“A youth for youths, becoming an example to the young, and thus sanctifying them for the Lord” (Irenaeus, Adversus Haereses, II, 22, 4), Christ sanctified the stage of youth by the very fact that he lived it. The biblical narrative presents only one episode from Jesus’ youth (cf. Lk 2:41-52), which was spent without fuss, in simplicity and in the working environment of Nazareth, so much so that he was known as “the carpenter” (Mk 6:3) and “the carpenter’s son” (Mt 13:55). Contemplating his life is the best way to grasp the blessing of youth: Jesus had an unconditional trust in the Father, he maintained friendship with his disciples and even in moments of crisis he remained faithful to them.He showed a profound compassion for the weakest, especially the poor, the sick, sinners and the excluded. He had the courage to confront the religious and political authorities of his time; he had the experience of feeling misunderstood and rejected; he experienced the fear of suffering and he knew the fragility of the Passion; he turned his gaze towards the future, entrusting himself into the Father’s safe hands in the strength of the Spirit. In Jesus, all the young can see themselves, with their fears and their hopes, their uncertainties and their dreams and they can entrust themselves to him. For them it will be a source of inspiration to contemplate Jesus’ encounters with the young.
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