FYYA

“Love isn’t something we feel, it’s something we do.” We’ve all heard this quote time and time again, but what does it really mean? It simply means we can’t just talk about loving one another. Our actions, words, and intentions need to express love genuinely and concretely. That’s not easy to do when we speak of loving our younger generation. Not because we don’t have hearts for young people, but because it’s difficult to love them if they’re not in our presence. If there aren’t younger Catholics in our midst—how can we show them we love them? ...

In some cases, a young person discovers a renewed faith-life, but doesn’t know how to nourish this new reality. Finding time and energy to give thought, let alone action, to their spiritual lives is often not a “luxury” they feel they can afford. We, as more “seasoned” Catholics, can offer simple ways to revitalize this important area of their lives. Reflecting on the story of St. Francis and his experience of renewal and transformation, we know he was close to the same age as many of the young people we hope to serve. He too sought answers when he felt confused ...

As the Franciscan Youth and Young Adult Commission has stated many times, our mission calls us to share the Franciscan way of life through prayer, formation, and social justice action. Even though we may only have a few official YouFras in the states, we discovered in reading last year’s annual reports, there are individuals, fraternities, and regions all across the United States who are taking seriously our OFS Rule, Article 24 to “Foster communion among members,” especially with our young people, and to “adopt appropriate means for growth in the Franciscan and the ecclesial life.” ...

The commission has spoken many times about the importance of creating youth-friendly fraternities. Why is this essential and what does this really mean? The simple answer to the first question is, it’s essential because if a young person is interested in joining a YouFra (Franciscan Youth Fraternity), at this point they have nowhere to go with that desire, except to us—the Secular Franciscans. There are only a few official YouFra groups in the United States. ...

With her permission, I share with you a conversation I had with my young adult granddaughter. We hadn’t been together in person for a while, and sat with a cup of tea, enjoying each other’s company. Me: A while ago I talked to you when you were struggling with depression and  a lack  of enthusiasm for going to Church or even praying. ...

Reflecting recently on our years as a FY/YA commission, I wondered whether we had succeeded in addressing the initial theme we had chosen to help us move in an appropriate direction —to “Unite, Ignite, and Invite.” (TAU USA, Spring, 2018, Issue #94) We talked and listened to attendees at the Quinquennial, both during our presentations and at our booth. The enthusiasm proved encouraging and affirmed that our commitment since the beginning has led us to a stronger YouFra awareness and presence. ...

Telling stories (parables) was Jesus’ favorite way to teach and draw others into his fold. People gathered in throngs to hear what he had to say and to speak to him. Churches too should be places where people come to hear the story of God and to tell their own. That’s how we discover what it means to live gospel lives.

I recently enjoyed conversing after Mass with several young adults who were home for the semester break from college. One of them shared that he felt a bit lost off at school without his family and the friends he’d grown up with. He was especially concerned that his faith life had come to a standstill. [...]