Youth Ministry

Two Sisters’ share Their Experiences. As Jesus was setting out on a journey, a young man ran up to him and kneeling before him, asked, “Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” (Mark 10:17-30).

My experience as a young woman living side by side with other young people assures me that this rich young man’s question is as relevant today as it was in Jesus’ time.

Young people still want to find true happiness. They are full of dreams, desires and plans for the future -- which leads them to feel uneasy and to ask questions -- while at the same time feeling fear, uncertainty and anxiety in the face of decisions that require self-renunciation or even a total surrender of themselves to a greater cause. If even in Jesus’ time, a young man was finding it difficult to make a radical choice, how much greater might be the challenge today when young people are bombarded by ‘marketing’ that urges them, at every turn, to adopt values based more on having than on being.

In my contact with some young people, I find a mix between the desire to embrace Consecrated Life and the fear of embarking on this adventure. Consequently, many choose to adopt a somewhat indecisive way of living, or even make choices which do not encourage that true happiness suggested by Jesus. In working with them, I think we need to be willing to learn from the Teacher how we should proceed, so as to witness to the young the greatness of His love.

Sr. Thalyta Pereira Lima, sfp

Speaking about my experience with the young brings out in me a feeling of much love and affection. It was while living in Pires do Rio and Ipameri that I first had the opportunity to serve in Youth Ministry. The purpose of this service is to gather together different youth groups in the parishes -- those from the Charismatic Renewal Movement and those belonging to the Cursillos in Christianity Movement -- in an effort to have them work together, especially for particular Church Feasts like Corpus Christi, Christmas and remembering the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, celebrating the patron saints of their city, and developing celebrations for the National Youth Day on the last Sunday in October.

This joint venture is not meant to erase their individual characteristics, but to enrich one another by their differences. Following young people in their faith journey keeps me young, and this is very important because I see this ministry as a means to better understand how it is to be young in this globalized world, and thus how to help them become Christians who witness to the living Jesus.

Marta Gomes Pedrosa, sfp