Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines

Episcopal Commission on Youth

National Youth Day 2020

Formation Program
 Baro, cunac kenca, bumangonca.
Baintau, sasabian ku keka: mibangun ka!
Aki, pinagbobotan taka, bumangon ka!
Binata, sinasabi ko sa iyo, bumangon ka!

Dong, ingnon ko ikaw, bangon!

Noy, nagasiling ako sa imo, bangon ka!
Ikaw nga olitawo, nasiring ako ha imo, buhat!
Noy, ta manda yo contigo, levanta ya!
 Soon afterward [Jesus] journeyed to a city called Nain,
and his disciples and a large crowd accompanied him.
As he drew near to the gate of the city, a man who had died was being carried out,
the only son of his mother, and she was a widow.
A large crowd from the city was with her.
When the Lord saw her, he was moved with pity for her
and said to her, “Do not weep.”
He stepped forward and touched the coffin; at this the bearers halted, and he said,

“Young man, I tell you, arise!”

The dead man sat up and began to speak,
and Jesus gave him to his mother.
[Lk 7:11-15, NABRE]

Image from https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Christ_raises_the_widow%27s_son_from_the_dead._Wood_engraving_Wellcome_V0034858.jpg

Table of Contents

Conceptual Plan…...…………………………………………………..……. 01

WYD2020 Message of Pope Francis..………………………….….. 09

NYD2020
Triduum-Day 1, December 13……..……………………………. 13
Triduum-Day 2, December 14……………………….………… 16
Triduum-Day 3, December 15…………………………...……. 29
NYD-December 16.…….…………………………………………... 32

Appendices……..………………………………………………………..…… 39
 National Youth Day 2020 | Conceptual Plan
"Young man, I say to you, arise!"
[Lk 7:14]
The Scripture theme of the National Youth Day (NYD) 2020 mirrors the theme and message of His Holiness
Pope Francis to the youth on the occasion of the 35th World Youth Day (WYD) 2020
RATIONALE
The Catholic Church in the Philippines observes the
National Youth Day (NYD) as a special day for her
great treasure--the youth. Traditionally set every
16th of December, this is an occasion which
highlights the Church’s preferential ministry for the
youth. The youth ministries in the dioceses as well
as ecclesial organizations spearhead the programs
and undertakings in this regard, including the setting
aside of the Mass collections during this day for
youth ministry.
The CBCP-Episcopal Commission on Youth
prepares a formation program that is both
formative and festive—mainly with elements of
catechesis, fellowship and worship—and proposes it
for the use at the level of dioceses, as well as
organizations, parishes, schools and other settings,
in their celebration.
OBJECTIVES
For the NYD2020 Formation Program, the
participants are expected to:
 Recognize the power of God who raises us
from our “experiences of death”, as
shared by Pope Francis in his WYD2020
message
 Express in prayer their compassion and
solidarity with the struggles of other
people
 Participate actively in the mission of
bringing God’s hope to their fellow youth
through various forms
The NYD2020 Formation program, prepared by the
ECY in collaboration with the youth ministry of the
Military Ordinariate, hopes to lead young people to
a meaningful reflection and discovery of God’s
invitation for them. Taking place at the dawn of 500
Page
years of Christianity in the Philippines, this
NYD2020 celebration endeavors to move the
hearts of young people to rise up with Jesus and
share in the mission of becoming living bearers of
His hope and healing in today’s troubled world.
TIME ELEMENT
This program was designed primarily as an online
activity, to run for four days, ideally from December
13 to 16. This is in consideration of the COVID19
pandemic, where protocols are enforced, which
include prohibiting mass gatherings or physical
assemblies in large numbers.
The first three days serve as preparatory sessions
which are designed to be done online. The
program each day is aligned to the theme of that
day. Organizers invite their youth to attend and
actively participate on each of these three days,
which will lead to and culminate to the main event.
The fourth day serves as the main celebration of the
NYD2020. As December 16 is also the first day of
the “Simbang Gabi”, the NYD event is highlighted in
the liturgical celebration as a meaningful culmination
of their NYD2020 journey for the past 3 days.
Aside from—or as part of—the concluding session
on this day, a special program is prepared for/with
young people where they can share and celebrate
their learnings and offer their commitments: all as
fruits of the NYD2020 celebration.
Needless to say, all youth ministries are strongly
encouraged to study and implement this NYD2020
Formation Program: not only as our way of
celebrating the annual NYD, but as an occasion of
ushering the coming of 2021, which is a big
celebration highlighting the coming of the Christian
faith in the Philippines.
National Youth Day 2020 - Formation Program
MODE OF CELEBRATION
The target date for the implementation of this
program is December 13-15 (Triduum) and
December 16 (the date set for National Youth
Day).
The sessions and/or elements may be adjusted in a
way that is more feasible or applicable to the setting
(e.g. diocese, or organization, or parish, or school,
etc.) implementing the program. Here, the
discernment and coordination of the youth ministry
team/ Youth Council are needed.
Overall, youth ministries are asked to ensure that
awareness about December 16 as National Youth
Day is promoted in the diocese/ organization.
The program may also be adapted in the celebration
of other youth events, such as the Diocesan Youth
Day. In this case, it may be necessary to orient the
participants about the NYD.
PRE-NYD
Youth Ministry Week (YM Week)
The week preceding the NYD (i.e. December 09-
15) is celebrated as YOUTH MINISTRY WEEK [cf.
Resolution of the National Youth Coordinating
Council (NYCC) 2003; title revised in the
NYCC2017]. The animation of this weeklong
celebration is entrusted to the Regional Youth
Coordinating Councils (RYCCs).
Note that December 13-15 are taken as Triduum
for the NYD2020 celebration, with a program of
celebration for each day.
ORGANIZERS
This Formation Program is ideally run by an
Organizing Team, i.e. a team of youth ministers and
leaders who take on the mission of implementing
the NYD2020 Formation Program together.
Whether implementing the program online or
through other means, the Team works by partners
"Young man, I say to you, arise!"
or in smaller teams to lead in the preparation of the
event, e.g. facilitator training and accompaniment;
liturgy; animation (icebreakers); preparation of
materials; registration; etc., while also working
together in a coordinated way.
The following are specific roles or smaller teams:
1. Program Facilitator: A youth minister who
spearheads the implementation of the entire
program, and oversees the coordination of the
entire Organizing Team towards providing the
participants a meaningful experience of the
NYD2020. For example, for a celebration in a
diocese, the Diocesan Youth Director is suited
to take on this role.
2. Emcees: Youth ministers or leaders with
sufficient facilitation skills who will guide the
participants during sessions, including those
parts of the program which are outside the
modules, e.g. assembling, welcoming, time
management, etc.
3. Group Facilitators: Youth ministers or leaders
who, as needed, take charge of sessions in small
groups.
Notes in Selecting Facilitators
When choosing facilitators, it is helpful to consider
some important skills:
 Good communication skills: ability to give clear
instructions to the participants
 Clear grasp of the program to contextualize it
to the participants and to make it flow in a
logical way
 Capacity to engage and lead the participants to
full and active participation in the activities
4. Technical Team: This is a specialized team
needed for the online implementation of the
NYD2020 Formation Program, who will take
charge of specific tasks like setting up the online
meeting room, admitting participants into the
meeting room, livestreaming the meeting on
social media, managing the breakout rooms, and
other tasks related to the smooth running of
the online sessions.
Page 2
Notes for the Organizing Team
Though the roles in the Organizing Team are varied
and distinct, it is important that each one in the
Team has a full grasp of the program. Following are
concrete proposals as guide in assuming these
critical roles in the program:
a. Read and reflect on the WYD2020 Message by
heart, and make it your own.
It is beneficial for you to read and reflect on the
Holy Father’s Message. Consider it personally
addressed to you. Keep it present in your mind and
heart everywhere and at all times. This will surely
lead you to effectively carry out your role/s in this
program.
b. Go through the whole process of each session
over and over again.
Have a good grasp of the session objectives and the
flow by which the session aims to achieve them.
Practice what you are going to say. Write down
your thoughts if necessary.
c. Be constantly present.
As you would notice, there are sessions or
moments in a session where you may not have a
direct task. However, it is helpful to be constantly
present, whether by paying full attention to the
sessions happening online, or—in the case of
implementing the program in a physical gathering—
participating in the activities. By your active
presence, show a good example of focused and
active participation to the participants.
Be open to assist your teammates as needed, e.g. in
managing the attendees present during online
sessions, distributing handouts, animating, etc.
d. Pray.
It is God’s work that you partake in this NYD2020
celebration, so always remain connected to Him.
Pray to the Holy Spirit to guide you, the rest of the
Organizing Team, and the participants, along a
meaningful NYD2020 journey.
Page 3
The Sacraments of Confession and
Eucharist in the NYD
Pope Francis tells us, in his apostolic exhortation
Christus Vivit, “…there are gifts of God that never
grow old, for they contain a power transcending all
times and places. There is the word of the Lord, ever
living and effective, the nourishing presence of Christ
in the Eucharist, and the sacrament of Reconciliation,
which brings us freedom and strength” (ChV, 229).
Thus, it is also important to make available the
Sacrament of Reconciliation during the NYD
celebration (in the case of a physical gathering), or
encourage the participants to receive confession
before the NYD as part of their spiritual
preparations.
On the actual occasion of the NYD2020, young
people are encouraged to participate in the
Aguinaldo Mass, whether physically or through
live streaming, to celebrate as a community with
the rest of the Church—since the NYD is an
ecclesial event for the whole People of God!— and
to offer to the Lord their commitment to arise with
and for Christ, heeding the Holy Father’s
challenge: “offer the world, the Church and other
young people something beautiful... Hagan lío!
Make your voices heard!”
LOGISTICS
As the world continues to grapple with the
COVID19 pandemic, this year’s celebration of the
NYD introduces a number of adjustments to the
celebration we have been used to. Thus, the team
who prepared this formation material designed the
program to be primarily an online event.
To comply with varying levels of community
quarantine in different parts of the Philippines,
different modes of delivery are detailed here to be
used as deemed fit by the organizers (the youth
ministry team) for their setting. It is hoped that the
information here will be useful for the organizers in
coming up with a most feasible way to adjust the
program and to get more young people to
participate and experience the NYD.
National Youth Day 2020 - Formation Program

Preparing for an Online NYD
Celebration
Materials Needed
 Consistent internet connection
 PC/ Laptop
 Webcam, microphone, earphones/speakers
 Pre-recorded video materials (if any)
 Background music files or videos with music (e.g.
NYD animation songs)
 PowerPoint presentation (guide slides)
 Internet browser running Google Docs, Padlet and
Mentimeter
 Cameras/Smartphones (for live streaming mass)
 Online meeting platform, such as Zoom (preferred),
Google Meet, etc.
Using Zoom
Ideally, the online sessions are done through Zoom, a
video-conferencing application.
While a free Zoom plan is available, it may not be
enough for the projected time frame of the event.
Figure 1 below shows the latest available Zoom plans.
Zoom Pro, the cheapest plan, can run a meeting
limitlessly, but can only host 100 participants. More
participants can be hosted with more expensive plans.
The Zoom plan can be terminated after the event, in
order to be billed only for one month.
Figure 1. Zoom Subscription Plans. Rough currency conversions: $15 = ₱750, $20 = ₱1000
"Young man, I say to you, arise!"
Apart from being widely used and familiar to most,
Zoom has useful features, such as Q&A section,
comments section, and virtual reactions. However, a
unique feature that is helpful for group dynamics is the
timed breakout session which is useful for the group
sharings.
Other similar platforms are Google Meet and Discord,
each with their own free and premium offerings. As of
writing, only Zoom has the breakout room feature.
In preparation for this entire NYD module, the
organizers are encouraged to learn and master the
features of the platform they have chosen to use for the
event. They may also do technical dry runs of the event
beforehand to ensure a smooth flow on the day itself.
Facebook (FB) Live, Watch Parties and Messenger
Alternatively, the whole program may be pre-recorded
and streamed or livestreamed directly through the
Facebook page/s of one’s youth ministry setting. Youths
may be encouraged to share watch parties to their
friends or invitees. The upside of this platform: there is
no limit to how many people can watch the stream
simultaneously. This means however that anyone can
access, watch, react, and comment on the stream.
Another possibility for utilizing Facebook is to do the
online streaming of the sessions via a Group Page, e.g. if
a diocesan youth ministry has an online community on
FB Groups, then it may organize the program there. A
limitation for this, though, is that posts made within this
Group, if it is a closed/ secret group, cannot be
accessible (“share-able”) outside the group. However,
the advantage is that this online group can continue
even after the event, providing a community experience
for accompaniment and follow up.
Page 4
To complement the FB stream, group sharings may be
done through Facebook Messenger (or other messaging
platforms like Viber and Telegram) by creating chat
groups. Facilitators may join chat groups to accompany,
guide and enrich the discussion.
Mixed Stream Set-up: Zoom + Facebook/ YouTube
A mix of Zoom and Facebook/ YouTube Live may be
done for maximum efficiency and reach. The Zoom
facilitator ensures an engaged pool of participants are
present and can be easily communicated with.
Meanwhile, the rest of the participants may join by
watching the Zoom meeting being live streamed on FB
or YouTube, by taking part through making reactions
and comments on the Watch party (e.g. their location
and youth ministry setting they belong to, as invited by
the emcee), while the Zoom facilitators acknowledge
their presence and comments on FB/ YouTube.
Online Tools: Google Docs/Sheets, Mentimeter and
Padlet
These are online tools which offer posting or texting in
real time. As such, any number of individuals can type/
write their thoughts anonymously on any of these pages
while able to view other people’s responses. These are
powerful tools to complement the personal and more
private small group sharings with big group or
congregational sharing. These tools can also be used by
small groups for their small group sharing in lieu of
messaging apps.
While Google Doc can be used for free, some features
on Mentimeter as well as Padlet would require paying a
certain amount to be able to access these additional
features.
To maximize these sites’ capabilities, the organizers can
set-up the site beforehand with questions, sections to be
filled and the like, and prepare the custom link that the
emcee of the event will share to the participants in
Zoom or on FB, or in both. Participants just need to
click on the link and enter their answers to the prepared
questions.
These sites are accessible using the latest versions of
capable internet browsers such as Google Chrome,
Microsoft Edge, and Mozilla Firefox.
Page 5
Celebrating the NYD Offline
Not possible for your youth ministry to organize an
online celebration of the NYD? You can still do this in
ways other than the online set-up!
In consideration of various youth ministry realities in this
time of pandemic (i.e. settings that are located in
remote areas with no/ limited internet access, settings
where mass gatherings are already permitted but with
limited capacity, or places that are still under Enhanced
Community Quarantine), the organizers can tweak or
adjust the sessions/ elements in the program to make it
applicable for their preferred way of celebrating this
occasion. Also, with the current health crisis brought by
the pandemic, they need to ensure that proper health
protocols will be observed in any gathering.
The following serve as general pointers or suggestions
that organizers will do well to consider as they
implement the NYD2020 Formation Program in their
own context:
Physical Gathering
Depending on the level of celebration (diocesan, parish,
organization, etc.) of the NYD2020, organizers may
implement the program in batches or simultaneously in
multiple venues, in case those who are confirmed to join
the NYD exceed the maximum number allowed for
physical gathering. This is in order to accommodate all
those who committed to join the event.
Thus, it is essential that the venue for the physical
celebration should be spacious and well-ventilated, have
hand washing stations, and other requirements in
compliance with local health protocols. A first-aid
station staffed by a medical team should also be ready.
Deciding on a physical gathering should be discerned
well by the organizers, in close coordination with the
relevant authorities (i.e. the diocesan Bishop, the local
government/s, etc.).
Should this be pursued, organizers can invite resource
persons for the live giving of the plenary talk or
testimony, or have their talk or testimony pre-recorded
for the participants to watch during the live session.
National Youth Day 2020 - Formation Program
Utilizing Other Forms of Media (i.e. Diocesan Radio or
TV/ Cable Channel)
The sessions may be pre-recorded or facilitated live by
the organizers, and then communicated to local TV and/
or radio stations, which will then broadcast it at a
suitable schedule.
Organizers then use all possible platforms (newspaper,
TV, radio, social media, mass announcements) to spread
news about the schedule of the airing of the program.
Printed Formation Guide *
For a youth ministry setting which is still under Enhanced
Community Quarantine status, organizers may opt to
revise the program contents and elements in order to
create a formation guide, including the WYD2020
Message from Pope Francis, and a one-page summary
of the message. The message and the summary can be
translated into the local language/ dialect.
The formation guide should contain easy-to-follow
instructions wherein young people are invited to read,
reflect and pray at a common date and time, as
proposed by the organizers.
For this, it is important that the organizers have details
of their address and contact number for the distribution
of the formation guide, as well as for accompanying
them as they go through the guide individually. They
can also divide the participants into small groups with a
designated facilitator, who will particularly journey them
in the process, and encourage them to share through
SMS (or other possible means) their realizations from
the experience.
As a way of “celebrating together” the NYD2020 while
at home, participants are instructed to attend the Misa
de Gallo of December 16 (or the daily Mass of that day)
online or on TV.
* In keeping with our advocacy to care for our common home
(Laudato Si), printing and distribution of formation materials
should be well-planned so as to prevent wastage of resources.
"Young man, I say to you, arise!"
LOGISTICS
(continued)
Aside from the logistics elaborated in the foregoing
section regarding online/ offline mode of
celebration, other materials needed per session are
indicated in each session module.
PARTICIPANTS
Saving the best for last, here is the most important
part: the participation of young people.
Young people are welcome to participate; this is for
them!
However, depending on the means or set-up to be
employed in implementing the NYD2020 Formation
program, organizers should see to it that the
number of participants will be manageable.
For example:
For online set-up
100 or more, depending on the meeting platform
to be used
For physical gathering
50% of the venue capacity for MGCQ areas, 30%
for GCQ areas
In the case of a physical celebration, participants
should be instructed to follow the required health
protocols:
 Wear face mask and face shield
 Bring individual alcohol/ hand sanitizer, dry/ wet
tissue
 Bring personal eating utensils and tumbler
 Observe proper physical distancing during the
event
Encourage young people to bring their personal
Bible, rosary and writing materials (journal and pen)
to this gathering. It will be helpful to begin/ support
the culture of bringing these basic aids in our faith
to faith-related events such as an NYD celebration.
Page 6
Registration and Grouping of Participants
It is highly recommended for registration to be
done prior to the event, as a way for the organizers
to gauge the number of youth joining the NYD2020
celebration, and to facilitate contact-tracing.
Alongside the registration, those who confirm to
attend the event will be divided into small groups,
as the groupings are essential for sharing of insights
and realizations during the sessions. A small group
facilitator will be designated to these small groups
who will accompany them from the Triduum
sessions until the main celebration of the NYD2020.
TIMETABLE OF ACTIVITIES
To guide the organizers in their planning and
preparation, here is a projected timetable of
activities leading to the NYD2020 (underlined
activities are care of the CBCP-ECY):
October 31
NYD2020 Formation Program dissemination to the
ECY network
November 01-07
Youth Council (diocese/ organization)
 Form its NYD2020 Organizing Team: Identify
and invite collaborators for this
 Do an Organizing Team meeting
 Hold WYD2020 Message reading and reflection
 Study the NYD2020 Formation Program
together
 Undertake delineation of tasks
 Identify resource persons/ guests
 Plan about the December 16 Mass collection
November 07
Online Orientation on the NYD2020 Formation
Program
03:00-05:00 PM
Target participants: Youth Councils
Facilitators: ECY Secretariat and Military
Ordinariate
November 08-28
Organizing Team in the youth ministry settings
 Hold meetings to plan and prepare
Page 7
 Organize preparations and work in teams
(program, liturgy, registration, technical, etc.)
 Invite resource persons for the sessions
 Promote the event and send invitations,
including information for registration
By November 15
 Follow up and confirm invited resource persons
 Promote and follow up registration
Until November 28
 Finalize registration and list of participants
 Start communicating with participants about
preparations
November 29 - December 05
 Hold meetings to finalize plans
 Continue work in teams
 Organize online program technical run
December 06-12
 Build excitement about the NYD
 Align work with Youth Ministry Week via
respective RYCCs
 Communicate with participants about
immediate preparations
December 13
NYD2020 Triduum - Day 1 Online Session
Small Group Sharing for Day 1 Session
December 14
NYD2020 Triduum - Day 2 Online Session
December 15
NYD2020 Triduum - Day 3 Online Session
Small Group Sharing for Day 3 Session
December16
NATIONAL YOUTH DAY
Aguinaldo Mass (Simbang Gabi)
NYD2020 Event Proper
December 17 onwards
Organizing Team in the youth ministry settings
 Undertake evaluation and thanksgiving
 Finalize documentation
 Accomplish NYD2020 Report Form (to be
submitted to the ECY not later than 2021
January 20)
National Youth Day 2020 - Formation Program
  notes

If you have lost your inner vitality, your dreams,

your enthusiasm, your optimism and your generosity,
Jesus stands before you as once he stood before the dead son of the widow,
and with all the power of his resurrection he urges you:
“Young man, I say to you, arise!”
(Lk 7:14).
ChV, 20
"Young man, I say to you, arise!" Page 8
 Message of His Holiness
POPE FRANCIS
for the 35TH
WORLD YOUTH DAY 2020
“Young man, I say to you,
arise!”
[Lk 7:14]
Dear Young People,
In October 2018, with the Synod of Bishops on
Young People, the Faith and Vocational
Discernment, the Church undertook a process of
reflection on your place in today’s world, your
search for meaning and purpose in life, and your
relationship with God. In January 2019, I met with
hundreds of thousands of your contemporaries from
throughout the world assembled in Panama for
World Youth Day. Events of this type – the Synod
and World Youth Day – are an expression of a
fundamental dimension of the Church: the fact that
we “journey together”.
In this journey, every time we reach an important
milestone, we are challenged by God and by life to
make a new beginning. As young people, you are
experts in this! You like to take trips, to discover
new places and people, and to have new experiences.
That is why I have chosen the city of Lisbon, the
capital of Portugal, as the goal of our next
intercontinental pilgrimage, to take place in 2022.
From Lisbon, in the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries,
great numbers of young people, including many
missionaries, set out for unknown lands, to share
their experience of Jesus with other peoples and
nations. The theme of the Lisbon World Youth Day
will be: “Mary arose and went with haste” (Lk 1:39).
In these two intervening years, I want to reflect with
you on two other biblical texts: for 2020, “Young
man, I say to you, arise!” (Lk 7:14) and for 2021,
“Stand up. I appoint you as a witness of what you
have seen” (cf. Acts 26:16).
As you can see, the verb “arise” or “stand up”
appears in all three themes. These words also speak
Page 9
Image from https://www.kilmorediocese.ie/popes-message-for-world-youth-day-2020-an-invitation-to-youth-to-take-a-risk-and-change-the-world/
of resurrection, of awakening to new life. They are
words that constantly appear in the Exhortation
Christus Vivit (Christ is Alive!) that I addressed to
you following the 2018 Synod and that, together
with the Final Document, the Church offers you as a
lamp to shed light on your path in life. I sincerely
hope that the journey bringing us to Lisbon will
coincide with a great effort on the part of the entire
Church to implement these two documents and to let
them guide the mission of those engaged in the
pastoral care of young people.
Let us now turn to this year’s theme: “Young man, I
say to you, arise!” (cf. Lk 7:14). I mentioned this
verse of the Gospel in Christus Vivit: “If you have
lost your vitality, your dreams, your enthusiasm,
your optimism and your generosity, Jesus stands
before you as once he stood before the dead son of
the widow, and with all the power of his resurrection
he urges you: ‘Young man, I say to you,
arise!’” (No. 20).
That passage from the Bible tells us how Jesus, upon
entering the town of Nain in Galilee, came upon the
funeral procession of a young person, the only son of
a widowed mother. Jesus, struck by the woman’s
heartrending grief, miraculously restored her son to
life. The miracle took place after a sequence of
words and gestures: “When the Lord saw her, he had
compassion for her and said to her, ‘Do not weep’.
Then he came forward and touched the bier, and the
bearers stood still” (Lk 7:13-14). Let us take a
moment to meditate on these words and gestures of
the Lord.
National Youth Day 2020 - Formation Program
The ability to see pain and death
Jesus looks carefully at this funeral procession. In
the midst of the crowd, he makes out the face of a
woman in great pain. His ability to see generates
encounter, the source of new life. Few words are
needed.
What about my own ability to see? When I look at
things, do I look carefully, or is it more like when I
quickly scroll through the thousands of photos or
social profiles on my cell phone? How often do we
end up being eyewitnesses of events without ever
experiencing them in real time! Sometimes our first
reaction is to take a picture with our cell phone,
without even bothering to look into the eyes of the
persons involved.
All around us, but at times
also within us, we can see
realities of death: physical,
spiritual, emotional, social.
Do we really notice them,
or simply let them happen
to us? Is there anything we
can do in order to restore
life?
I think too of all those negative situations that people
of your age are experiencing. Some stake everything
on the present moment and risk their own lives in
extreme experiences. Others are “dead” because they
feel hopeless. One young woman told me: “Among
my friends I see less desire to get involved, less
courage to get up”. Sadly, depression is spreading
among young people too, and in some cases even
leads to the temptation to take one’s own life. How
many situations are there where apathy reigns, where
people plunge into an abyss of anguish and remorse!
How many young people cry out with no one to hear
their plea! Instead, they meet with looks of
distraction and indifference on the part of people
who want to enjoy their own “happy hour”, without
being bothered about anyone or anything else.
Others waste their lives with superficial things,
thinking they are alive while in fact they are dead
within (cf. Rev 3:1). At the age of twenty, they can
already be dragging their lives down, instead of
raising them up to the level of their true dignity.
Everything is reduced to “living it up” and seeking a
"Young man, I say to you, arise!"
morsel of gratification: a minute of entertainment, a
fleeting moment of attention and affection from
others… And what about the widespread growing
digital narcissism that affects young people and
adults alike. All too many people are living this way!
Some of them have perhaps bought into the
materialism of those all around them who are
concerned only with making money and taking it
easy, as if these were the sole purpose of life. In the
long run, this will inevitably lead to unhappiness,
apathy and boredom with life, a growing sense of
emptiness and frustration.
Negative situations can also be the result of personal
failure, whenever something we care about,
something we were committed to, no longer seems
to be working or giving the desired results. This can
happen with school or with our ambitions in sports
and in the arts… The end of the “dream” can make
us feel dead. But failures are part of the life of every
human being; sometimes they can also end up being
a grace! Not infrequently, something that we thought
would bring us happiness proves to be an illusion, an
idol. Idols demand everything from us; they enslave
us yet they give us nothing in return. And in the end
they collapse, leaving only a cloud of dust. Failure,
if it makes our idols collapse, is a good thing,
however much suffering it involves.
There are many other situations of physical or moral
death that a young person may encounter. I think of
addiction, crime, poverty or grave illness. I leave it
to you to think about these things and to realize what
has proved “deadly” for yourselves or for someone
close to you, now or in the past. At the same time, I
ask you to remember that the young man in the
Gospel was truly dead, but he was able to come back
to life because he was seen by Someone who wanted
him to live. The same thing can also happen to us,
today and every day.
To have compassion
The Scriptures often speak of the feelings
experienced by those who let themselves be touched
“viscerally” by the pain of others. Jesus’ own
feelings make him share in other people’s lives. He
makes their pain his own. That mother’s grief
became his own. The death of that young son
became his own.
Page 10
As young people, you have shown over and over
again that you are capable of com-passion. I think of
all those of you who have generously offered help
whenever situations demanded it. No disaster,
earthquake or flood takes place without young
volunteers stepping up to offer a helping hand. The
great mobilization of young people concerned about
defending the environment is also a witness to your
ability to hear the cry of the earth.
Dear young people, do not let yourselves be robbed
of this sensitivity! May you always be attentive to
the plea of those who are suffering, and be moved by
those who weep and die in today’s world. “Some
realities of life are only seen with eyes cleansed by
tears” (Christus Vivit, 76). If you can learn to weep
with those who are weeping, you will find true
happiness. So many of your contemporaries are
disadvantaged and victims of violence and
persecution. Let their wounds become your own, and
you will be bearers of hope in this world. You will
be able to say to your brother or sister: “Arise, you
are not alone”, and you will help them realize that
God the Father loves us, that Jesus is the hand he
stretches out to us in order to raise us up.
To come forward and “touch”
Jesus stops the funeral procession. He draws near, he
demonstrates his closeness. Closeness thus turns into
a courageous act of restoring life to another. A
prophetic gesture. The touch of Jesus, the living
One, communicates life. It is a touch that pours the
Holy Spirit into the dead body of that young man
and brings him back to life.
That touch
penetrates all hurt
and despair. It is the
touch of God
himself, a touch also
felt in authentic
human love; it is a
touch opening up
unimaginable vistas
of freedom and
fullness of new life.
The effectiveness of this gesture of Jesus is
incalculable. It reminds us that even one sign of
closeness, simple yet concrete, can awaken forces of
resurrection.
Page 11
You too, as young people, are able to draw near to
the realities of pain and death that you encounter.
You too can touch them and, like Jesus, bring new
life, thanks to the Holy Spirit. But only if you are
first touched by his love, if your heart is melted by
the experience of his goodness towards you. If you
can feel God’s immense love for every living
creature – especially our brothers and sisters who
experience hunger and thirst, or are sick or naked or
imprisoned – then you will be able to draw near to
them as he does. You will be able to touch them as
he does, and to bring his life to those of your friends
who are inwardly dead, who suffer or have lost faith
and hope.
“Young man, I say to you, arise!”
The Gospel does not tell us the name of the young
man whom Jesus restored to life in Nain. This
invites each reader to identify with him. To you, to
me, to each one of us, Jesus says: “Arise”. We are
very aware that, as Christians, we constantly fall and
have to get up again. People who are not on a
journey never fall; then again, neither do they move
forward. That is why we need to accept the help that
Jesus gives us and put our faith in God. The first step
is to let ourselves get up and to realize that the new
life Jesus offers us is good and worth living. It is
sustained by one who is ever at our side along our
journey to the future. Jesus helps us to live this life
in a dignified and meaningful way.
This life is really a new creation, a new birth, not
just a form of psychological conditioning. Perhaps,
in times of difficulty, many of you have heard
people repeat those “magic” formulas so fashionable
nowadays, formulas that are supposed to take care of
everything: “You have to believe in yourself”, “You
have to discover your inner resources”, “You have to
become conscious of your positive energy”… But
these are mere words; they do not work for someone
who is truly “dead inside”. Jesus’ word has a deeper
resonance; it goes infinitely deeper. It is a divine and
creative word, which alone can bring the dead to life.
Living the new life as “risen ones”
The Gospel tells us that the young man “began to
speak” (Lk 7:15). Those touched and restored to life
by Jesus immediately speak up and express without
hesitation or fear what has happened deep within
National Youth Day 2020 - Formation Program
them: their personality, desires, needs and dreams.
Perhaps they were never able to do this before, for
they thought no one would be able to understand.
To speak also means to enter into a relationship with
others. When we are “dead”, we remain closed in on
ourselves. Our relationships break up, or become
superficial, false and hypocritical. When Jesus
restores us to life, he “gives” us to others (cf. v 15).
Today, we are often “connected” but not
communicating. The indiscriminate use of electronic
devices can keep us constantly glued to the screen.
With this Message, I would like to join you, young
people, in calling for a cultural change, based on
Jesus’ command to “arise”. In a culture that makes
young people isolated and withdrawn into virtual
worlds, let us spread Jesus’ invitation: “Arise!” He
calls us to embrace a reality that is so much more
than virtual. This does not involve rejecting
technology, but rather using it as a means and not as
an end. “Arise!” is also an invitation to “dream”, to
“take a risk”, to be “committed to changing the
world”, to rekindle your hopes and aspirations, and
to contemplate the heavens, the stars and the world
around you. “Arise and become what you are!” If
this is our message, many young people will stop
looking bored and weary, and let their faces come
alive and be more beautiful than any virtual reality.
If you give life, someone will be there to receive it.
As a young woman once said: “Get off your couch
when you see something beautiful, and try and do
something similar”. Beauty awakes passion. And if a
young person is passionate about something, or even
better, about someone, he or she will arise and start
to do great things. Young people will rise from the
dead, become witnesses to Jesus and devote their
lives to him.
"Young man, I say to you, arise!"
Dear young people, what are your passions and
dreams? Give them free rein and, through them,
offer the world, the Church and other young people
something beautiful, whether in the realm of the
spirit, the arts or society. I repeat what I once told
you in my mother tongue: Hagan lío! Make your
voices heard! I remember another young person who
said: “If Jesus was someone who was only
concerned about himself, the son of the widow
would not have been raised”.
The resurrection of that young man restored him to
his mother. In that woman, we can see an image of
Mary, our Mother, to whom we entrust all the young
people of our world. In her, we can also recognize
the Church, who wants to welcome with tender love
each young person, without exception. So let us
implore Mary’s intercession for the Church, that she
may always be a mother for her dead children,
weeping for them and asking that they be restored to
life. In every one of her children who dies, the
Church also dies, and in every one of her children
who arises, the Church also arises.
I bless your journey. And I ask you, please, not to
forget to pray for me.
Rome, from Saint John Lateran, 11 February 2020,
Memorial of Our Lady of Lourdes
© Copyright - Libreria Editrice Vaticana
Page 12
 NYD2020
Triduum Day 1 | December 13
Death is Not the End

Objectives:

In this session, we want the youth participating to be

capable of discussing and confronting their various
experiences of death, and be able to identify and
share their experience of being touched by Jesus.

Time frame: 45 minutes What is “triduum”?

What is the importance of a triduum celebration?
Materials needed:
 Computer/ laptop/ smartphone “The Latin word triduum refers to a period of three
 Headset/ earphones days and has long been used to describe various three-
 Microphone for laptop/ computer day observances that prepared for a feast day through
 Internet connection liturgy, prayer, and fasting. But it is most often used
 PowerPoint: Session Input to describe the three days prior to the great feast of
 PowerPoint: Reflection questions Easter: Holy Thursday, Good Friday, and Holy
 AVP: What is the NYD? Saturday and the Easter Vigil.”
 Video: Luke 7:11-17 From “The Easter Triduum: Entering into the Paschal Mystery”,
 Music video: Arise (YOUCAT Congress 2019 in https://www.catholiceducation.org/en/culture/catholic-
theme song) contributions/the-easter-triduum-entering-into-the-paschal-
mystery.html
 Music: instrumental for reflection

Apart from the preparatory component of the

triduum, this year’s NYD local celebration will make
Before the session, to set the mood of this Triduum-
use of a triduum in order to break down the usual
Day 1, the song “Arise” may be used as the gathering
day-long activities into three short sessions before the
song while participants come in and join the session.
actual celebration of the National Youth Day on
December 16.
10 minutes Introduction
At the end of this 3-day module, the participants will
have a journey from experiencing situations of death,
The emcee joyfully welcomes everyone to this first day
rising and being witnesses to new life in and with
of the triduum in preparation for the celebration of
Christ as a preparation for a deeper experience of the
the National Youth Day on December 16.
National Youth Day.
As we are in the new normal where we cannot gather
What is the National Youth Day?
physically, we will celebrate all the sessions virtually, and
not let this hinder our desire to come together to celebrate
To help familiarize the participants with the nature
the gift of being young.
and history of the National Youth Day, a short audio-
visual/ PowerPoint presentation will be shared on
The emcee explains the rationale for celebrating this
screen.
year’s National Youth Day with a triduum. He/She
uses the following points:
Page 13 National Youth Day 2020 - Formation Program
The emcee then introduces the theme for this year,
which is also the World Youth Day 2020 theme:
“Young man, I say to you, arise!” (Luke 7:14). This
theme will be discussed deeper in the coming three
days as part of our pre-NYD sessions. On this first day
of the triduum, the activities will focus on the first
part of the message of Pope Francis: “the ability to see
death” and “acknowledging encounters with Jesus”.
05 minutes Opening Prayer
As we begin the first day of the triduum, we will first look
at the first part of the message, looking back on our
experiences of death, before and during the pandemic.
To help set the mood for this, a designated youth
participant may read the first part of the WYD 2020
Message or a portion which is relevant to the topic of
the day. This can be done live by selected
participant/s or shown via a pre-recorded audio/
video to be presented to the audience.
IMPORTANT NOTE
The topic for the first day of the triduum centers on death;
care must be taken in discussing this, allowing the
participants to see and recognize death, but not dwell on it.
Exhortations rooted on our Christian faith in the
resurrection may be used for this.
To officially begin the Day 1 session and to serve as
the opening prayer, a video presentation of the
Gospel text of the theme is shown. This may also be
preceded by or begin with a short audio visual
presentation (AVP) showing various situations of
death. This is to set the mood of the audience about
the topic.
The emcee invites the participants to watch the video
in a prayerful disposition.
After the video is played, the emcee leads the “Glory
to the Father…” to signal the end of the prayer.
15 minutes Input
After the opening prayer, the emcee then introduces
the invited resource speaker, who will give a
"Young man, I say to you, arise!"
deepening on the first part of the message of Pope
Francis, giving specific examples related to the various
experiences of death by young people, especially
during the COVID19 pandemic, and corresponding
moments of being touched by Jesus.
The resource speaker may use the following key
points as guide in his/her talk:
1. Realities of Death
 “All around us, but at times also within us, we
can see realities of death: physical, spiritual,
emotional, social” (WYD2020 message).
 Examples of death as experienced by young
people. This refers not only to pandemic
realities of death, but also those deaths which
are already present pre-pandemic: extreme
poverty, sickness, death in relationship
(broken or migrant families), loss of jobs,
limited movements, being cut-off from
friends, destruction of nature
 Because of these experiences of death, young
people begin to feel hopeless, to be less
involved and with less courage to get up (cf.
WYD2020 message).
 “Something we were committed to, no longer
seems to be working or giving the desired
results”, i.e. studying, employment,
relationships (WYD2020 message).
2. Experiences of being touched by Jesus
 Cite examples of various death experiences
especially—but not limited to—those
experienced during this pandemic, and how
Jesus helped us rise from these.
 Examples of saintly youth who allowed
themselves to encounter Christ in their lives
despite their own experiences of death, e.g.
Blessed Carlo Acutis, Blessed Chiara Badano,
St. Francis of Assisi, etc.
 Jesus “draws near, he demonstrates his
closeness. Closeness thus turns into a
courageous act of restoring life to
another” (WYD2020 message).
 “If in your heart you can learn to appreciate
the beauty of this message, if you are willing
to encounter the Lord, if you are willing to let
Page 14
 him love you and save you, if you can make
friends with him and start to talk to him, the
living Christ, about the realities of your life,
then you will have a profound experience
capable of sustaining your entire Christian
life” (ChV, 129).
 “The effectiveness of this gesture of Jesus is
incalculable. It reminds us that even one sign
of closeness, simple yet concrete, can awaken
forces of resurrection” (WYD2020 message).
05 minutes Reflection
At the end of the talk, the emcee leaves the following
questions for the participants to reflect on:
 Recall a situation of death, or a similar experience
which may have been intensified by the
COVID19 pandemic.
 Have you felt the touch of Jesus in the situation?
How?
05 minutes Instructions for Small Group
Sharing
The Organizing Team will divide/ distribute the pre-
registered participants into small groups where they
will share their answers to the reflection questions.
These small groups will do the sharing after the
online session, either virtually or via phone
conference call. A small group facilitator will also be
assigned to lead and accompany the small groups.
In order to gather the responses of the young people
participating in the online session, a Google
Document or Padlet link may be flashed on screen,
with the link set as a pinned comment in the
Facebook live feed. This will serve as a reference
document for the organizers on the impact of this
session on the participants.
The participants may also share their takeaways on
social media using the following hashtags
#NYD2020
#FilipinoYouthArise
#CBCPECY
#NYD2020Day1
Page 15
05 minutes Conclusion and Closing Prayer
In synthesis, the emcee recaps a few key points, and
challenges the participants to reach out and be
compassionate to other young people who undergo
these experiences of death.
To avoid any trigger to depression or to leave a
sinking feeling after all the talk on experiences of
death, the emcee reminds the participants that as
Catholics, we are an Easter people who believe that
life does not end ultimately in death. Rooted in this,
he/she invites everyone to prayerfully call on God
Who is the Source of our hope and life, through the
singing of the Taizé chant, “Diyos ang bukal ng
buhay”:
Diyos ang bukal ng buhay, ang apoy at pagmamahal.
O, halina, halina, Diyos Espiritu Santo!
(For reference, here is a music video with the Italian
lyrics, “Tu sei sorgente viva”, to be studied before the
session.)
The emcee leaves the participant with the message
that as long as we have Jesus in our lives, any
experience of death is assured of a resurrection. He/
She also invites the participants to tune in again
tomorrow, Day 2 of the NYD2020 Triduum.
The Organizing Team will do well to monitor the
small group sharings which will take place after this
session.
National Youth Day 2020 - Formation Program
 NYD2020
Triduum Day 2 | December 14
Rising from Death to Life

Yesterday’s session allowed us to be aware of the many

Objectives:
For the participants to pray and reflect together on
the different situations of death, to lift up to God,
through Mary's intercession, those who are going
through their own struggles, especially fellow youth.
Time frame: 60 minutes (1 hour)
Materials needed:
 Computer/ laptop/ smartphone
 Headset/ earphones
 Microphone for laptop/ computer
 PowerPoint: Detailed flow of the prayer
 Music: instrumental for prayer
 Music video: Awit sa Ina ng Santo Rosaryo
 Music video: Mariang Ina Ko
 Music video: Reyna ng Langit
 Paper and writing materials (for the participants)
15 minutes Introduction
The emcee welcomes the participants who are
attending the Triduum-Day 2 of the NYD2020.
A short recap of the previous day is given. Then, the
emcee links the significant learnings of the previous
day to the theme of the current day.
As we come together for the second day of our journey to the
NYD2020, we continue to reflect together on the theme
and message of this occasion, inviting us to listen to Jesus’
powerful words for us, young people: “Young man, I say to
you, arise!”
"Young man, I say to you, arise!"
situations of death that surround us. We have discovered
various encounters that lead to the different forms of death.
However, we were led to realize that despite these
situations, our Lord Jesus has accompanied us throughout
our journey to rise up from these deaths. In one way or
another, we have been touched by Him, through prayer and
the Sacraments, through other people such as family,
friends, and even strangers, and through other graces. He
has sown hope in us in order to bring us back to life.
Today, let us ask for our Blessed Mother’s maternal
affection and comfort, as she prays for and with us in our
recitation of the rosary.
The usual rosary that we recite leads us to meditate on the
Christocentric mysteries of joy, of light, of sorrow and of
glory; today, we will contemplate various situations of death
around us, how we and our fellow youth are deeply affected
by these, and how these cause us to lose our vitality, our
dreams, our enthusiasm, our optimism and our generosity—
thus, making us go through an experience of death.
We let Mama Mary accompany us as we take inspiration
from her, trusting that she will always be a mother for her
dead children, weeping for them and asking her Son, our
Lord, that they be restored to life.
The emcee then proceeds with giving the flow and
instructions for the prayer:
1. Opening Song
2. Opening Prayers
Sign of the Cross
Apostles’ Creed
Our Father
3 Hail Mary’s (for increase in faith, hope and charity)
Glory
The prayer facilitator leads in reciting the first part of
Page 16
the abovementioned prayers. Participants respond by
reciting the second part.
For example:
Facilitator: Our Father… Hail Mary… Glory…
Participants: Give us… Holy Mary… As it was...
Participants should be mindful of muting their
microphones when it is not their turn to respond, to
prevent causing distraction during the prayer.
3. Contemplating Situations of Death
Instead of praying the usual mysteries of the rosary, we will
pray over situations of death which Pope Francis writes
about in his WYD2020 message. Then, we will hear about
a friend in heaven—a saint—who faced this kind of death,
who will serve as “karamay”. From these, we will let God’s
Word enlighten us. Finally, we will pray the usual prayers
in the rosary to ask for the grace of new life over this death.
Readers, who are selected from the participants prior
to the session, should unmute their microphone once
it is their turn to lead the prayer or to read a
reflection. The Organizing Team should make sure
that the readers have their own copies of the prayer
flow for their own guide and reference in case of
technical mishap.
Participants follow the instruction on number 2 as
they continue praying the rosary.
4. Conclusion
30 minutes Prayer Proper
An appropriate Marian song is played to set the
mood for the prayer.
The Apostle’s Creed, Our Father, 3 Hail Mary’s (for
increase in the virtues of faith, hope and charity), and
Glory are prayed.
After the song, the facilitators guide the participants
in praying over the five moments using the rosary.
Page 17
Flow for each Moment
1. Title - The title of this moment or experience of
death is announced.
2. WYD2020 Message - A portion of the message of
Pope Francis will be read.
3. “Karamay” - A related experience from the life
of a saint is narrated. This can be accompanied by
a picture of the saint, as well as images of the
narration if available.
Where more than 1 saint is presented, the
organizers may choose only one. Alternatively, the
organizers may select another saint whom they
discern to be better suited to be presented to their
young people in relation to the experience of death
in that moment.
4. Reflection - A brief reflection is shared; key
points for this are proposed.
This reflection should lead to and prepare the
participants to listen to the Word of God.
5. Scripture reading - A passage from Scripture is
proclaimed.
Where more than 1 Scripture passage is presented,
the organizers may choose only one.
6. Intention - Everyone will be invited to pray for
people who are experiencing this death.
The prayer facilitator also leads the participants in a
short activity to be done individually.
7. Prayers
1 Our Father
10 Hail Mary
1 Glory
The Fatima prayer (O my Jesus…)
Then, the karamay will be invoked, e.g. “St. Aloysius
Gonzaga, pray for us.”
National Youth Day 2020 - Formation Program
 1st Moment: Death of Youth
Let us think about youth--not only in terms of young people,
but as a stage of life which majority of our population is in--
and how it is not only alive with energy and hope, but also
suffering from confusion and desolation.
WYD2020 Message
I think too of all those negative situations that people of
your age are experiencing. Some stake everything on the
present moment and risk their own lives in extreme
experiences. Others are “dead” because they feel hopeless.
One young woman told me: “Among my friends I see less
desire to get involved, less courage to get up”. Sadly,
depression is spreading among young people too, and in
some cases even leads to the temptation to take one’s own
life. How many situations are there where apathy reigns,
where people plunge into an abyss of anguish and remorse!
How many young people cry out with no one to hear their
plea! Instead, they meet with looks of distraction and
indifference on the part of people who want to enjoy their
own “happy hour”, without being bothered about anyone or
anything else.
Karamay
St. Aloysius Gonzaga
Born as eldest son to a noble
family, Aloysius was set to
inherit his father’s title as
Marquis, along with other
privileges. As a child and then
a teenager, he was exposed to
the limelight of politics,
military and upper society. At
17, he renounced all these and
entered religious life.
A plague broke out in Rome in 1591. Aloysius, eager to get
involved, volunteered to serve those ill. It was later revealed
that it took great personal resolve for him to do that: in his
confession with Fr. Robert Bellarmine (who is now also a
saint), he said that what he saw and smelled in his
ministering revolted him. He had to put a lot of effort to
win over his strong feeling of repulsion.
He continued caring for others, until he himself became
sick. Though he died young at 23, he spent his youthful
"Young man, I say to you, arise!"
years fully alive in love of God and of neighbor.
Read more about him--
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aloysius_Gonzaga
https://aleteia.org/2015/06/19/saint-aloysius-gonzaga-celebrating-a-
saint-for-seekers/
St. Augustine of Hippo
One of the more known saints
and a Doctor of the Church,
Augustine spent his youth in a
hedonistic lifestyle which
departed from the Catholic
upbringing of his mother.
In his autobiography, he wrote
a particular experience of sin
that made a mark on him; it involved stealing fruit from a
neighboring garden. He stole the fruit not because he
needed to eat, but because "it was not permitted… It was
foul, and I loved it. I loved my own error—not that for which
I erred, but the error itself."
This living in sin--lust, stealing, lies--was disrupted when, at
age 31, he heard a child’s voice, urging him to “take and
read”. Randomly he opened the letter of Paul to the
Romans, chapter 13: “Not in rioting and drunkenness, not
in chambering and wantonness, not in strife and envying,
but put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for
the flesh to fulfill the lusts thereof” [vv. 13-14].
From his Confessions, he writes about discovering God in
his later youth--
“Late have I loved you,
Beauty so ancient and so new, late have I loved you!
Lo, you were within, but I outside, seeking there for you,
and upon the shapely things you have made
I rushed headlong – I, misshapen.
You were with me, but I was not with you.
They held me back far from you,
those things which would have no being,
were they not in you.
You called, shouted, broke through my deafness;
you flared, blazed, banished my blindness;
you lavished your fragrance, I gasped;
and now I pant for you;
I tasted you, and now I hunger and thirst;
you touched me, and I burned for your peace.”
Read more about him--
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Augustine_of_Hippo
Page 18
Reflection
When we look at the world of the young, we recognize many
shining lights of triumphs and achievements that give us joy,
but we also see shadows of gloom that disturb us: getting
lost in the present without regard for the future, indifference
and lack of concern for others, loss of a healthy sense of self
and of purpose--in other words, it seems being young is dying.
Even society, while it exalts the promise and hope of youth,
often tends to exploit youth and being young. It has
corrupted the value of youth, limiting it to its superficial
elements, and promoting it as part of a consumerist,
individualist and throwaway culture, where God and His
plan are disregarded.
We need the grace of being redirected about what being
young truly is, of reclaiming what God’s loving design for
young people is.
Scripture Reading
Rejoice, O youth, while you are young
and let your heart be glad in the days of your youth.
Follow the ways of your heart,
the vision of your eyes;
Yet understand regarding all this
that God will bring you to judgment.
Banish misery from your heart
and remove pain from your body,
for youth and black hair are fleeting.
Remember your Creator in the days of your youth
[Ecc 11:9 - 12:1a]
Let no one have contempt for your youth, but set an
example for those who believe, in speech, conduct, love,
faith, and purity. Until I arrive, attend to the reading,
exhortation, and teaching. Do not neglect the gift you have,
which was conferred on you through the prophetic word
with the imposition of hands of the presbyterate. Be diligent
in these matters, be absorbed in them, so that your progress
may be evident to everyone. Attend to yourself and to your
teaching; persevere in both tasks, for by doing so you will
save both yourself and those who listen to you.
[1 Tim 4:12-16]
Intention
Let us pray for young people and the Church.
Page 19
That young people may see the period of life they are in
from the perspective of God Who made them in love.
That the Church, “[r]ich with a long past ever living in her,
and marching on toward human perfection in time and the
ultimate destinies of history and of life”, the “real youth of
the world”, may look at young people as how God sees
them, and to them strive to faithfully show Christ, “the
genuine, humble and wise Hero, the prophet of truth and
love, the companion and friend of youth”.
Quoted words from--
http://www.vatican.va/content/paul-vi/en/speeches/1965/
documents/hf_p-vi_spe_19651208_epilogo-concilio-giovani.html
The facilitator invites the participants to write in their
own paper the name of people/ groups/ institutions/
situations they know who are going through a similar
situation right now, in order to consciously pray for
them.
1 Our Father, 10 Hail Mary, 1 Glory, O my Jesus...
St. Aloysius Gonzaga, pray for us.
St. Augustine of Hippo, pray for us.
2nd Moment:
Death of Ambition and of Idols
Let us think about our failed dreams, plans and wishes that
are not realized. Let us also think of personalities, things
and experiences which we held on to for joy or fulfillment.
WYD2020 Message
Negative situations can also be the result of personal
failure, whenever something we care about, something we
were committed to, no longer seems to be working or giving
the desired results. This can happen with school or with our
ambitions in sports and in the arts… The end of the
“dream” can make us feel dead. But failures are part of the
life of every human being; sometimes they can also end up
being a grace! Not infrequently, something that we thought
would bring us happiness proves to be an illusion, an idol.
Idols demand everything from us; they enslave us yet they
give us nothing in return. And in the end they collapse,
leaving only a cloud of dust. Failure, if it makes our idols
collapse, is a good thing, however much suffering it involves.
National Youth Day 2020 - Formation Program
Karamay While young, we also form admiration for certain people.
We become fascinated by certain things, words, and
St. Therese of Lisieux experiences--sometimes leading us to associate ourselves with
“When she was fourteen years them, forming a close identification with them, so much so
old, she experienced a that our lives become bound to them. This obsession can
conversion that influenced her become enslaving and, eventually, frustrating.
life so much. As she described
it, “the sweet infant Jesus, Can there be new life after these broken dreams and
scarcely an hour old, filled the attempts? How can we have a renewed look at failures?
darkness of her soul with floods Can we seek a better view of persons, things and experiences
of light.” The next year after, that we idolize? To have this healthy perspective of our
he told her father that she wanted to enter the convent and dreams and of our favorites is a liberating and life-giving
become a nun. However, due to her young age, she wasn’t attitude.
granted with her petition. Earnestly praying for this dream
while on a pilgrimage and upon her audience with the pope, Scripture Reading
she finally had a desired outcome. At the end of the year
Bishop Hugonin gave his permission, and on April 9, 1888, ...whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever
Therese joined her sisters in the Carmel at Lisieux.” loses his life for my sake will find it. What profit would
From https://www.ewtn.com/therese/therese2.htm there be for one to gain the whole world and forfeit his life?
Or what can one give in exchange for his life?
St. Ignatius of Loyola [Mt 16:25-26]
The youngest in the family,
“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you
Iñigo grew up with ambitions
will eat [or drink], or about your body, what you will wear.
in the military and a desire
Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing?
for fame. He was a proud
Look at the birds in the sky; they do not sow or reap, they
soldier and won many
gather nothing into barns, yet your heavenly Father feeds
battles, until the 1521
them. Are not you more important than they? Can any of
Battle of Pamplona where a
you by worrying add a single moment to your life-span? Why
cannonball shattered his
are you anxious about clothes? Learn from the way the wild
right leg. The period of his
flowers grow. They do not work or spin. But I tell you that
operations and healing led
not even Solomon in all his splendor was clothed like one of
him to confront his earlier ambitions. In the place where he
them. If God so clothes the grass of the field, which grows
was recovering, he asked for books about knights and their
today and is thrown into the oven tomorrow, will he not
romantic chivalry; instead, only books on the lives of Jesus
much more provide for you, O you of little faith? So do not
and the saints were available. This was a period of
worry and say, ‘What are we to eat?’ or ‘What are we to
discernment for him: of surrendering his dreams of earthly
drink?’ or ‘What are we to wear?’ All these things the
fame and glory to the One True King, Jesus Christ.
pagans seek. Your heavenly Father knows that you need
Read more about him-- them all. But seek first the kingdom [of God] and his
https://www.ncregister.com/blog/ignatius-of-loyola-a-saint-for-difficult- righteousness, and all these things will be given you besides.
times [Mt 6:25-33]

Reflection Intention

Being young is the time for trying new things, for going out
and exploring, for pursuing possibilities, for dreaming and
for reaching out for these dreams. But in this time too, is
the possibility that some of these dreams may fail us.
Let us pray for those who have lost the inner drive to dream
for their life and future, or who think that everything in
their life is a mess and that they are a failure; may they
rediscover the joy and beauty of life, and come anew to God
Who makes all things new.

"Young man, I say to you, arise!" Page 20

Let us pray for those who are bound to idols: of self-pity, of false and hypocritical. When Jesus restores us to life, he
fake appearances, of self-sufficiency and self-centeredness; “gives” us to others (cf. v 15).
may they break free from their suffocating hold, and
recommit to Christ, Son of the living God. Karamay

The facilitator invites the participants to write in their
own paper the name of people/ groups/ institutions/
situations they know who are going through a similar
situation right now, in order to consciously pray for
them.
1 Our Father, 10 Hail Mary, 1 Glory, O my Jesus...
St. Therese of Lisieux, pray for us.
St. Ignatius of Loyola, pray for us.
3rd Moment:
Death of Authentic Communication
Let us think about communication, something that we all
do, a basic feature of our humanity--and how it is corrupted,
misused and abused, leading to misunderstanding,
confusion, biases and hatred.
WYD2020 Message
Today, we are often “connected” but not communicating.
The indiscriminate use of electronic devices can keep us
constantly glued to the screen. With this Message, I would
like to join you, young people, in calling for a cultural
change, based on Jesus’ command to “arise”. In a culture
that makes young people isolated and withdrawn into
virtual worlds, let us spread Jesus’ invitation: “Arise!” He
calls us to embrace a reality that is so much more than
virtual. This does not involve rejecting technology, but
rather using it as a means and not as an end.
St. Bernardine of Siena
“Originally, before joining the Franciscans, St. Bernardine
devoted himself to attending to the sick. He was typically
shy and introverted. Although the Franciscans were known
to be missionary preachers, he did very little of it because of
having a weak and hoarse voice.
For 12 years, he was content of
not to being in the spotlight, but
rather devoted himself to prayer
for his conversion and
preparation. Surprisingly, when
he went to Milan for a mission,
his voice was strong and
commanding, and his words
were so convincing that the
crowd would not let him leave
unless he promised to come back. Thus, began the
missionary life of the one whom Pope Pius II called a second
Paul. However, his missionary life had problems due to
some being jealous of him. He got suspended for a while but
got back up to continue his preachings. As a matter of fact,
even when it was clear he was dying, he preached fifty
consecutive days.”
From https://www.catholic.org/saints/saint.php?saint_id=7
Bl. Carlo Acutis
Here’s what we know: Carlo loved playing video games. His
console of choice was a Playstation, or possibly a PS2,
which was released in 2000, when Carlo was nine. We
know he only allowed himself to play games for an hour a
week, as a penance and a spiritual discipline, but he
wanted to play much more…

The Gospel tells us that the young man “began to He was also a programmer, and,
speak” (Lk 7:15). Those touched and restored to life by as we mentioned, built a website
Jesus immediately speak up and express without hesitation cataloguing and promoting
or fear what has happened deep within them: their Eucharistic miracles.
personality, desires, needs and dreams. Perhaps they were From https://
www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/
never able to do this before, for they thought no one would who-was-carlo-acutis-a-cna-explainer-
be able to understand. 19684

To speak also means to enter into a relationship with Carlo Acutis is the first
others. When we are “dead”, we remain closed in on millennial to be beatified! He
ourselves. Our relationships break up, or become superficial, was exposed to the internet and
Page 21 National Youth Day 2020 - Formation Program
to video games--and know about his resolve to use this in a
moderate way and for a good purpose. He used his skill in
website making to make more people know about the Real
Presence of Jesus in the Eucharist.
Read more about him--
https://www.vaticannews.va/en/church/news/2020-10/carlo-acutis-
blessed-assisi-eucharist-patron-internet.html
St. Paul the Apostle
Before his conversion, Saul of Tarsus (who later used his
Greek name Paul) was a Pharisee who was committed to
live according to his religious convictions, even if it meant
putting people to death. He was shaken from this
determination by a mystical encounter with Jesus while he
was on his way to Damascus in
order to persecute Christians.
Jesus entered into a dialogue
with him, “Saul, Saul, why do
you persecute Me?” To which he
replied, “Who are you?” “I am
Jesus of Nazareth whom you are
persecuting.” This led him to
realize that Jesus of Nazareth is
truly the Son of God, and that
He is the Head of the Church
whom he was persecuting. This
moment of conversion was the start of his zealous mission of
sharing the Gospel using his gift of communication, either
by preaching or writing--and most of all, through his life.
Read more about him--
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_the_Apostle
Reflection
Our world today is filled with so many ways of connecting.
However, at a time when we are most connected, there is
also an abundance of disrespectful discourse, bad words and
hurtful comments. In social media, we see how people are
divided, where openness and dialogue are set aside for
bullying and “cancel culture”.
As young people, how do we use the tools available to us to
give life to authentic communication, not only where words,
emotions and ideas are exchanged, but also where both
speaker and listener feel more alive and encouraged to give
life?
"Young man, I say to you, arise!"
Scripture Reading
Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved,
heartfelt compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and
patience, bearing with one another and forgiving one
another, if one has a grievance against another; as the Lord
has forgiven you, so must you also do. And over all these
put on love, that is, the bond of perfection. And let the
peace of Christ control your hearts, the peace into which
you were also called in one body.
[Col 3:12-15]
Intention
Let us pray for people, especially youth, who feel broken and
destroyed due to the improper use of social media through
fake news, cyber bullying, online game addiction and online
sexual exploitation, as well as for those who instigate or
support these evils.
Let us also pray for those involved in communications,
especially those in news and public affairs, entertainment
and social media; may they use the means of
communication available to them in a way that promotes
truth, respect and harmony.
The facilitator invites the participants to write in their
own paper the name of people/ groups/ institutions/
situations they know who are going through a similar
situation right now, in order to consciously pray for
them.
1 Our Father, 10 Hail Mary, 1 Glory, O my Jesus...
St. Bernardine of Siena, pray for us.
Bl. Carlo Acutis, pray for us.
St. Paul the Apostle, pray for us.
4th Moment:
Death of Encounter and Relationality
Let us think about the human person as a social being: how
each of us is called to reach out to others, as well as to be
reached out to--and how this mutuality, this being neighbor
(kapwa) to each other, is endangered or even exterminated
by extreme individualism and vicious agenda.
Page 22
WYD2020 Message
Jesus looks carefully at this funeral procession. In the midst
of the crowd, he makes out the face of a woman in great
pain. His ability to see generates encounter, the source of
new life. Few words are needed.
What about my own ability to see? When I look at things,
do I look carefully, or is it more like when I quickly scroll
through the thousands of photos or social profiles on my cell
phone? How often do we end up being eyewitnesses of events
without ever experiencing them in real time! Sometimes our
first reaction is to take a picture with our cell phone,
without even bothering to look into the eyes of the persons
involved.
Dear young people, do not let yourselves be robbed of this
sensitivity! May you always be attentive to the plea of those
who are suffering, and be moved by those who weep and die
in today’s world. “Some realities of life are only seen with
eyes cleansed by tears” (Christus Vivit, 76). If you can learn
to weep with those who are weeping, you will find true
happiness. So many of your contemporaries are
disadvantaged and victims of violence and persecution. Let
their wounds become your own, and you will be bearers of
hope in this world. You will be able to say to your brother or
sister: “Arise, you are not alone”, and you will help them
realize that God the Father loves us, that Jesus is the hand
he stretches out to us in order to raise us up.
Karamay
St. Teresa of Kolkata
“Mother Teresa discovered her religious calling early in life.
Her mother inspired her to be just as religious and
charitable as she was, and this is when Agnes began to
develop a commitment to helping the poor. She recounted
that it was when she was on a
train from Calcutta to the
Himalayan foothills that she
felt as though Christ spoke to
her, nudging her to abandon
being an educator and instead
dedicate her work to aiding
Calcutta’s sickest and poorest
people. After a year of lobbying
within her order where she
made her first vow, she was
able to exit the convent and
Page 23
began her journey to Calcutta. There, she began her mission
of aiding “the unwanted, the unloved, the uncared for.” She
opened an open-air school and established a home for the
dying destitute. She established her own congregation, the
Missionaries of Charity, which started from only a number
of members but quickly grew as the congregation’s charitable
activities grew. Mother Teresa was able to establish a leper
colony, nursing home, mobile clinics and an orphanage.”
From https://www.biographyonline.net/nobelprize/
mother_teresa.html
Bl. Pier Giorgio Frassati
Born in 1901 into an
influential Italian family, Pier
Giorgio developed a life of
piety and charity.
He had a deep spiritual life
which he shared with his
friends, and a social
commitment which made him
serve the sick and the needy,
care for orphans, and assist
servicemen from World War I.
He was a dedicated student, an art lover and an
enthusiastic mountain climber, but at the same time was
active socially and politically. He allowed his faith to direct
his social participation and to motivate his works of charity.
“Participating in a Church-organized demonstration in
Rome on one occasion, he stood up to police violence and
rallied the other young people by grabbing the group’s
banner, which the royal guards had knocked out of another
student’s hands. Pier Giorgio held it even higher, while
using the banner’s pole to fend off the blows of the guards.”
When he died, his funeral was packed with the people he
treated with kindness.
Pier Giorgio’s example shows us that our Christian faith
inspires us to connect with others, even if it meant using
ordinary, earthly means such as politics and activism, sports
and art--leading us to build a true culture of encounter.
Read more about him--
https://frassatiusa.org/frassati-biography
St. Rita of Cascia
“St. Rita was married to a violent and ill-tempered
husband, who is known to be a rich, quick-tempered,
National Youth Day 2020 - Formation Program
 immoral man, and had
many enemies in the region
of Cascia. Rita endured
his insults, physical abuse,
and infidelities for many
years. Through humility,
kindness, and patience,
Rita was able to convert
her husband into a better
person. Her husband has
been murdered and during
her husband’s funeral, Rita gave a public pardon to the
murderers. Rita's sons wished to avenge their father's
murder so she asked God to remove her sons from the cycle
of vendettas and prevent mortal sin and murder. Her sons
died of dysentery a year later, which pious Catholics believe
was God's answer to her prayer, taking them by natural
death rather than risk them committing a mortal sin
punishable by hell. The saint heard the call to become a
nun in the Augustinian convent at Cascia, but was refused
entry at first. She asked the intercession of Sts. Augustine,
Mary Magdalene and John the Baptist and was finally
allowed to enter the convent where she lived the last 40
years of her life in prayer, mortification and service to the
people of Cascia.”
From https://www.catholic.org/saints/saint.php?saint_id=4610
Reflection
When we look at others, who do we see? A problem? A
nuisance? Someone to make fun of? Or perhaps someone
to put down? Or a person to be treated with respect, to be
reached out to with a friendly “kumusta”?
This world which enables us to make so many connections
does not automatically lead to encountering each other in a
heartfelt and dignified way. We take selfies and groufies
without staying in order to listen to one another. We
gather, whether offline or online, eager to generate likes and
approval and not committed to deepening relationships.
We look at the news, at social media posts, at group chats,
and categorize people as pro or anti, as black or white,
without seeking to understand rather than be understood.
Let us pray for the grace to be truly and fully present to
others, not with our biases and preconceived ideas, but with
an openness which allows others to come as they are, and
the humility to walk with them to be welcomed by our
heavenly Father.
"Young man, I say to you, arise!"
Scripture Reading
I give you a new commandment: love one another. As I
have loved you, so you also should love one another. This is
how all will know that you are my disciples, if you have love
for one another.
As the Father loves me, so I also love you. Remain in my
love. If you keep my commandments, you will remain in my
love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and
remain in his love. I have told you this so that my joy may
be in you and your joy may be complete. This is my
commandment: love one another as I love you.
[Jn 13:34-35; 15:9-12]
“A man had two sons,and the younger son said to his
father, ‘Father, give me the share of your estate that should
come to me.’ So the father divided the property between
them. After a few days, the younger son collected all his
belongings and set off to a distant country where he
squandered his inheritance on a life of dissipation. When he
had freely spent everything, a severe famine struck that
country, and he found himself in dire need. So he hired
himself out to one of the local citizens who sent him to his
farm to tend the swine. And he longed to eat his fill of the
pods on which the swine fed, but nobody gave him any.
Coming to his senses he thought, ‘How many of my father’s
hired workers have more than enough food to eat, but here
am I, dying from hunger. I shall get up and go to my father
and I shall say to him, “Father, I have sinned against
heaven and against you. I no longer deserve to be called
your son; treat me as you would treat one of your hired
workers.”’ So he got up and went back to his father. While
he was still a long way off, his father caught sight of him,
and was filled with compassion. He ran to his son,
embraced him and kissed him. His son said to him, ‘Father,
I have sinned against heaven and against you; I no longer
deserve to be called your son.’ But his father ordered his
servants, ‘Quickly bring the finest robe and put it on him;
put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. Take the
fattened calf and slaughter it. Then let us celebrate with a
feast, because this son of mine was dead, and has come to
life again; he was lost, and has been found.’ Then the
celebration began.Now the older son had been out in the
field and, on his way back, as he neared the house, he heard
the sound of music and dancing.He called one of the
servants and asked what this might mean. The servant said
to him, ‘Your brother has returned and your father has
slaughtered the fattened calf because he has him back safe
Page 24
and sound.’ He became angry, and when he refused to enter
the house, his father came out and pleaded with him. He
said to his father in reply, ‘Look, all these years I served you
and not once did I disobey your orders; yet you never gave
me even a young goat to feast on with my friends. But when
your son returns who swallowed up your property with
prostitutes, for him you slaughter the fattened calf.’ He said
to him, ‘My son, you are here with me always; everything I
have is yours. But now we must celebrate and rejoice,
because your brother was dead and has come to life again;
he was lost and has been found.’”
[Lk 15:11-32]
[The scholar] said to Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?” Jesus
replied, “A man fell victim to robbers as he went down from
Jerusalem to Jericho. They stripped and beat him and went
off leaving him half-dead. A priest happened to be going
down that road, but when he saw him, he passed by on the
opposite side. Likewise a Levite came to the place, and
when he saw him, he passed by on the opposite side. But a
Samaritan traveler who came upon him was moved with
compassion at the sight. He approached the victim, poured
oil and wine over his wounds and bandaged them. Then he
lifted him up on his own animal, took him to an inn and
cared for him. The next day he took out two silver coins and
gave them to the innkeeper with the instruction, ‘Take care
of him. If you spend more than what I have given you, I
shall repay you on my way back.’ Which of these three, in
your opinion, was neighbor to the robbers’ victim?” He
answered, “The one who treated him with mercy.” Jesus said
to him, “Go and do likewise.”
[Lk 10:29-37]
Intention
Let us pray for people who build walls rather than bridges.
May we all strive to be like the loving Father, who welcomes
both the younger son and older son; like the good
Samaritan, who, unlike the robbers, the priest and the
Levite, was a true neighbor to the wounded victim--so that
people will know Christ through our love.
Let us pray for the grace of building a true culture of
encounter: that we may see each human being as a neighbor
whom we are called to love, and everything in creation as
an important part of our common home.
The facilitator invites the participants to write in their
own paper the name of people/ groups/ institutions/
Page 25
situations they know who are going through a similar
situation right now, in order to consciously pray for
them.
1 Our Father, 10 Hail Mary, 1 Glory, O my Jesus...
St. Teresa of Kolkata, pray for us.
Bl. Pier Giorgio Frassati, pray for us.
St. Rita of Cascia, pray for us.
5th Moment: Death of Self
Let us think about a death to which the Lord addresses His
life-giving word. Let us ponder on our own experience of
dying to self, upon which Jesus calls us forth, “Arise!”
WYD2020 Message
You too, as young people, are able to draw near to the
realities of pain and death that you encounter. You too can
touch them and, like Jesus, bring new life, thanks to the
Holy Spirit. But only if you are first touched by his love, if
your heart is melted by the experience of his goodness
towards you. If you can feel God’s immense love for every
living creature – especially our brothers and sisters who
experience hunger and thirst, or are sick or naked or
imprisoned – then you will be able to draw near to them as
he does. You will be able to touch them as he does, and to
bring his life to those of your friends who are inwardly dead,
who suffer or have lost faith and hope.
This life is really a new creation, a new birth, not just a
form of psychological conditioning. Perhaps, in times of
difficulty, many of you have heard people repeat those
“magic” formulas so fashionable nowadays, formulas that
are supposed to take care of everything: “You have to believe
in yourself”, “You have to discover your inner resources”,
“You have to become conscious of your positive energy”…
But these are mere words; they do not work for someone
who is truly “dead inside”. Jesus’ word has a deeper
resonance; it goes infinitely deeper. It is a divine and
creative word, which alone can bring the dead to life.
Karamay
St. Francis of Assisi
“Saint Francis of Assisi was renowned for drinking and
partying in his youth. After fighting in a battle between
National Youth Day 2020 - Formation Program
Assisi and Perugia, Francis Read more about her--
was captured and imprisoned https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chiara_Badano
http://www.synod.va/content/synod2018/en/youth-testimonies/
for ransom. After his release blessed-chiara-badano.html
from prison, Francis heard the
voice of Christ, who told him Reflection
to repair the Christian Church
and live a life of poverty. Things, persons and experiences on earth could make us
Consequently, he abandoned happy and fulfilled. However, which of them can truly and
his life of luxury and became a fully satisfy us? The human experience is a finite
devotee of the faith, his experience: it yearns for something beyond itself. That is
reputation spreading all over the Christian world. Later in why we always crave for more, we search for what is beyond
life, Francis reportedly received a vision that left him with us. This search can be tiring and frustrating if we limit
the stigmata of Christ, making Francis the first person to ourselves to what is earthly—for nothing in this world could
receive such holy wounds. During his life he also developed a fill a void that is also of this world.
deep love of nature and animals and is known as the patron
saint of the environment and animals; his life and words Thus, Pope Francis, in his loving concern for us, affirms to
have had a lasting resonance with millions of followers us: only Jesus can fill us. It is only when we have
across the globe.” surrendered to Him and allowed Him to touch us that our
From https://www.biography.com/religious-figure/saint-francis-of-assisi
limitations are expanded, that our failures and pains are
redeemed, and that we are given not only a fresh start, but a
Bl. Chiara Luce Badano
renewed perspective and a deeper life. This requires sharing
Chiara was an ordinary young woman: born to her parents in His passion and death, so that we may also share in His
after 11 years of waiting, she grew up under their care, went rising to new life.
to school, and got involved in church, friends, among other
things--including sports. In 1998, at a tennis game, she felt This paradox is indeed true: it is in giving that we receive, it
a searing pain on her left shoulder which forced her to drop is in forgiving that we are forgiven, and it is in dying to
her racket. After clinical tests, the diagnosis: an oneself that we are born to eternal life.
osteosarcoma, a rare and painful form of bone cancer. Her
response to it: “It’s for you, Jesus. If you want it, I want it Scripture Reading
too”.
Amen, amen, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls to
She wrote a prayer to the Blessed Mother: “Heavenly the ground and dies, it remains just a grain of wheat; but if
Mother, you know how much I desire to be healed but if it’s it dies, it produces much fruit. Whoever loves his life loses it,
not God’s will I ask you for the strength never to give up. and whoever hates his life in this world will preserve it for
Humbly yours, Chiara”. eternal life. Whoever serves me must follow me, and where I
am, there also will my servant be. The Father will honor
Chiara told her mother before whoever serves me.
she died, "Oh Mama, young [Jn 12: 24-26]
people…young people…they are
the future. You see, I can't run [Jesus] summoned the crowd with his disciples and said to
anymore, but how I would like them, “Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself,
to pass on to them the torch, take up his cross, and follow me. For whoever wishes to save
like in the Olympics! Young his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and
people have only one life and that of the gospel will save it.
it's worthwhile to spend it well." [Mk 8:34-35]

Hers was a short life--but her Intention

dying to self has certainly borne
abundant fruit. Let us pray for the grace of welcoming with serenity and

"Young man, I say to you, arise!" Page 26

trust every opportunity to die to oneself: to take feedback
humbly, to do a good deed even if it is inconvenient, to
speak truth to power even if it is unpopular, to extend
forgiveness to someone who hurt us, to bear suffering with
patience and purpose.
Let us pray especially for young people: may they recognize
that, in God’s limitless and powerful love, any difficulty
welcomed and accepted can bear fruit that is beneficial.
The facilitator invites the participants to write in their
own paper the name of people/ groups/ institutions/
situations they know who are going through a similar
situation right now, in order to consciously pray for
them.
1 Our Father, 10 Hail Mary, 1 Glory, O my Jesus...
St. Francis of Assisi, pray for us.
Bl. Chiara Luce Badano, pray for us.
20 minutes Conclusion
From the message of Pope Francis:
“If Jesus was someone who was only concerned about
himself, the son of the widow would not have been raised”.
The resurrection of that young man restored him to his
mother. In that woman, we can see an image of Mary, our
Mother, to whom we entrust all the young people of our
world. In her, we can also recognize the Church, who wants
to welcome with tender love each young person, without
exception. So let us implore Mary’s intercession for the
Church, that she may always be a mother for her dead
children, weeping for them and asking that they be restored
to life. In every one of her children who dies, the Church
also dies, and in every one of her children who arises, the
Church also arises.
Let us altogether pray to our Blessed Mother:
The Hail, Holy Queen, or another common Marian
prayer (e.g. Memorare/ We fly to your protection),
will be recited.
Then, a synthesis of the prayer experience will be
Page 27
offered; below are key points:
In this prayer, we pondered on the many faces of death in
our world today. With the help of our heavenly friends and
with the power of God’s Word, we confronted these deaths,
and sought the grace of new life in Christ, the Way, Truth
and Life.
“The first step is to let ourselves get up and to realize that
the new life Jesus offers us is good and worth living. It is
sustained by one who is ever at our side along our journey to
the future. Jesus helps us to live this life in a dignified and
meaningful way” (WYD2020 Message).
And when we have this new life from and in Christ, we can
become His channels to bring life amidst trouble, suffering
and chaos. Various forms of death may have infected our
way of life, but we recall this beautiful and sure truth: Jesus
can bring forth life out of death. If we allow Him to touch
us, He can transform evil into good, He can change water
into wine, He can raise what is dead to new life.
“If you can feel God’s immense love for every living creature
– especially our brothers and sisters who experience hunger
and thirst, or are sick or naked or imprisoned – then you
will be able to draw near to them as he does. You will be
able to touch them as he does, and to bring his life to those
of your friends who are inwardly dead, who suffer or have
lost faith and hope” (WYD2020 Message).
As a challenge, the facilitator gives the following
instructions:
The facilitator asks the participants to hold again the
piece of paper containing the names of people they
have prayed for during the rosary. S/he tells them to
fold this paper and place it on their altar, as their way
of committing to pray for these people even after
today’s session.
Secondly, the participants are instructed to send a
message of hope/ encouragement to these people via
SMS/ other Messaging means (if possible). This will
be a concrete way of showing support to them.
Finally, the facilitator encourages the participants to
share on social media their experience of and
realizations from today’s online session, using the
hashtags
National Youth Day 2020 - Formation Program
 #NYD2020
#FilipinoYouthArise
#CBCPECY
#NYD2020Day2
 notes
Let us end this prayer experience with our Blessed Mother
by recalling, through a song, her joy at encountering her
Risen Son. Let us affirm our Christian faith which says
that death is not the end; we are called from death to new
life in Christ!

The song Regina Coeli (M. Francisco SJ) is played,

possibly accompanied by thematic images showing
new life in Christ.

This is an available video on Facebook, which ends

with a blessing from Pope Francis—
https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=2308886779412409

Reyna ng langit, magsaya, aleluya!

Anak mong dinala sa tuwa, aleluya!
Ay nabuhay na magmuli, aleluya!
Ipanalangin mo kami sa Ama, aleluya!

Aleluya, Aleluya! Aleluya, Aleluya!

Aleluya, Aleluya! Aleluya, Aleluya!

"Young man, I say to you, arise!" Page 28

 NYD2020
Triduum Day 3 | December 15
Witnesses of New Life in Christ

A short recap of the two previous triduum days are

given, highlighting the significant moments and
realizations, with the following key points:
 Becoming aware of the different forms and ways
of death around us, and how these lead us to
hopelessness, despair and discouragement to get
up
 Rediscovering how Jesus draws near to us in the
Objectives:
face of death, and raises us up, giving us new life
and hope;
For the participants to identify themselves with their
 Lifting to God in prayer these experiences of
fellow youth who have arisen from death to new life
death, and together with Mary, we expressed our
in Christ, and in turn to accept the challenge to
compassion and solidarity to those people who
become witnesses of new life in Christ by striving to
are facing their own situations of death
imitate His ways.
The emcee also reminds participants to share on
Time frame: 45 minutes
social media their outputs and realizations from the
previous online sessions.
Materials needed:
 Computer/ laptop/ smartphone
After the reminder, the emcee officially begins the
 Headset/ earphones
gathering as he/she invites the participants to an
 Microphone for laptop/ computer
opening prayer, setting the proper disposition for the
 Internet connection
session.
 PowerPoint: Detailed flow of the Opening Prayer
 PowerPoint: Guide questions for reflection
After a brief period of silence as a way to set the
 Video: testimonies
mood for prayer, an assigned reader proclaims the
 Video/ audio: Arise
Scripture passage.
 Music video: Bless the Lord, my soul (Taizé)
 Music video: 10,000 Reasons (worship song)
But now Christ has been raised from the dead, the first
 Music video: Manalig Ka
fruits of those who have fallen asleep. For since death came
through a human being, the resurrection of the dead came
also through a human being. For just as in Adam all die, so
It is proposed that this session be pre-recorded, and
too in Christ shall all be brought to life.
then premiered on Facebook on the set date for the
[1 Cor 15:20-22]
Triduum-Day 3.
The text will be read again, possibly in another
15 minutes Introduction
language used in the locality/ setting. This will be
followed by a period of silent reflection (between 2-3
The emcee, who also acts as the session facilitator,
minutes), in which the text of the passage may be
joyfully welcomes the participants to the online
flashed on the screen to aid reflection.
session. He/She then provides an overview of the
program.
The prayer may end with “Bless the Lord” or another
song, e.g. “10,000 Reasons”/ “Manalig Ka”.

Page 29 National Youth Day 2020 - Formation Program

10 minutes Testimonies
Following the opening prayer, the emcee introduces
the people who will share testimonies.
Prior to this session, the organizers will have invited 2
sharers (1 male and 1 female, preferably youths) who
will give a 3-5 minute testimony on video on how
their faith led them to rise from a difficult or
challenging situation, such as a serious illness (e.g.
COVID19, cancer, etc.), work as a frontliner
(healthcare, security, etc.), a serious bout of
depression, etc.
Each sharer may use the following guide to prepare
his/her testimony:
 Self-introduction: give basic information to build
connection with the audience and establish the
context for the sharing
 Dying: narrate how the situation of death started;
provide key facts or important moments to show
how painful or challenging it is.
 Being touched by Christ: the turning point in the
situation. Describe the moment (if it is a
particular occasion) or experience (if it was a
process), and how Christ acted.
 Rising to life: in conclusion, he/she shares the
most significant realization from this experience
in relation to his/her life and faith.
10 minutes Synthesis
The emcee thanks the sharers, then provides a brief
synthesis of their testimonies, and links them to key
points from the WYD2020 message of Pope Francis:
The testimonies we have heard today all convey a
resounding message: in Christ and with Christ, we can
certainly arise from death. As our dear Pope Francis stressed
in his WYD2020 message, our journey in life is filled not
only with joys and success, but failures and struggles. And
the bumps and turns along the way are but indicators that
we are moving through life, and that we are growing, for
“people who are not on a journey never fall; then again,
neither do they move forward.”
What we need to possess, what can sustain in us in our
journey through life, is our faith in God. And the way for
us to win over our tribulations is “to get up and to realize
"Young man, I say to you, arise!"
that the new life Jesus offers us is good and worth living. It
is sustained by one who is ever at our side along our journey
to the future. Jesus helps us to live this life in a dignified
and meaningful way.”
Let us not step back as we run this course; keep our passion,
enthusiasm and hope; let us strive to become witnesses of
new life in Christ. Gaining renewed inspiration from our
sharers, let us look into ourselves and see what needs to be
changed or strengthened within us, so that we too can testify
that, with Jesus who will keep us standing tall, we can
triumph over the realities of death. Learning from our
sharers, let us strive to become instruments of God’s hope to
others, especially in times when we are tried in our faith in
the face of darkness and death.
05 minutes Challenge
Following the synthesis, the emcee gives the guide for
reflection, which will also serve as reference for the
challenge that participants will do after the session:
 What did you feel while listening to the
testimonies? Were you able to identify yourself
with what was shared? How have you been
touched by Christ with their testimonies?
 In what way can you make yourself a witness of
new life in Christ? What attitude or characteristic
of Jesus should you possess in order to fulfill this
mission? Answer this question by completing this
sentence: “I am a witness of new life in Christ
by…”
As an individual challenge after the session, the
emcee instructs the participants to post a video of
oneself singing or lip-syncing the chorus part of the
song “Manalig Ka”, while holding his/her written
answer to the second question.
If posting a video is not possible, he/she may take a
selfie instead as he/she holds his/her written
reflection response.
When posting and sharing on social media, use the
hashtags
#NYD2020
#FilipinoYouthArise
#CBCPECY
#NYD2020Day3
Page 30
At this time, the emcee reminds the group facilitators
and participants that, after this online session, each
group will meet in order to share their personal
reflections.
Each group, led by the designated facilitator, agrees
on the most feasible schedule for meeting within the
day, for a 30-minute period.
As in the previous session, an online group sharing
may take place through any of the following: Google
Meet, Zoom, Facebook Messenger Group call, or a
group call through phone.
To close the session, the emcee thanks everyone for
joining, then invites them to join in singing the
closing song, “Arise”.
Afterwhich, he/she wishes them a meaningful and
fruitful sharing and encounter in their small groups.
The Organizing Team will do well to monitor the
small group sharings which will take place after this
session.
30 minutes Small Group Sharing
The small group facilitator will be the one to give the
instructions below during the online small group
sharing with their members:
Create a one-liner statement as a summary of your
shared reflections. Then, a designated member of the
group posts their statement on a Mentimeter
presentation which the organizers already prepared
beforehand by going to www.menti.com and then
entering the
corresponding code. The
organizers post the
Mentimeter presentation
output on their youth
ministry social media
page/ group.
Page 31
Before December 16
2 weeks before
Call for submission of messages from diocesan leaders
outside of the youth council, to be done through
formal requests (email, personal message, etc.)
Call for submission of diocesan youths’ performances
(if whole or parts of prayer worship will be pre-
recorded), to be done through social media
announcements.
Call for submission of other pre-recordings (sound
files or videos) that the organizers may need for the
event; for this, proper and formal communication to
the requested party/ies is encouraged.
1 week before
All recorded materials are available and ready for
video editing.
Meeting invitation (to the online meeting, e.g. Zoom/
Google Meet/ others): This can be disseminated
through various channels, e.g. via the Youth Council,
on social media pages and chat groups of the youth
ministries within the diocese, etc., with an
accompanying reminder to register early and take note
of the event schedule.
1 day before
The emcee in the Triduum-Day 3 session reminds
attendees that all small group sharings during the
triduum must all be finished before the NYD itself,
where there will be a harvesting of insights gained
from the triduum.
At the end of Triduum-Day 3, the emcee invites the
participants to set their alarms for the 1st Misa de
Gallo. Youths are encouraged to ask their elders in
the family to wake them up or help them rise up in
time for the Mass. This serves as a symbolic gesture
of having to “Arise!” for the Mass during the NYD in a
way that involves the family, friends and community.
For added fun, their smartphones can be set to play
the songs “Simbang Gabi” or ”Kampana ng Simbahan”
as their alarm tone.
National Youth Day 2020 - Formation Program
NYD2020
December 16
Young man, I say to you, arise!
Objectives
To recollect the experiences gathered from the
triduum and to inspire the youth to express in
concrete ways their restoration to life after having
been touched and raised from death by Christ
Time Frame: 3 hours
Materials needed:
Organizing Team
 Internet connection
 PC/laptop
 Webcam, microphone, earphones/speakers
 Pre-recorded video materials (if any)
 Background music files or videos with music (e.g.
NYD animation songs, “Arise”)
 PowerPoint presentation (guide slides)
 Internet browser running Google Docs, Padlet
and Mentimeter
 Cameras/ smartphones (for live streaming)
 (for offline mode) Handouts
Participants
 Internet connection/ mobile data
 PC/laptop/smartphone
 Webcam, microphone, earphones/speakers
 (for offline mode) paper and other writing
materials
As December 16 is a regular school/ work day, the
organizers can decide whether to celebrate the
NYD2020 right after the Mass, or separate from it.
In this module, we detail mainly a whole program
that begins with the 1st Misa de Gallo and continues
with the Event Program. Throughout, we also offer
proposals to the organizers if they will have the Event
Program separately.
"Young man, I say to you, arise!"
15 minutes Assembly and Preparation for the
Mass
The facilitator/s shall start admitting participants into
the Zoom waiting room.
A countdown timer may be displayed. As gathering
songs, lively Misa de Gallo songs (if the event is
before the Mass) or NYD theme songs from 2019
going back (if Event Program comes first) may be
played.
Before the Mass begins, the emcee informs the
participants that the Event Program will start right
after the Mass; they are therefore requested to stay at
the end of the Mass.
Eucharistic Celebration
The following lists suggested additions and proposed
texts for the liturgy.
Introduction
Below is an addition to any prepared introductory
text that may be available:
Today is the 16th day of December. We begin the
preparations for the birth of our Lord Jesus. Moreover, we
are also celebrating today the National Youth Day. In the
Philippines, we celebrate this yearly day of the youth as a
way to celebrate the youths as gifts to the Church. The
Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP), in
1986, concretized its preferential love for the youth by
approving the annual celebration of the NYD every
Page 32
December 16, the first day of the Simbang Gabi.
Announce also that the Mass collections for this day
is allotted for youth ministry, and encourage everyone
to support this ministry through their material help.
The homily guide sets the mood for the youth that
the event does not end with the Mass, but instead
there will be a “harvesting” from the triduum, and
that the Mass adds to their reflection on the entire
theme of the NYD2020.

Prayers of the Faithful

INTRODUCTORY RITES
Brothers and sisters, let us pray to the Father for the grace
Penitential Act of renewed life and faith in and through His Son, Jesus,
Whose coming we await with hopeful anticipation.
The text may be prepared to be aligned with the
theme, in close coordination with the competent Lord, hear our prayer.
authority.
For the Pope: that all people may experience in his
The Collect leadership and pastoral care the gentle fatherhood and
charity of God. We pray to the Lord.

THE LITURGY OF THE WORD For parents: that they may realize their responsibility to be
an example of faith to their children. We pray to the Lord.
First Reading
For our parish communities: that they may nurture the
Is 45:6-8, 18, 21-25 youth through their lives of prayer and service, giving
witness to God's love. We pray to the Lord.
Responsorial Psalm
For government leaders: that they may boldly attest to
Ps 85:9-10, 11-12, 13-14 honest service, courageously denounce the ills of corruption
and other sins, and be true inspiration to the youth. We
The psalm may be sung pre-recorded or live. pray to the Lord.

Gospel Acclamation For the youth: that their hearts may be touched by the
gentleness of Christ’s love, thus enabling them to arise with
The priest/ deacon will enthrone the Bible. Him and become His life-giving presence to the world. We
pray to the Lord.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Raise your voice and tell the Good News: That our daily living may transform our suffering world into
Behold, the Lord God comes with power. a place of love, justice and peace. We pray to the Lord.
[Is 40:9-10]
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
LITURGY OF THE EUCHARIST
Gospel

Lk 7:18-23 THE COMMUNION RITES

Homily
THE CONCLUDING RITES
The homilist may use the homily guide prepared by
the CBCP-ECY. Commitment Rite

Page 33 National Youth Day 2020 - Formation Program

Note: If the event proper comes first, a Commitment
Rite will take place within the Holy Mass.
Presider:
Dear young people, today you have heard Christ’s call,
telling you to arise in Him and for Him!
This is a call, a challenge to each one of you to continue the
mission, serving as His life-giving presence in this world
surrounded by death in various forms.
As you offer your commitments to Him, pray for the grace of
courage and perseverance to fulfill the mission you vowed to
offer to the Lord.
The Commentator/ Facilitator instructs the
participants to hold their personal commitments.
Then, at his/her signal, they will proclaim their
commitments:
Having been raised to life by Christ, I commit
myself to raise my community from death by…
After they have proclaimed together their
commitments, they receive the final blessing.
Solemn Blessing
NYD2020
Event Program
05 minutes Opening Prayer
*Should the Event Program not be held before or
after the December 16 Simbang Gabi, the organizers
may still opt to open the NYD with the Celebration
of the Eucharist (following the liturgy included in this
program) or with a short Opening Prayer, as follows.
The Diocesan Youth Director (or his equivalent in
another setting) leads the sign of the cross.
A lyric video showing the chorus of the song “Tayo'y
kay Kristo” is played.
Tayo'y kay Kristo, mabuhay man o mamatay
"Young man, I say to you, arise!"
'Pagkat niyakap Niya ang sangkatauhan
Kamataya'y nagiging buhay
kung sa Kanya tayo nakasalalay
Christi sumus: tayo'y kay Kristo
As the chorus ends, the volume of the song decreases
and the voice of a person (possibly a youth leader)
reading the Bible verses Luke 7:11-15 comes in. This
may be done live or prerecorded.
A short pause follows, after which, a spontaneous
prayer is led by the Diocesan Youth Director.
10 minutes Welcome
The host starts livestreaming the Zoom meeting
through FB Live to begin the program.
The emcee/s starts the program in a lively manner by
welcoming everyone to the National Youth Day 2020
celebration.
He/She encourages everyone watching following via
FB to share the link of the livestream to their fellow
youths and to type where they are watching from in
the comments section. Aside from these, other ways
to interact can be fostered, e.g. typing their parish/
vicariate, sharing stories about today’s experiences
using the official NYD2020 hashtags
#NYD2020
#NYD2020Arise
#FilipinoYouthArise
#CBCPECY
Following the welcome spiels, the emcee
acknowledges all the “risen ones”—the participants
present in the Zoom meeting and FB comments
through a roll call of attendees.
The emcee then gives the participants basic
instructions and etiquette reminders for the online
gathering.
Then, (at least) 3 messages from leaders or members
of other sectors of the diocese showing their support
for the youths’ celebration of the National Youth Day
2020 are given (either live, or as pre-recorded video),
e.g. a 20-second greeting from the head catechist of
the diocese; another message from the Parish Pastoral
Page 34
Council President; etc. The host introduces each one
before the video message is played.
Guidelines for the message (whether on video, or
live):
 A message should be kept brief (e.g. 30 seconds),
and delivered in a vibrant way, in keeping with
the theme
 Speaker/ Greeter is asked to focus his/her
message on the solidarity of the sector he/she
represents with the youth, reminding them that
they are loved, that his/her sector stands for a
Church committed to youth
 All video messages must be collated at least 1
week before the event.
After all these messages, the Youth Director (or
equivalent welcomes the participants to the National
Youth Day 2020 either through a pre-recorded video
or live speech.
10 minutes Looking Back
The emcee thanks the Youth Director and everyone
else who conveyed messages.
The emcee then joyfully looks back at everything that
transpired in the Triduum. Whether accompanied
by a video or powerpoint presentation of social media
posts, outputs, and screencaps of the previous days or
not, the emcee recaps the journey in the Triduum
within the context of Pope Francis’ WYD2020
message to the youth.
The past 3 days have been introspective and reflective,
testifying to God present in our midst despite different
situations of death and our overall experience of the
COVID19 pandemic.
Today, we shall be gathering our experiences from the past 3
days, and reap the realization that, as Christ told the dead
young man, “Arise!”, we, too, are called by Christ and arise
to new life in Him.
Like the young man who was raised, and who immediately
began to speak, we, too are now empowered to proclaim
Christ our Life in order to restore our “dead” neighbors and
surroundings to life!
Page 35
The facilitator recaps the Triduum through the
following points:
Day 1: Led by our speaker, we looked at the different
situations of death around us, even those that we
experience.
Day 2: After seeing these deaths, we dug deeper and
expressed our empathy and compassion for people suffering
these deaths by praying for them together with our Blessed
Mother.
Day 3: Despite these deaths, our fellow youths proved to us
that there is resurrection in and through Jesus Christ; and
thus, we too, can become witnesses of new life in Him.
NYD2020 (today!): Having been raised by Christ, we are
now called to speak of Him and share our renewed lives
with others.
20 minutes Small Group Sharing
The emcee introduces this part.
Risen ones, Pope Francis challenges us, young people, that
despite our generation being glued to our screens, we rise
above digital narcissism and instead use it as a tool to draw
closer to one another. In the past months, COVID19 has
forced us to embrace the virtual world, and young people are
fully immersed in it. Today, we use these technologies on
our fingertips “to speak”, “to touch” and to echo Christ’s
call: “Young man, arise!”
The facilitator then orients the participants for the
Small Group Sharing:
 Participants will be moved to their assigned
breakout groups/rooms (10 members in a group);
these groupings are already identified prior to the
event.
 There will be a Small Group Facilitator (assigned
prior to the program) who will join the
participants in each breakout room.
 Should there be anyone who will be ‘lost’ or be
dropped from the breakout rooms, the facilitators
in the main meeting room will assist them.
After the orientation, the facilitator gives the signal
that the participants will now be redirected to their
breakout rooms.
National Youth Day 2020 - Formation Program

In the small groups, the Small Group Facilitator
(SGF) allots 30-60 seconds for the participants to
arrive. Sharing will begin after this waiting time.
The SGF begins with a getting-to-know-you activity
for the participants by showing them social media
app icons. Each participant will choose one app, to
which a question is attached; he/she then answers
this question (the question may be translated into the
local language). This round will go until everyone has
answered a question.
Suggested questions are as follows:
Facebook: Where do you want to go first once the
COVID19 lockdown is lifted?
Twitter: What is your most important learning so far
during this lockdown?
Instagram: What is the activity you are busiest with during
this lockdown?
Tiktok: Did you learn a new skill during this pandemic?
After the participants get acquainted with each other,
the SGF assigns someone in the group to act as
secretary, who will write the responses from the group
sharing. Then, he/she guides the participants in the
group discussion using the following guide questions.
These questions are about different situations of
death in their community which affect young people:
 What situations of death are present in your
community/diocese? (possible answers could be
being affected by COVID-19, job loss in the
family, inability to enroll in online classes/
blended learning, financial struggles, etc.)
 How has it affected you, your family and/or your
community?
 How has Christ empowered you to approach these
situations of death? What have you done, or what are
you planning to do?
After the allotted time, everyone from the small
groups will be brought back to the main room. The
main facilitator then calls on three participants (who
may already be assigned prior to the program) who
will share highlights of their discussions from their
respective small groups. Meanwhile, the secretaries of
all the groups type the summaries of their discussions
"Young man, I say to you, arise!"
in the Zoom chat box or comments section of FB.
After the sharing in the big group, the facilitator
thanks everyone for their active participation, and
then provides a synthesis of the salient points that
surfaced from the sharing.
20 minutes Commitment Making
Following the synthesis, everyone is led to the next
part: the making of commitments.
Risen ones, do you recall that, in his WYD2020 message,
Pope Francis, by echoing Jesus’ call to “arise!”, he also
invites us to “dream”, to “take a risk”, and to be
“committed to changing the world”. Indeed, having been
raised by our Lord, this life-changing experience should not
be kept to ourselves. This has to be proclaimed, not only
with words, but also with our actions; our choices must
manifest the desire to bring forth new life in this troubled
and dying world. If we truly claim that we have been raised
because of Christ, what are we willing to give to become His
channels of life to others, to our community, to our Church?
The facilitator then gives the participants the guide
phrase for them to formulate their commitment:
Having been raised to life by Christ, I commit
myself to raise my community from death by…
Some examples of commitment statements are as
follows:
… registering to vote.
… planting a tree and caring for it until it bears fruit.
… promoting wise voting.
... donating an old gadget to a student in need.
… using apps to minimize my carbon footprint.
The facilitator asks the participants to type in their
commitment statements to Mentimeter, Padlet, or
Google Sheet. He/She also instructs them to save a
copy of their personal commitments on their own
gadgets, or better yet, to write their commitment on
their personal journal, or on a piece of paper which
they can place in their Bible or on their altar at home.
During the commitment-making, the facilitator plays
“Make a Stand” (or another appropriate song). He/
She will then read, in real-time, some entries of the
Page 36
participants as they appear on the site, which is then
also flashed on the screens of the participants.
05 minutes Synthesis
The facilitator affirms the commitments made by the
participants, and leaves inspiring words to motivate
them to actualize their commitments.
Risen ones, let us be reminded that, as Jesus restores us to
life, he gives us to others. Walang sinuman ang nabubuhay
para sa sarili lamang.
Our celebration of the NYD2020 is another life-giving and
fruitful experience for all of us. Inspired by the message of
our dear Pope Francis, we arise from our own experiences of
worries, anxieties and despair, to new life in Christ!
Let us encourage and support one another to let our
passions and dreams for a better future drive us to take
action. Our commitments, no matter how little or simple it
may be, when done faithfully, can impact our community,
the society at large, and the Church. Many people around
us feel that we are living in dark times, which we have seen
in our reflections on various forms of death, but we let not
our fears and uncertainties get the better of us; instead, we
hold on to Christ, Who is the center of our faith.
As we are about to welcome the year 2021, the great
celebration of 500 years of the Christian faith in our
country, let us offer our commitments as our meaningful
gifts to our Church, our Mother in the faith. The theme of
this big historical event for our Church affirms and
challenges us: “Gifted to Give”. We affirm and rejoice that
we are gifted, and we are called and sent forth to give
ourselves as gifts to others. And as our Holy Father
summons us: “Hagan lío! Make your voices heard!”
Ibinangon na tayo ni Kristo mula sa ating sariling
kamatayan. Tayo nang kumilos para sa lipunan at sa
Kanyang Simbahan.
The facilitator can encourage the participants to take
a screenshot of their commitments and post them on
their social media account/s (e.g. Facebook, Twitter,
Instagram, Tiktok, stories, etc.) within the day of the
NYD2020.
45 minutes Mini Concert
Page 37
The NYD2020 celebration meaningfully culminates
with a mini concert (which can be done either online
or offline), that captures the learnings, realizations
and challenges posed by the theme of the event.
Since this comes at the end of the program, this
concert should be planned, prepared and
implemented in a conscious and intentional way that
the NYD2020 theme is “written all over it”, i.e. the
whole concert (emcee spiels, songs, dances, messages,
choice of performers and performances, etc.), alive
with the joy of the Gospel, has thematic and
formative value.
In line with this, care must be taken to ensure that
performances develop/ emphasize the NYD2020
theme.
As part of preparing for the concert, the organizers
can assign performances to individuals and groups.
For an online concert, it is best that performances are
pre-recorded, for easier management of the show. In
between performances, a reflection-sharing or
”kwentuhan” ensues, hopefully relating the dialogue
exchanges to the performance or the theme. Since the
whole event is suggested to be simultaneously live
streamed on the FB pages of their organization/
diocese, comments from viewers (“nakarelate ako kay
kuya/ate” or own stories) can be read after each
“reflection-sharing/kwentuhan” as part of the
transition to the next performance video.
The general feel of the concert should be festive, and
directed to the youth.
A proposed flow for this concert is available in the
appendix.
15 minutes Closing and Blessing
The Youth Director thanks the participants and the
facilitator/s for joining in/organizing the whole NYD
event. If he is a clergyman, he can give the final
blessing to the participants, and then invites them to
be attentive to the final instructions and to remain
until the community song.
After the final blessing, the emcee thanks everyone
National Youth Day 2020 - Formation Program
who participated in this NYD2020 celebration.
Then, he/she gives the remaining instructions that
participating young people are invited to do.

1. Challenges Post-NYD2020:
Commitment Outputs
The facilitator encourages the participants to make a
creative output involving or representing their
The organizers, particularly at the diocesan level (or
commitment (through calligraphy, a video, a simple
at the national level in the case of an FNYO
written post with or without inserted picture, etc.)
member organization) are to collate the outputs
and post them on social media (e.g. Facebook,
from the young people in the commitment-making
Twitter, Instagram, Tiktok, stories, etc.) using the
session.
hashtags
#NYD2020
Once collated, the Diocesan Youth Council/
#FilipinoYouthArise
National Council of the organization should
#NYD2020Arise
discuss and synthesize them in order to produce the
#CBCPECY
two (2) most common commitments within the
diocese/ national organization. These top 2
Moreover, the youths are very much encouraged to
commitments will also be taken as a way of the
follow-through with their commitments and share
diocesan youth ministry/ national youth
these with one’s diocese even after the event by
organization in participating in the 500th Year of
posting pictures or videos of their good acts and using
Christianity: #500YOC.
the NYD hashtags above to be seen by the organizers
and by the CBCP-ECY.
Here are some sample answers:
2. Participants’ Questionnaire
The youth of Military Ordinariate commits to raise the
morale of Catholic women and men in uniform by
The facilitator reminds the participants on FB to take
praying for them and by inviting them to participate in
part in answering the NYD2020 Participants’
the life of the Church (Sacraments, online catechetical
Questionnaire; the link will be posted in the
lessons, etc.).
comments section.
Catholic youth of Digos Diocese commit to intensify our
Meanwhile, he/she also reminds participants on
Laudato Si efforts by involving other members of the
Zoom to stay in the meeting room, where later they
community, e.g. lay adults, priests, etc.
will answer the questionnaire and will do a photo op.
Responding to the questionnaire can be made a
MFC-Youth will reach out to young people who are
requirement by the organizers for a participant to
confused by the worldly gender ideology, and share
receive a certificate of participation, if this should be
lovingly yet truthfully Christ's Good News to them using
mandated.
our Facebook Pages.

These top 2 commitments should be submitted to

the CBCP-ECY, along with other outputs from the
other sessions, via the NYD2020 Report Form,
which should be accomplished and emailed to the
CBCP-ECY not later than 2021 January 20.

"Young man, I say to you, arise!" Page 38

Appendix 1 What is the National Youth Day?
What is the National Youth Day
The National Youth Day (NYD) is an event where the Philippine Church expresses, in very
concrete ways, her great love for the young. This love resounds in other Youth Days (such as
Diocesan Youth Days, Parish Youth Days, and the like). It is an occasion offered for young
people to celebrate and deepen their faith, and a special moment of coming together as one
body, united in a journey towards intimacy with Christ.

In 1986, the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP), as a way of concretizing
its preferential apostolate for the youth, approved the annual celebration of the NYD every
December 16, the first day of the Misa de Gallo or Simbang Gabi.

The NYD is celebrated annually in the dioceses and organizations on the 16th of December (or
on any day near it). The Episcopal Commission on Youth (ECY) prepares the NYD formation
program and proposes activities for its celebration. Adaptation of the formation program to suit
the local context depends largely on the creativity and possibilities of each diocese or
organization. The NYD is also celebrated through a national gathering. It is usually on a date
near December 16, and lasts for around three days. When celebrated this way, the local host of
the celebration collaborates with the ECY in the planning and execution of the NYD events.
The NYD activities are centered on the theme offered by the Holy Father for the yearly
celebration of the World Youth Day (WYD).

National Youth Day 2020

Last year, which is our 2019 Year of the Youth, the NYD was observed both through a national
and local celebration: the former, on April 23-28, in the Archdiocese of Cebu, while the latter,
on December 16.

The NYD2020 will be celebrated through a local celebration on December 16 (or on any date
near it).

This year’s local celebration will be on the theme “Young man, I say to you, arise!” [Lk 7:14], the
theme also of the WYD2020. The NYD2020 will take place as the Philippine Catholic Church
welcomes the new liturgical year 2021 which also marks the 500th Year of Christianity in the
Philippines.

The NYD2020 hopes to be part of the shared journey of the youth and the Church. Gifted to
give: gifted with the Christian faith, we move together as the Body of Christ to give the new life
Christ offers to a world that is undergoing various forms of death.
Page 39 National Youth Day 2020 - Formation Program
Appendix 2 The Journey of the NYD

The Journey of the National Youth Day

The first NYD celebration was in 1986, on the first day of the Simbang Gabi, which is December 16.
From 1987 to 1990, NYD celebrations at the national level were held in Manila. From 1991 to 1997, the NYD was
celebrated locally in the different parishes and dioceses.
For the period 1997 to 1999, themes were centered on the annual preparatory celebrations for the Great Jubilee
Year 2000. In 1999, the ECY Chairman, Most Rev. Rolando J. Tria-Tirona, OCD, DD, then Bishop of Malolos,
revived the celebration of the NYD at the national level by hosting the NYD that year in his own diocese.
Below are the hosts and themes of past national celebrations of the NYD (beginning in the Year 2000, the NYD
started to take as its theme the WYD theme of that year):

1998 December 13-15, Diocese of Malolos

The Youth, Sharing the Father’s Love with His Lowly People
1999 December 10-12, Archdiocese of Manila
Rejoice, the Lord is with you! [cf. Lk 1:28]
2000 December 01-03, Diocese of Balanga
The Word became a human being, and, full of grace and truth, lived among us. [Jn 1:14]
2001 November 30-December 02, Archdiocese of Lipa
If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, take up his cross daily, and follow Me.
[Lk 9:23]
2002 November 28-December 01, Archdiocese of Palo
You are the salt of the earth… You are the light of world. [Mt 5:13-14]
2004 November 25-28, Diocese of Bacolod
We wish to see Jesus! [Jn 12:21]
2006 November 08-12, Archdiocese of Davao
Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path. [Ps 119:105]
2011 November 14-19, Federation of National Youth Organizations
Planted and built up in Jesus Christ, firm in the faith. [cf. Col 2:7]
2015 November 11-15, Archdiocese of Tuguegarao
Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. [Mt 5:8]
2017 November 10-14, Archdiocese of Zamboanga
The Mighty One has done great things for me, and holy is His Name. [Lk 1:49]
2019 April 23-28, Archdiocese of Cebu
I am the servant of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word. [Lk 1:38]

The next national celebration, originally slated for 2021 as part of the celebration of the 500th Year of
Christianity in the country, will be hosted by the Archdiocese of Caceres on a new schedule that is yet to
be determined.

"Young man, I say to you, arise!" Page 40

Appendix 3 Chants from Taizé (used in this program)

Page 41 National Youth Day 2020 - Formation Program

Appendix 4 Mini Concert
Below is a proposed program for this concert on the
date of the NYD2020 itself, i.e. December 16.
1st Song (opening)
Bawat Daan (by Ebe Dancel)
(appropriate instrumental music, then voice over
with background instrumental music)
Sa dami nang nangyayari sa ating mundo ngayon,
ang Diyos nawa ang maging nag-iisang tiyak natin
sa gitna ng mga duda, ng walang kasiguraduhan,
ng kawalan ng katiyakan.
Siya ay naroon sa simula, nasa gitna,
at hanggang sa dulo ng ating buhay.
Maligaw man tayo o mawala,
magpaikot-ikot man tayo sa kawalan,
sa bawat tanong kung kailan, sino at saan,
Siya lamang ang tanging kasagutan.
Ngunit sa ating mga nararanasan ngayon,
patuloy pa rin ba tayong bihag ng pagtataka,
o ipinapanalangin nating haplusin tayo
ng pagmamahal ng Ama?
Sa kasalukuyang pandemya,
nahahanap pa ba natin Siya?
1st Reflection
Jesus' Touch: Ang Haplos ng Ama
From the Message of Pope Francis to us, the youth of
the world—
“Jesus stops the funeral procession. He draws near, he
demonstrates his closeness. Closeness thus turns into a
courageous act of restoring life to another. A prophetic
gesture. The touch of Jesus, the living One,
communicates life. It is a touch that pours the Holy
Spirit into the dead body of that young man and brings
him back to life.” (WYD2020 Message)
Question for Reflection
What are your experiences of being touched by Jesus,
especially during this pandemic?
Challenge
Allow Jesus to touch you by His love so that you too, can
touch and draw other people who lost their hopes and
faith, who experience inner sufferings and death, back
to Jesus.
"Young man, I say to you, arise!"
2nd Song
Sandalan (by 6cyclemind)
(appropriate instrumental music, then voice over
with background instrumental music)
Pinapaalalahanan tayo ng Diyos na pwedeng-pwede
natin Siyang iyakan. Malungkot man tayo sa
kasalukuyang nangyayari sa mundo, pero ipinapaalala
Niya sa atin na hindi tayo nag-iisa.
Nandito Siya bilang ating sandalan. Sa paanyayang ito
ng Ama, paano natin mailalarawan ang ating
paglalakbay nang may pananampalataya sa gitna ng
pandemya?
2nd Reflection
Young one, arise! Kabataan, bumangon ka!
Pope Francis tells us, young people of the world—
“To you, to me, to each one of us, Jesus says: “Arise”.
We are very aware that, as Christians, we constantly fall
and have to get up again. People who are not on a
journey never fall; then again, neither do they move
forward. That is why we need to accept the help that
Jesus gives us and put our faith in God. The first step is
to let ourselves get up and to realize that the new life
Jesus offers us is good and worth living. It is sustained by
one who is ever at our side along our journey to the
future. Jesus helps us to live this life in a dignified and
meaningful way.” (WYD2020 Message)
Question for Reflection
How will you describe your faith journey during this
pandemic?
Challenge
Jesus encourages us to arise from every situation we are
in. Let us be rooted in His words and seek His help to
be able to rise from our fall, and to extend our hands to
other people and raise them up as well.
3rd Song
When I Look at You (by Miley Cyrus)
(appropriate instrumental music, then voice over
with background instrumental music)
Page 42
Sa mga panahong ramdam natin na gumuguho ang
ating mundo, na walang liwanag at balot tayo ng dilim,
may paalala sa atin ang Ama: tignan natin Siya.
Sa mga panahong tayo ay naliligaw, na di na natin alam
ang tinatahak na daan, tumingin tayo sa Kanya.
Hindi tayo nag-iisa sapagkat nariyan Siya.
At dahil sa pagtaas at pag-abante ng teknolohiya,
tayo ay nagsimulang magkaroon ng kani-kanyang
"virtual realities",
lalo na ngayong nasa kalagitnaan tayo ng pandemya
kung saan ang pag-aaral at pagtatrabaho ng ilan
ay nasa kani-kanilang mga tahanan.
Sa harap ng kanilang mga kompyuter.
Hawak ang mga gadgets at smartphones.
Madaling malunod at malula sa mundong ito.
Paano natin tutugunan ang hamon ng Ama na
bumangon at harapin ang realidad na hindi lamang
"virtual"?
Paano natin tutugunan ang paanyaya ng Ama na
mamuhay sa totoo, bagamat ito’y may kasamang mga
pait at sakit, na mangahas magmahal, magmalasakit, at
mangarap muli?
Kakayanin ba nating pagtuunan ng pansin ang
pagbabago ng nakalakhang mundo at maging kung sino
ang totoong tayo?
3rd Reflection
Risen Ones: Ang Pagbangon
Pope Francis writes to us—“In a culture that makes
young people isolated and withdrawn into virtual worlds,
let us spread Jesus’ invitation: “Arise!” He calls us to
embrace a reality that is so much more than virtual.
This does not involve rejecting technology, but rather
using it as a means and not as an end. “Arise!” is also
an invitation to “dream”, to “take a risk”, to be
“committed to changing the world”, to rekindle your
hopes and aspirations, and to contemplate the heavens,
the stars and the world around you. “Arise and become
what you are!” If this is our message, many young
people will stop looking bored and weary, and let their
faces come alive and be more beautiful than any virtual
reality.” (WYD2020 Message)
Question for Reflection or Sharing
How are we willing to take the risk and arise from our
virtual realities?
Challenge
Page 43
Being touched by the love of Jesus, we are encouraged
to express how it affected us from deep within. Let not
the virtual realities conceal who God made us to be. Let
us be dreamers and risk takers. Let us continue to be
hopeful and passionate. Let us say yes to Jesus’
invitation to arise.
3rd Song
Dare You to Move (by Switchfoot)
(appropriate instrumental music, then voice over
with background instrumental music)
Ama, tulungan mo po kaming bumangon
mula sa aming madilim at magulong sitwasyon.
Marami sa amin ang nababalot sa kadiliman.
Marami sa amin ang may mga laban na sila lang ang
nakakaalam. Patuloy po Ninyo kaming yakapin ng
inyong pagmamahal
at paalalahanang hindi kami nag-iisa sa aming
paglalakbay.
Panginoon, sa Inyong tulong, gabay at inspirasyon,
kaming mga kabataan Mo ay babangon
Kami ay patuloy na mangangahas at mangangarap.
Kami ang magiging pagbabago at pagpapanibago
dito sa mundong pinangarap Mo para sa amin.
Patuloy kaming magiging totoo sa aming mga sarili
at sa aming kapwa alinsunod sa Iyong kagustuhan.
Panginoon,
patuloy kaming babangon sa aming bawat pagkadapa,
sapagkat alam naming nariyan Ka.
Prayer
The youths may also be asked to bring a picture of
their ministries, and at an appropriate part of the
program, the youths may be asked to pray for their
youth ministries and communities while reflecting,
then raising the pictures they brought up to their
web cameras.
National Youth Day 2020 - Formation Program
 Acknowledgments
The CBCP-Episcopal Commission on Youth acknowledges
the invaluable collaboration and contribution

of the Regional Youth Coordinating Council of the Military Ordinariate,

led by its Youth Council

Rev. Fr. Paul De Guzman, Youth Director
Mr. James Bryan Garcia, Youth Coordinator
Ms. Anabelle Acidera, Youth Leader

and of its ECY Secretariat

for this NYD2020 Formation Program.

For inquiries concerning this program, please contact the ECY Secretariat:

Email secretariat@cbcp-ecy.ph
nyd@cbcp-ecy.ph
Website www.cbcp-ecy.ph
Facebook www.facebook.com/CBCPECY

"Young man, I say to you, arise!" Page 44

CATHOLIC BISHOPS’ CONFERENCE OF THE PHILIPPINES
EPISCOPAL COMMISSION ON YOUTH
CBCP Building, 470 General Luna Street, Intramuros, Manila

Tel. (02) 85279567 | Telefax (02) 85279566 | Mobile (0917) 8536792

Email secretariat@cbcp-ecy.ph, nyd@cbcp-ecy.ph
Website www.cbcp-ecy.ph
Facebook CBCP-Episcopal Commission on Youth