15 November 1989
To Each Confrere

My dear Confrere,

May the grace of Our Lord Jesus Christ be with us forever!

The feast of Christmas is the feast of God made young. The feast of Christmas brings us back to the moment when the eternal Word, through whom the stars and all things were made, came forth from the womb of the Virgin Mary as an infant whom "she wrapped in swaddling clothes and laid in a manger." (Lk 2:7). Because Christmas is the feast of God made young, we speak of it as the children's feast. It is St. Luke who reminds us of the growth of the Word made flesh as He passed through youth and adolescence into the maturity of manhood. "And the child grew and became strong, filled with wisdom, and the favor of God was upon Him." (Lk 2:40).

There is a youthful Christ and a fully adult Christ, and throughout our lives we are called upon to identify with both. We are called upon to identify with the youthful Christ, for is it not one of the great truths of our faith that Christ has made each one of us through baptism an adopted son of His heavenly Father? Is not that the reason why He reminds us that "unless you turn and become as little children, you shall not enter the kingdom of heaven?" (Mt 18:3). It is the adult Christ Who calls us forth from the security of our homes to follow along the road of renunciation, which challenges us to live obedience, poverty and celibacy, so that we can transmit the life of Christ to others--and that they may have it in abundance. There is the youthful Christ and the adult Christ. Our own lives pass inevitably from youth to adulthood and, as they do, we try to marry the simplicity, humility and gentleness of a child to the more manly and demanding virtues of self-denial and zeal for the salvation of others. (cf. CR II, 14). The tide of youth recedes from us and, as it does, we of an older generation may feel content enough to listen to its distant roar. Feeling less secure about youth, we may lose contact with the young. The succeeding generations of youth may seem to some as of another world, culturally different and with alien values.

It is for that reason that I suggested to the Visitors at Rio de Janeiro last July that during the year 1990 the entire Congregation would try to draw closer to the world of the young, within the general project of evangelization. Every new generation is a new continent to be conquered for Christ by offering to it a listening and a loving heart. To that continent we of an older generation must carry "the unfathomable riches of Christ," (Eph 3:8) the wisdom of the Church's experience, and the precious heritage that we receive from St. Vincent, preserved for us by the fidelity of those who have during more than three centuries lived the Vincentian vocation.

Do not lose heart in trying to conquer this new continent for Jesus Christ. You are not alone. Jesus Christ is with you. Let no Confrere think he is too old to advance into the new continent of youth. Let him take heart from the fact that, as Pope Paul VI wrote: "The men of our day are more impressed by witness than by teachers. And if they listen to these, it is because they also bear witness." (Evangelii Nuntiandi, p41). We have, too, the encouraging words of St. Vincent: "So let us work courageously and lovingly for such a good Master as ours; let us imitate Him in His virtues; above all, in His humility, gentleness and patience. Then you will see good results in your manner of directing." (Coste III, Eng. ed., ltr. 914, p. 154).

As individuals, could we during 1990 devote more time to praying for youth, to listening to youth, to sharing our convictions of faith with youth, all after the manner of St. Vincent, courageously, humbly, gently and lovingly? As a community, could we make our houses more open to youth, manifesting a readiness to share from time to time the experience of our community prayer with youth?

In making these suggestions to you, I do so because old and young are all "one in Christ Jesus." (Gal 3:28). I do so, too, because the young have much to tell the not-so-young about the new world which is emerging, while the old from their experience of life have much to tell the young about those Christian values which will never change. With such a meeting of minds and hearts, new expressions of wisdom and truth can be fashioned. It is these new expressions of wisdom and truth that will help us all to proclaim to the poor of today the mystery of Christ. It is the mystery of a God who so loved the world that He became young, that He then grew in age and wisdom, and that He finally through love and obedience gave His life on the cross for the life of the world.