How can a young man living in Italy during the Renaissance, becoming a page in the court of Philip II of Spain be the patron saint of youth? St. Aloysius Gonzaga is the patron saint of youth because he lived a holy life in the face of great temptations. His father, a noble, wanted him to become a military hero, but at a young age he became attracted to a spiritual life. He eventually decided to join the Jesuits, even though many tried to persuade him to continue with a "normal" life as a nobleman. He died at the age of 23 when he contracted the plague helping others.
Our "normal" lives today are not of nobility, but we do have lives of relative ease compared to the rest of the world and also history. We have plenty of food, a car or two, cell phones, computers, multiple TVs, education, a house, and more. We have a lot more! How do we resist the temptations of our age? Those temptations are about ignoring those who we would rather not see, resisting service to others, complacency regarding important issues of our times, and more.
Youth tend to see hypocrisy in those who would give in to those temptations. Youth tend to be idealistic and desire to find a better way of life for everyone. How can we foster their idealism and help them to bring about the kingdom of God on earth? We can follow the example of the Jesuits, who teach about cura personalis, or care for the entire person. We can also follow St. Aloysius Gonzaga, a youth who lived and died in service to others.
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