Page 2 - OLF Newsletter February 2023

theme of World Youth Day 2023 in the spirit
of synodality; to compile the results from the
sub-regional sharings consisting of youth
ministers stories in navigating pastoral youth
ministry during the pandemic; and to
promote and celebrate youth participation,
best practices, new ways of evangelization
and pastoral tools and testimony of lights
and shadows from the youth during the
pandemic.
Half day of this Saturday is not
enough. With the three aims which you have
set, you need to continue reflecting,
discussing or dialoguing and praying so that
the spirit of what God wants for us in Asia
may be interiorized, revealed and hopefully,
be done according to God’s will. Like Mary
in your chosen theme, “Mary arose and went
with haste” (Lk. 1:39), I wish that after who
have gathered your reflections coupled with
pastoral and spiritual realizations and
enriched with prayer, you may humbly
stand, rooted in the conviction that this is
your response to do “according to the
message and signs of the time”.
As young people, you are familiar with
Messenger, an app that enables private
messaging between two or more people. You
are aware that with more and more
messenger apps popping up every day, this
type of technology – the messenger – is
quickly becoming the most popular way to
send text-based messages, replacing SMS and
MMS as the preference of most consumers.
My dear young people, don’t you know that
messenger was already God’s app of
transmitting what He wants? In the Gospel
of St. Luke, the angel, who is always God’s
messenger, relayed to Mary these words,
“Greetings, you who are highly favored! The
Lord is with you”. There was a dialogue
between Mary and the Angel. “Do not be
afraid, Mary; you have found favor with
God. You will conceive and give birth to a
son, and you are to call him Jesus”. At the
end of the dialogue, at the end of the
conversation, the blessed Virgin Mary said “I
am the Lord’s servant. May your word to me
be fulfilled”. Then the angel left her. With
that Mary arose and went with haste” (Lk.
1:39).
My dear young people of Asia, I hope
that this virtual gathering will not be an end
of your noble desire to be responsive and co-
collaborators in this synodal journey. I highly
encourage you to continue the “good works
the Lord has initiated in and through you”
(Philippians 1:6). I am aware that in this
gathering and the forum which you will
organize in the future, you expect to gather
more dynamic ideas, pastoral challenges,
interesting stories and opportunities of
virtual networking from among your
participants. I know that these will serve as
guide for initiating pastoral programs that
would respond to the needs of our young
people in the national and regional level.
I end this message as I thank you and
congratulate you for this gathering. I say
again, “keep up, my dear young people, and,
like Mary, trust more on the grace of the
Lord”.
CARDINAL Charles BO
President of FABC
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