In presiding over the monthly Young Adult Mass at St. Patrick’s Cathedral, Archdiocese of New York Auxiliary Bishop Joseph A. Espaillat told the young faithful that he’s been praying a lot “on how we can make this world a better place – on how we’re really going to achieve peace.”
More than 150 people attended the Wednesday evening, February 11, Mass, which was organized by the New York archdiocesan Office of Youth Ministry, Young Adult Ministry, and University Apostolate.
In his homily, the bishop said he was praying, “On how we’re going to stop the hatred, and the violence, and the bickering, and the going back and forth.”
However, turning to the significance of maintaining hope, the bishop then cited words of Pope Leo XIV from earlier that day, for the World Day of the Sick: “The true remedy for humanity’s wounds is a style of life based on fraternal love which has its roots in love of God.”
Bishop Espaillat added, “My sisters, my brothers, when are we going to realize that without God we will not have love? For God is love. And without God, we cannot have peace. Jesus is the Prince of Peace…This past Sunday, we heard it quite clearly, Jesus said: you have to be the salt of the earth and the light of the world.”
Encounter with Christ
He asserted, “We want justice? It will not happen without God…And we know how crazy things are right now in our world and in our nation. But if we cannot agree upon God being the most important one in our lives, then we have a problem…And this is what Pope Leo urges us – he says: we need to encounter Christ, and we need to encounter others as a gift.”
The bishop spoke of the importance of the Bible stories of the Good Samaritan and the wedding at Cana. And he noted the significance of “being in communion with others,” and preparing for the holy season of Lent. “We need each other – we need to care for each other,” he said. “We need community. We cannot do it alone…Jesus left us a roadmap. And that roadmap is the Church. My sisters, my brothers in Christ, we need to be driven by love for God. And we are called to encounter ourselves and our neighbor.”
Pjetër Nilaj, director of the archdiocesan Youth Ministry, Young Adult Ministry, and University Apostolate, led the customary Holy Hour that precedes the monthly Mass. The Holy Hour included a rosary prayer for which the intention was for newly appointed Archbishop Ronald A. Hicks and the works he envisions for the archdiocese.
A grateful musician
Music for the liturgical gathering was provided by The Encounter NYC Worship. Jesus Vargas, 32, a guitarist with the music group, later told The Good Newsroom, “These Young Adult Masses offer such a vital space to recenter ourselves in the foundational intimacy with the Lord…For me, music is one of the deepest ways I connect with the Lord. It’s truly an honor to be able to share my talents with this ministry.”
Organizers say the Office of Youth Ministry, Young Adult Ministry, and University Apostolate collaborates with and supports three unique ministries within the Archdiocese of New York, providing a hub where programs, resources, and individuals can interact and network as leaders in service to parish, deanery, college, or university communities. For more information, visit the apostolate’s website.