Manila Archbishop Luis Antonio Cardinal Tagle gives an inspirational message at the Lord’s Flock Relentless: Singles & Youth Faith on Fire (SYFOF) 2017 event at the Smart Araneta Coliseum, July 1, 2017. ROY LAGARDE
QUEZON City – It seemed like the Catholic version of a rock concert as thousands of young people shouted exuberantly, waved glow sticks, and stomped their feet to greet the shepherd of the Archdiocese of Manila at the Relentless: Singles & Youth Faith on Fire (SYFOF) 2017 event last July 1.
Fresh from a trip to the Vatican, Manila Archbishop Luis Antonio Cardinal Tagle challenged some 15,000 young people to “pass on the faith” to others.
“And my request to you…start while you’re young. Pass on the faith. Pass on faith to your friends, to your classmates, to the next generations,” said the prelate, who was greeted by thousands of youth at a fully-packed Smart Araneta Coliseum.
Pass on Jesus
“Don’t pass on vices. Don’t pass on hardness of heart, don’t pass on discrimination, don’t pass on injustice, don’t pass on fear. Let Jesus be the one you pass on,” said Tagle. “Let’s spread Jesus.”
Organized by the Lord’s Flock community for six straight years now, this year’s SYFOF carried the theme “Relentless” to reintroduce young people to the “relentless love of God.”
According to Erin Flores, a junior speaker of the Lord’s Flock community and a steward of its media & arts ministry, there is a need to remind the young faithful about God’s love in a world full of hate.
World of hate
“When we take a look at our world now, there is a lack of love. There’s a lack of true and genuine love. … I think it’s important for us to be ever conscious and to actually feel that love and that everlasting and the realest love that you can ever feel and that’s God’s love,” he said in an interview with CBCPNews.
During the half day event, youth from parishes, schools, covenanted communities, and youth organizations heard faith testimonials from other young people, listened to a panel discussion that answered questions about the faith and doctrine as well as participated in games and watched evangelistic skits.
