Great to Be Young

The third Jesuit preference is to ‘accompany the young in the creation of a hope-filled future’… Accompanying young people in the creation of a hope-filled future can be challenging. Apart from positive role models, what can be done to promote a hope-filled future for young people? The most obvious response is the opportunity for a young person to be supported in having as good an education and formation as possible, addressing all aspects of the human person – intellectual, social, psychological, physical, spiritual and religious. Retelling the positive events of a community’s story is also critical, because it reminds us of what we’re capable of and how to achieve it. It also reinforces the relational aspect of our identity, reminding us that each individual is part of a bigger story.

Excerpted from Reimagining Religion : A Jesuit Vision by Jim Maher SJ