin, sorrow, inner emptiness and loneliness”. And if you sin and stray far from him, he will come to lift you by the power of his cross. Never forget that “he forgives us seventy times seven. Time and time again, he bears us on his shoulders. No one can strip us of the dignity bestowed upon us by this boundless and unfailing love. With a tenderness that never disappoints but is always capable of restoring our joy, he makes it possible for us to lift our heads and to start anew. We are saved by Jesus because he loves us and cannot go against his nature. We can do any number of things against him, yet he loves us and he saves us. For only what is loved can be saved.”

3. Christ is alive

“Alive, he can be present in your life at every moment, to fill it with light and to take away all sorrow and solitude. Even if all others depart, he will remain, as he promised: “I am with you always, to the end of the age” (Mt 28:20). He fills your life with his unseen presence; wherever you go, he will be waiting there for you. Because he did not only come in the past, but he comes to you today and every day, inviting you to set out towards ever new horizons.”

Among these three, His act of salvation has always touched me the most. I can recall myself as a child back then, who had no idea why everyone on the altar was crying. They were all speaking words I could not understand, and I just stood there amazed after seeing them smile right after. As I grew older, I began to experience such things firsthand. It was unexplainably refreshing as if my heart that’s torn into pieces became fully mended and healed. No matter how many times I fail, no matter how far I run or how much I have been lacking, still, He accepts me and forgives if only I ask. He has always shown me how He loves us so, that he saved us from our sins. Because of Him, I am redeemed!

---

Personal response

I know that during these modern times, it keeps getting more difficult to share the gospel and spread the truth about the kingdom of God. This world has now become reliant on scientific facts alone–people will not believe in the supernatural unless they see physical evidence. A lot also have continually lost their faith, and multiple ideologies and practices which were originally considered inappropriate are now accepted and welcomed by society. That is to say, humans of today are beginning to mindlessly fight for what they think is right, and because of that, we can see how the world is rapidly changing. It has already become too noisy, as everybody is blinded by power, greed, pride, and self-belief. Even the act of deceiving oneself self has become a norm. People are having the tables turned.

However, these things should not hinder us, the young people of the church, from expressing and testifying how great His love for the people is. In my own little ways, I would strive to let these great truths be mirrored in my life; in the way I observe and listen to those who are lost, in the method I act and speak towards those who seek, and in the approach I respond to unjust and unexpected situations.

To be gentle with my words, to be wise in my actions, and to be clothed with humility even at the face of provocation – these are principles I aspire to live by as I experience my youth. It would take a lot of perseverance and courage to reach out to narrow-minded people. But isn’t it selfish to keep these three great truths only to ourselves? The world also needs to know of His grace and mercies. Actually, the whole world deserves to know about His love, His salvation, and His promises!