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Mgr. Louis de Ségur: Short Answers to Common Objections Against Religion - 1908
FIFTY-FIFTH OBJECTION. YOUTH MUST PASS.*
Answer. Must pass in what? In follies? in sins? in losing one's soul, one's honor, one's health, one's money, with rakes? in doing what God forbids to do? A strange morality, certes! and I know not what passage in the Gospel it is taken from!
Yes, youth must pass, but it must pass, like the whole life, in the practice of virtue, the shunning of evil, and the performance of duty.
The only difference between youth and age is, that youth has more energy and strength, and can thus do good with more zeal, more ardor, and more devotion.
This is how youth should be spent, so as to be pleasing in the sight of God, and of man also; so as to be the preparation for a venerable old age, blessed of God; and to sow that harvest which the soul is to reap on the threshold of eternity, when its journey is at an end.
There is no more captivating sight in the world than a holy and spotless youth. Nothing can be more beautiful, or more touching, or more amiable, than a young man who is pure, modest, industrious, and faithful to all his duties.
Oh! if young Christians did but know what they are! for no earthly consideration would they forego their glory!
Once lost, it can never return. Repentance is beautiful, but it is not innocence.
If youth but knew! if age only could!
FIFTY-FIFTH OBJECTION. YOUTH MUST PASS.*
Answer. Must pass in what? In follies? in sins? in losing one's soul, one's honor, one's health, one's money, with rakes? in doing what God forbids to do? A strange morality, certes! and I know not what passage in the Gospel it is taken from!
Yes, youth must pass, but it must pass, like the whole life, in the practice of virtue, the shunning of evil, and the performance of duty.
The only difference between youth and age is, that youth has more energy and strength, and can thus do good with more zeal, more ardor, and more devotion.
This is how youth should be spent, so as to be pleasing in the sight of God, and of man also; so as to be the preparation for a venerable old age, blessed of God; and to sow that harvest which the soul is to reap on the threshold of eternity, when its journey is at an end.
There is no more captivating sight in the world than a holy and spotless youth. Nothing can be more beautiful, or more touching, or more amiable, than a young man who is pure, modest, industrious, and faithful to all his duties.
Oh! if young Christians did but know what they are! for no earthly consideration would they forego their glory!
Once lost, it can never return. Repentance is beautiful, but it is not innocence.
If youth but knew! if age only could!
"So let us be confident, let us not be unprepared, let us not be outflanked, let us be wise, vigilant, fighting against those who are trying to tear the faith out of our souls and morality out of our hearts, so that we may remain Catholics, remain united to the Blessed Virgin Mary, remain united to the Roman Catholic Church, remain faithful children of the Church."- Abp. Lefebvre