YOUNG CATHOLICS have no need for new doctrines and should just impart old truths and the teachings of Christ in a renewed light to address the challenges of modern times, a priest said.
In his homily for the death anniversary of Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati, Santisimo Rosario parish priest Fr. Glen Mar Gamboa, O.P. urged Catholics, especially the youth, to be involved in the Church’s activities and to retell timeless truths in fresh ways.
“Dear young people, enter the Church. Be active within the Church. We have many programs. We also have many organizations and those organizations are not just confined within the Church but help to reach the world,” Gamboa said.
“But we still need new packaging because we are dealing with new problems, with new situations. But the same old truth is the answer. The same old truth yet timeless.”
Gamboa encouraged Catholics to emulate Frassati, whom he said sought reforms from within the Church. He noted that Frassati did not preach new doctrines, but revitalized the people’s faith by presenting the same truths of Christ with renewed energy.
“He did not teach anything new or introduced a new doctrine. It was [still] the same doctrine. It was the same truth that the Lord Jesus Christ handed over to the Church. But he gave [it] new packaging. He gave it a new face. A new vigor,” the priest said.
While the Church’s teachings and doctrines remain unchanged, how the faithful live them out continues to evolve, Gamboa said.
“Young people, the Church needs your creativity. The Church needs your imagination. The Church needs your enthusiasm, your passion. The Church needs you to renew the face of the earth,” he added.
According to Gamboa, Catholics should also be reminded of the beatified 24-year old’s love for the Eucharist and the poor as they connect the people to God.
“That’s why in his life, Frassati’s motto is ‘Verso l’alto’ (Toward the top)… He reminds us that in ordinary things and actions, we can be holy,” the he said.
The Dominican priest added that no matter how challenged Catholics may feel, the Eucharist reminds them that they would always have something to offer others.
“Even though you’re broken, you can still share. You still have something to give and that is also what the Lord did in the Eucharist where He Himself was offered. He offered, was offered and was shared with one another,” Gamboa added.
The mass commemorated the centennial year of Frassati’s death. The soon-to-be saint was known for his service to the poor and was proclaimed the “Man of the Eight Beatitudes” by Saint John Paul II in 1990. He is also the patron of UST Senior High School.
Frassati is set to be canonized on Sept. 7, alongside Blessed Carlos Acutis. F
