“Life’s journey is not simply travel. It is a pilgrimage — a journey with Jesus. And that pilgrimage, we call discipleship.”
With these words, Archbishop Rex Andrew Alarcon of Caceres formally opened National Youth Day with an outdoor Mass at the Naga Metropolitan Cathedral on Wednesday, June 11.
Speaking before thousands of young Catholics from across the Philippines, he emphasized that the NYD experience was more than a gathering — it has a spiritual mission.
“You have come not only to see places, not only to meet people, but you have come seeking for Jesus,” said Alarcon, chairman of the bishops’ Episcopal Commission on Youth.
He urged young people to reflect on their personal journeys and to recognize their struggles, dreams and relationships as part of a larger pilgrimage of faith.
He also highlighted the importance of companionship in discipleship, encouraging participants to become “katood” — a Bicol term meaning a close friend or kindred spirit — to one another.
“Walk, not simply because we need to walk. Walk but because we would like to show our love for God and our neighbor,” Alarcon said.
Throughout his homily, the archbishop spoke of hope, courage and perseverance — three virtues he described as essential in dealing with modern challenges, from personal doubts to social pressures.
“The easiest way to fail is not to try,” he reminded the crowd. “Don’t just plan. Take the step. Don’t just dream. Live the dream.”
Alarcon acknowledged the realities of struggle in both life and ministry.
“Youth ministry is not a vacation. There will be many challenges” he said, but stressed that these difficulties give the journey meaning.
He reminded participants that their time in Naga was not only for celebration but also for deeper spiritual encounter.
“Bring your heart to Jesus,” he said. “[This] pilgrimage is not an aimless journey. It is a mission. And that mission is love.”
More than 8,000 delegates from 84 of the country’s 87 ecclesiastical territories did not let the rain dampen their celebration.
Earlier in the day, the delegates also participated in the Traslacion of the image of Our Lady of Peñafrancia from her basilica to the cathedral.
The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines has declared every Dec. 16 as National Youth Day in 1986.
For several years, NYD celebrations were centered in Manila. By 1991, they had spread to various dioceses, fostering more localized participation.
Since 1998, national celebrations of NYD have been held every two or three years.
This year’s NYD, themed “Rejoice in hope, endure in affliction, persevere in prayer,” runs through June 14.
