By Fr. Martin Yip, SDB

Hong Kong, 27 February 2016 - Salesian Youth Day (SYD) is an annual celebration for the youth who follow Don Bosco. This year, the idea of SYD is to promote the pastoral theme of China Province, entitled as “Chastity, the most beautiful virtue”.

On 27 February 2016, almost 200 young people gathered in Tang King Po School from 1p.m. to 7 p.m., accompanied by Salesian Family members including Salesian priests and sisters. The activities were divided into three main parts: microblog film, booth games and confession in front of the Holy Sacrament.

The film was about a young people who was very naughty, always bullied his classmates and even spread pornographic messages and photos with his friends. However, over time, there was an inner voice in his conscience, telling him that it would hurt others when he didn’t respect others while exchanging pornographic information. When he was struggling, he heard a priest who shared that chastity is very important. So, he decided to repent, and started to respect other in daily interaction with friends, avoiding all the pornographic information and started his new life with chastity.

Booth game missions were designed by purpose. Although all the games had their own host, no verbal explanation was provided but written game instructions. The participants needed to read the instruction carefully by themselves first in order to finish the game. There were some tools which the participants could choose if they found them useful to finish the game more easily. However, if they took this decision they would be punished. The punishment was to pin a nail on the cross. The aim of this punishment is to let the participants know that the sin due to their ignorance has the same effect of nailing Jesus on the cross, putting him to death. This is a matter of decision, and chastity is regarded as personal decision too.

The last part was a prayer meeting. The priests, sisters and youth were in front of the Holy Sacrament. If the youth had any issue related to chastity, they could talk to the spiritual director or confess in front of the Holy Sacrament.

Fr. Martin, the Salesian Youth Delegate, made a conclusion in the end as below:

The theme of this SYD was: Love, starting with mutual respect. The respect toward others can create an angelical virtue – purity. In order to nurture this virtue, it is no need to imitate St. Louis Versiglia to die for chastity, but can like constructing a building, starting with a concrete foundation. Chastity is what we can practice every day. We can start with respecting others, accumulating such good practice from time to time, we can equip ourselves with this virtue.




The youth today is more or less similar to the character in the microblog film who is so casual to joke and bully others. Regarding the pornographic information, this is also very casual in exchanging among peers which think that there is nothing harmful or sinful. However, the truth is this ignorance and casual living style damages a very important virtue – chastity little by little. Without concerning and respecting others, chastity will not be revealed.




At the same time, in our lives, there are certain rules written. Cardinal Joseph Zen had just told us that our body is the palace of the Holy Spirit. Our body is God's creation. When God creates our flesh, he has written some rules within us.




I remembered when I studied in the secondary school, many students liked to play "sitting on the thigh". This made the priest very angry and stopped us. We didn’t understand why at that time. Now I know this is not correct to do this act. Our body is written with some rules and intimate interaction is only limit to our future spouse. This intimate interaction will induce sexual desire. God wants us to understand that sexual desire is only for the mission of reproduction but not indulgence and enjoyment. If we treat it as a game, ignore the rules, only seek convenience and pleasures, this will become the cross hanged here and full of nails. This will make Jesus, our relatives and beloved ones hurt with our actions.




Today, the world is no longer concerning "chastity". The secular world talks about only: enjoyment; if one has sexual desires, sexual needs, just to satisfy themselves; sex is a function of human enjoyment; people should enjoy sex without any restrictions, etc.

However, our Salesian youth gathered here today are saying NO to the secular world. We are loyal to God's creation plan on human being. In sexual pleasure, we commit to be faithful to God and to human. All these begin with respect to others and with the nurture of the angelical virtue “purity”.

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