A meaningful youth is a person’s most blessed part of lifetime and it becomes relevant when a God- centered and Christ- centered life is lead. The young generation, today, face a lot of problems in the current world and many temptations raise challenges to their spirituality. Nuclear family, social media, strides in the arena of broadcasting news, the concept of ‘global village’ have all contributed to making this world quite small. The youth are made to engage in jobs that constrain their thoughts about God and godly matters. The ballooning of science has frequently questioned their Christian faith. At this point, discussions should bedone as to how the contemporary youth can grow in Christian spirituality.

1. Meaningful Youth: The Model of Joseph( Genesis 39: 1- 23)
Joseph has been recorded recurrently in the verses of the book of Genesis. Joseph who had so many dreams about his life had to go through a number of hardships. He experienced isolation, slavery and prison life in his younger stages of life itself. Though a favorite son to his father, he was drowned in charges of sexual assault and was punished for a crime he did not commit. The graph of his life kept going down- long thirteen years ( Genesis 37:2; 41:46). But Joseph’s commitment, honesty, fear of God, firmness, faith in God and loyalty all helped him in the fulfillment of his dreams. He was raised to the position of the Prime Minister of Egypt. Joseph is a model for the young generation.

2. MeaningfulYouth: The Model of Jesus (Hebrews 12: 1 -13)
Though Hebrews 11 has a long list of believers, the apostle, in Hebrews 12, solicits us to fix our eyes on Jesus who is the author and perfecter of our faith. We should set Jesus as our model (Hebrews 12: 2, 3:1). Jesus’ blueprint helps us to lead a meaningful life and overcome temptations. He became equivalent to us in that he was tempted in every way except that he was without sin. Therefore he is able to help those who are tempted ( Hebrews 2: 18, 4: 15). This is what is said of Jesus – “ And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men” ( Luke 2:52).

3. The Call for a Meaningful Youth( John 1: 43 – 51)
What Jesus had told Andrew, John’s disciple, was this- “come…and you will see” (John 1: 39) and what Jesus told Philip when he saw him was this -“Follow me” (John 1: 43). Again the reply that Philip gives Nathaniel when asked whether anything good can come from Nazareth is this- “Come and see”( John 1:46). Jesus exhorts by stating ‘Follow me’ in John 1: 43, Mark 1:17and Luke 5:11. A wealthy young man approached Jesus once and asked him what must be done to attain eternal life and got a reply to keep all the commandments. When the young man said that he has obeyed the commandments since he was a boy, Jesus implores him to sell all his possessions and to give it to the poor and then to follow Him so as to be perfect. There is a message here for the younger generation to set Jesus as their model who is the author and perfecter of our faith (Hebrews 12: 2).

Collect: God of life, we thank you for the creativity and vibrancy with which you enrich young people. We thank you that your Son Jesus Christ as a young person, surrendered his life to your will that the whole world may find the newness of life. We pray for wisdom and understanding, strength and power, visions and dreams to create a world of justice, equality and peace through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord, who is alive and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen

Quotes

I live in that solitude which is painful in youth, but delicious in the years of maturity. – Albert Einstein

I am afraid that the schools will prove the very gates of hell, unless they diligently labor in explaining the Holy Scriptures and engraving them in the heart of the youth. – Martin Luther

My life is my message.- Mahatma Gandhi

The true Christian living is like sandalwood, which imparts its fragrance to the axe which cuts it, without doing any harm in return. – Sadhu Sunder Singh

Translation : Neena Kishor, Ph.D Scholar, Department of English, University of Kerala