Often it has been said that youth is the nation’s greatest asset. But it is more than that. It is the world’s greatest asset. More than that, it is perhaps the world’s only hope. – Fr. Flanagan
When Pope Benedict XVI visited the United States, they had a Mass at the Washington Nationals stadium where Pope Benedict delivered a homily on the topic of hope. He said in his homily, “those who have hope must live different lives.” I remember watching it on tv, and that line has stuck with me ever since. If we have hope; hope in God, hope in humanity, hope for a better world, hope for Boys Town, etc. then it should change the way we live. In other words, people should be able to recognize our hope by the way we talk and the way we act. Hope should cause us to live as if the thing we hope for is coming at any moment.
When Fr. Flanagan welcomed a youth to Boys Town, as we do today, he did so in a spirit of hope. Hope is a powerful thing that allows us to push forward even when things seem impossible. Many people call our hotline when they are hopeless, many parents reach out to Boys Town doctors when the diagnosis seems hopeless, many of our youth have given up on hope. We work with hope to remind them that their lives are meant to be different.
Sincerely,
Fr. Jeff
