A multicultural society, within which the young move frenetically, passing “from one world to another, from family to school, to sport to groups of friends”, is that described by the leaders of the youth apostolate in the little Grand Duchy of Luxembourg. The Church is faced, they explain, by “a generation that ‘thinks with its eyes'”, that is strongly conditioned by the influence exerted by the “media and the new technologies on daily life” due to constant exposure to PCs, TV, videos, and that is constantly “subjected to the consumer society in the search for new experiences that may create forms of dependency”. In spite of the fact that the faith transmitted in the family and in the parish community is increasingly being lost, the Church is witnessing a movement of personal quest “that brings with it a religious and spiritual dimension to which it is worth giving a response”. A common denominator that emerges from the examination of the sociological context in which the young move today is “the yearning for community and for stable relationships”, which finds expression in the significance that the young attach to friendships and in their willingness to open themselves to new contacts; this may “be considered an occasion for a new evangelization” and used as a springboard for the work of the Church with the younger generations. The fundamental characteristics of the missionary Church are then outlined: it’s a Church that must “seek a convincing link with the questions, needs and hopes of the young, through a living relationship with the Lord and the consciousness of the need to convert”. It’s “a Church that prays, seeks, listens and opens up herself, a Church that continues to dispense what she has inside her”. The young “think with their eyes”, and this must be a warning “to pay attention to her own conduct and avoid any scandal”. The role of the diocesan bishop is important; he is called to stimulate the youth apostolate continuously. Lastly mention is made of the Christian community, which “must be recognizable for its simplicity and modesty, for its love of neighbour, its solidarity with all mankind, and its concern to accompany the individual throughout his/her life”.
