CALBAYOG City— A Catholic bishop urged young people not to hide their failures, saying brokenness is precisely where faith begins in life’s most difficult moments.
Speaking at the opening Mass of Regional Youth Day 2026 at Sts. Peter and Paul Cathedral on April 10, Bishop Isabelo Abarquez of Calbayog said many young people struggle under pressure, silence in prayer and feelings of inadequacy amid rising expectations.
“Bring your emptiness and even your brokenness to Jesus,” Abarquez told the delegates from dioceses in Regions 7 and 8 gathered for the church event. “Do not hide your failures. Do not pretend to be strong. Your emptiness is not your shame.”
He said the Gospel image of the disciples catching nothing at sea reflects the lived experience of many young people facing exhaustion, anxiety and uncertainty about the future.
“You study hard, but still feel like you are not enough. You pray, but God seems silent. You serve, but feel unappreciated. You dream, but the future feels uncertain,” he said, describing what he called the hidden burden carried by today’s youth.
Abarquez said Jesus meets people not in success but in emptiness, gently calling them in moments of failure rather than achievement or certainty.
He added that Christ’s response to the disciples shows divine care even in disappointment, when “abundance overflowed” after they obeyed a simple instruction to cast their nets again.
“Without Jesus, even our best efforts can feel empty. With Jesus, even the impossible becomes possible,” he said, stressing that courage means continued trust after disappointment and silence.
The bishop also warned against social pressures that lead young people into comparison, isolation and self-doubt, including what he described as the “nets” of social media and confusion.
“Many young people today are tired—tired of pretending, tired of comparing, tired of competing, tired of trying to meet expectations,” he said.
Abarquez said faith begins when people bring their brokenness to Christ rather than conceal it from others or themselves, calling vulnerability the doorway to encounter with God.
He also reminded delegates that mission in the Church must flow from relationship with God, not activity or achievement alone.
