“You are the change-makers the world is waiting for,” priest tells youth at NYD

By Natalie Hazel Quimlat

“You possess the energy, the passion, and the vision to forge a better world. Don’t be afraid to open your ‘eyes’ to the injustices around you, and use your ‘hands’ to build a nation worthy of the name.”

These were the words of Fr. Wilmer Joseph Tria, who spoke about national transformation on the 4th day of the recently concluded National Youth Day (NYD) in the Archdiocese of Cáceres.

Speaking to the youth pilgrims who will undergo community exposure, Tria discussed the surgical approach to national transformation found in the book written by Pope Francis, “Let us Dream: The Path to a Better Future”, vis-a-vis the activity of the day.

The said approach, which is “not for the faint of heart”, involves 3 steps: time to see, time to choose and time to act.

Tria began by enumerating some of the social injustices seen in the world today. “Today, you’ve had a glimpse, an immersion,” he said. “You’ve seen firsthand the realities that can feel overwhelming: the grinding weight of poverty, children robbed of their innocence by hunger, families clinging to homes that could vanish tomorrow.”

Because these “litany of social ills threaten our very future”, Tria challenged the youth of today to be “brave enough to make the difficult, even painful, choices needed to heal our society”.

He called on them to “decide who [they] will be in the face of these realities” and urged them to use critical thinking in navigating these problems, ultimately becoming “active agents of change”, who eliminate root causes.

“This demands fierce courage, unwavering integrity, and a relentless willingness to challenge the status quo,” Tria further exhorted. “This means: honesty above all, integrity as [one’s] weapon, a voice that roars for justice, service as [one’s] battle cry, and education as [one’s] shield and sword.”

Indeed, the surgical approach to national transformation “demands sacrifice, dedication and unwavering commitment”.

In closing, Tria emphasized the importance of prayer and making a commitment to Jesus. He said, “NYD is about commitment: a commitment to answer Jesus’ call, to build a little heaven down here [on] earth. Let us pray, not for an easy path, but for the courage to confront the ‘sins’ of our society, for the strength to make the difficult choices necessary for national transformation, and for the grace to live lives that are pleasing to God.”

Fr. Wilmer Joseph Tria with the delegates hosted by the St. Raphael the Archangel Parish in Pili, Camarines Sur during the Parish Exposure at the recently concluded National Youth Day. (Photo by Natalie Hazel Quimlat)