Statement of the Asian Youth on the 6th Asian Youth Day

Asian Youth, Wake up! The Glory of the Martyrs Shines on You Daejeon, South Korea August 10-18,2014

We are Asian youth. Even though we come from different countries, we speak different languages, and we have diverse cultures, we are one family in Christ. We are the modern day evangelizers. We, the Asian youth are full passion and energy. We are the future of the world, the beacons of Christ shining brightly in the glory of the martyrs and walking with Jesus.

Our gift to the church is our vibrancy, enthusiasm and passion to serve. We are willing to share, ask and know more about God and be closer to Him. We are filled with the grace to understand each other, to respect and accept one another. We desire to search for truth and justice and yearn for God in our lives.

We, the youth of today, are subjected to many challenges and modern day persecutions that make us question our identity and shake our faith. To live up to the expectations of everyone is the biggest challenge faced by each one of us. Sometimes these struggles tempt us to leave God. The challenges of individualism and materialism of some youth can lead to a life devoid of the presence of God.

The serious challenges that many young people in Asia face today are poverty, indifference, violence, and injustice. Some of our fellow youthis unable to express and practice their faith convictions freely in their countries due to political and societal pressures.

The AYD comes as a new song of life and hope, which consoles the youth. The presence of the Holy Father Pope Francis, our bishops, priests, youth ministers and lay leaders assures us that the Church is here to take care of us and we are safe in the hands of Jesus Christ, surrounded by the witness and glory of the martyrs.

The exposure received at the AYD strengthened our faith and healed us in a deep way. Being with the Pope and receiving his blessing boosted our confidence. The AYD is a beautiful moment where the youth from the various countries of Asia, belonging to different cultures and traditions, come together as brothers and sisters to proclaim our faith and tell the world that we are united in Christ and in the Church.

The AYD is a call for the youth to strengthen our faith in God and the Catholic Church, which went through severe persecutions over the years. It is a call for us to carry forward the spirit of the martyrs who nourished the Church with their blood and stood firm in their faith.

Surrounded by the glory of the martyr, the AYD is a path for the youth to go out into the world as beacons of Christ`s light and spread His love.

The Pope`s message is the wake up call for the youth. We are called to look for Him in all things and to be faithful and joyful witnesses. We share His love through acts of love in our daily lives. To listen to God is to listen to Him and take action according to His will.

The Lord has given us the invitation of the Kingdom, the irreplaceable gift is His love. We want to get to know God more and establish an intimate relationship with Him. We want to be still and listen to God`s words through continuous prayer, confession and constant longing for Him. We want to do God`s will by taking the Pope`s encouragement to ask ‘Lord,what do you want me to do with my life?’

We want to walk along with Jesus. We are called to go forth and walk the extra mile like the Catholic martyrs whom we had the great opportunity to know during these days. We commit ourselves to share Jesus and proclaim our faith to more young people through social media and person to person evangelization. We want to share our experiences about the AYD and the roots of our faith to our fellow youth back in our countries.

We would like to express our solidarity to our brothers and sisters who took risks in being with us in this AYD and we send our love and remember those brothers and sisters who cannot join us because of the decisions by their civil authorities. We stand one with them even though they are not here with us. They are in our prayers.

These days have inspired us so much to take on the spirit of martyrdom. Strengthened by the intercession and the glory of the martyrs of Asia, we wake up and open our hearts to the Lord to receive and share His love to the world.

Noum(Laos), Teresa(Myanmar), Rose(Malaysia),

Edsel(Philippines),Magdalene(Hong Kong),Julia(India)