This August 17, parishes and communities throughout the country will celebrate the National Day of the Mexican Catholic Youth, a day convened by the Mexican Episcopate Conference (CEM) dedicated to grateful to God the gift of youth and renew the commitment to build the “civilization of love”.
Since 2015, this day has been held every year on Sunday after August 12, coinciding with the International Youth Day promoted by the UN. For this edition, the Episcopal Dimension of Pastoral of Adolescents and Youth (Dempaj) of the CEM He prepared a subsidy With liturgical, formative and recreational resources so that the dioceses of the whole country can encourage the celebration.
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According to the document, the objective is to “thank God for the gift of youth and celebrate with joy the gift of faith so that, with its dynamic strength, its spirit of struggle and its evangelical prominence, we renew our commitment to continue building the civilization of love.”
Response and commitment to the call
In the presentation of the document, the bishops responsible for this pastoral, Mons. Jorge Cuapio Bautista, Bishop of Iztapalapa; And Mons. Manuel González Villaseñor, auxiliary bishop of Guadalajara, explain that the commemoration “is not a triumphant day for our faith or distinction among others, but a day of response and commitment, in joy and joy, to the call of the Lord.”
The message emphasizes that being a believer “is not a reason for shame for anyone, but of the expression and communication of your relationship with the merciful love of God,” and invites it to be an opportunity to “share with all the joy of your faith, the meaning that you give to your life, the reach of your deepest yearnings as a young man and your Christian commitment to the construction of a better world for all.”
The subsidy suggests various activities such as Eucharistic celebrations, evenings, holy hours, biblical meetings, forums, panels, marches, sporting events and cultural activities such as theater, concerts, dance and exhibitions.
“The world does not need perfect young people”
On the occasion of International Youth Day, the CEM shared a statement in which he urges young people to, “despite conflicts, social and personal wounds, doubts about the future”, be “seed of hope that will bear fruit if it is grown in love and truth.”
“The world does not need perfect young people, but young people determined to be conquered for Christ, to let themselves heal and accompany him, because if your heart is in Christ, then nothing or anyone can turn off your light,” says the text.
They also recalled that they are called to “build true, stable, deep relationships” in front “to the noise of the digital world that flows too fast and superficially through networks.”
Prayer for young people
The Dempaj proposes to pray the following sentence for young people:
Lord God, we thank you because you have given your Son, ours hope, because He is the most beautiful youth of this world
And everything he plays becomes young,
It becomes new, it is filled with life.
We thank you for the youth gift,
for the enthusiasm, dreams and the sincere search of meaning that inhabits the heart of each teenager and young in Mexico.
In this way to the Guadalupano Jubileo and the Jubilee of Redemption, we ask you to keep the Living Flame of Faith on us, that you make missionary disciples,
brave witnesses of your love in our families,
With our friends, in our youth communities,
in schools and in our work centers.
Santa Mother of Guadalupe,
You who came to meet Juan Diego,
teach us to listen to the voice of God deep in the heart,
To serve with joy and to build a more fair, fraternal and supportive Mexico.
Give us, Lord, the strength to live with hope,
the courage to transform the reality that hurts us,
and love to reach out to those who need it most.
Make us an active part of the story that you continue writing with us.
Diego López Colín
I am a graduate of journalism at the Carlos Septién García school with experience of religious institutional communication. Since 2016 I write for digital media and, since 2018, I report the most important news about the Catholic event in Mexico for the Ewtn news channel. ACI Press correspondent in Mexico since 2023.