you are talked about a lot these days.
Even secular media is picking you up (thank God!).
Amazing to many and perhaps incredulous to others that a person who lived four centuries ago can create so much hype in post-modern society. Well, there will always be cynics, I guess.
But you are with us. In traditional and new media, in tarps, books, songs, even stuffed toys. You satisfy our human fascination for stars, for heroes, for persons who are "larger than life" through the choices that they make.
And I am happy that many young people are becoming aware of you: some of them, awed; some, probably dubious. Nonetheless. Questions can be doorways to faith. I only pray that...
...young people see beyond the hype of your canonization a tremendously wonderful possibility for themselves--that, yes, we too, can make decisions like you, leave comfort, familiarity and everything on the surface to "put out into the deep", and be like you,
...their adults see how your life and witness challenge them in how they are bringing up the youth of today: how often adults divorce faith and ordinary life and cause scandal among the youth, instead of stirring up the desire to live well-integrated lives,
...together, all of us, as God's family, can go forward into this Year of Faith, embrace these youth along with their questions, propose Jesus as the only meaningful answer with our own lives as testimonies, and become generous in giving our lives in the service of others, dying like you did a martyr's death whenever we choose to avoid saying an unkind word, to post a Gospel-inspired status in FB even if it may mean being called "uncool", to pray for and wish well those who malign us instead of fighting back, to study the faith when there are other, more "interesting" things to do, to believe in Christ and His Church when there are many things against doing so.
Pray for us, Pedro. Rouse in the hearts of Filipino youth like you the ardor of loyal and life-giving friendship, the courage to blaze noble trails in life, and the faith that is able to free because it comes from and yet leads to God.
*Originally posted on Facebook, 2012 October 18
And I am happy that many young people are becoming aware of you: some of them, awed; some, probably dubious. Nonetheless. Questions can be doorways to faith. I only pray that...
...young people see beyond the hype of your canonization a tremendously wonderful possibility for themselves--that, yes, we too, can make decisions like you, leave comfort, familiarity and everything on the surface to "put out into the deep", and be like you,
...their adults see how your life and witness challenge them in how they are bringing up the youth of today: how often adults divorce faith and ordinary life and cause scandal among the youth, instead of stirring up the desire to live well-integrated lives,
...together, all of us, as God's family, can go forward into this Year of Faith, embrace these youth along with their questions, propose Jesus as the only meaningful answer with our own lives as testimonies, and become generous in giving our lives in the service of others, dying like you did a martyr's death whenever we choose to avoid saying an unkind word, to post a Gospel-inspired status in FB even if it may mean being called "uncool", to pray for and wish well those who malign us instead of fighting back, to study the faith when there are other, more "interesting" things to do, to believe in Christ and His Church when there are many things against doing so.
Pray for us, Pedro. Rouse in the hearts of Filipino youth like you the ardor of loyal and life-giving friendship, the courage to blaze noble trails in life, and the faith that is able to free because it comes from and yet leads to God.
*Originally posted on Facebook, 2012 October 18
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