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Check out my latest article on Aleteia:
There is a common fallacy that says you must “live a little” while you are young. The implication is that young people should do something fun with their lives, see the world, experience life and disregard any “rules” that might weigh them down. Religion is often seen as a barrier to fun and something reserved for “old people.”
It should come as no surprise that a recent survey found “[m]ore than one-third of millennials now say they are unaffiliated with any faith.”
But don’t tell that to Saint Aloysius Gonzaga and ten saints who died in their 20s. Instead of living “a little,” and going “all out,” they went “all in” on Christ and embraced Catholicism with every fiber of their being. They didn’t see rules as a hindrance, but found the Church’s laws gave them true freedom.
They remind us that our life on earth is short and we know neither the day nor the hour when God will call us home. We must prepared and not procrastinate in the practicing of our faith. We can’t treat eternal life like an important exam in college for which we will study tomorrow or pull an “all-nighter.” These saints remind us that today could be our last day and eternity is a very long time indeed.
So let us look to these heroic young saints for inspiration, who didn’t think religion was reserved for the white-haired ladies in the back of church.