…As CYON holds 2024 Youth Day
Catholics, young people in particular, have been urged to commit themselves to God at all times, and to the growth and development of the youth apostolate and youth ministries in the parishes, deaneries and the Archdiocese. The charge was given by Most Rev. (Dr.) Alfred Adewale Martins, Catholic Archbishop of Lagos, while delivering the homily at Mass, during the 2024 and 38th Archdiocesan Youth Day celebration, organised by the Catholic Youth Organisation of Nigeria (CYON), held recently at Chrisland College, Idimu, Lagos.
Harping on the slogan of the CYON, Archbishop Martins reminded the youths that they are for God, asking that this should continue to be in their minds that they belong to God and no one else through Christ, denouncing and rejecting anyone and anything else that is not of God. On the anthem of CYON, he said: “We are assured by our faith and our hope that the Lord will indeed arise and shine. That the Lord will shine the light of His mercy and inspiration to overcome all the shortfalls we find in our individual lives, in our country and in our world.
According to the Archbishop, “We gather in the hope that the mercy and the compassion of the Lord will arise so that we can overcome poverty, hunger and deficiency of hope in our country. “The theme of our gathering, following the national and Universal Church’s theme is from Isaiah 40:41, “Those who hope in the Lord will run and not be wary.” That is a passage of hope that God is giving to anyone who has to run for whatever reason. “Anyone who has to run must be running because of one challenge or the other, but the hope that the Lord is giving is that if you are running, you will not be running alone.” On the theme, he said in their moment of desperation, when the people of Israel thought God had either abandoned them or He did not care about them anymore, that was when God sent them that message.
Archbishop Martins said it is not by chance that this message has been given in this year, adding that it is by divine providence that it was chosen because this is one year in which Nigerians need the message of hope that the Lord offers to His people. “Just like the Israelites whose condition were very dire such that they were beginning to lose hope in God, many are losing hope in a bright future, many even in our time are beginning to question the need for praying. But today, God has given Nigerian youths a message at this time”, he said. He decried the current political system which is organised in such a way that only the rich or those who are supported by the rich can have a chance of contesting or winning elections and where the young people have slim chances of doing well on the electoral field.
The Archbishop advocated for gestures that will calm the nerves and situation of people who are feeling the pangs of hunger and poverty in the land, including reduction in the cost of governance and political appointees. He urged the leaders to ensure that they are making sacrifices as they ask of the people because over the years, things have gone bad. He however assured the people that the hope that is promised by the Lord will come to realisation, adding that the promise of God is that their hope would not be in vain because the promises of God never fail.