In my experiences with the young people of the Bahay Pag-asa Youth Centers, I have come to realize that there is no part of the problem of juvenile crime in the Philippines that is not linked to the larger problem of poverty. To visit the home of one of the "boys of Pag-asa" renders one forever uncomfortable with the material overindulgence that has become the measure of success here in the US. I am grateful that Pope Francis is able to express the problem better than I.
"The great danger in today’s world, pervaded
as it is by consumerism, is the desolation and anguish born of a complacent yet covetous heart,
the feverish pursuit of frivolous pleasures, and
a blunted conscience. Whenever our interior
life becomes caught up in its own interests and
concerns, there is no longer room for others,
no place for the poor. God’s voice is no longer
heard, the quiet joy of his love is no longer felt,
and the desire to do good fades. This is a very
real danger for believers too. Many fall prey to
it, and end up resentful, angry and listless. That
is no way to live a dignified and fulfilled life; it is
not God’s will for us, nor is it the life in the Spirit which has its source in the heart of the risen
Christ."
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