INTRODUCTION
The theme of the 1995 National Prayer Breakfast — “Leading our Youth to God” — touches all of us in many ways.

It is sensitive to the sentiment of the times, and connects profoundly with a challenge particularly relevant to our beloved Philippines — a call that has rung clear from the voices of our heroes in both the present and the past.

Each country has made of its youth a concern of its nation’s heart, and an investment in its own future. If our programs fail to provide for the needs of the next generation, then they are doomed to become, in an English poet’s words, “stale and unprofitable”. This could be especially true with the young people of the Philippines.
PLANNING FOR THE FUTURE
Today, we look forward to hearing the wisdom to be passed on to the world’s youth and the Filipino faithful by our illustrious visitor whom we shall be meeting and seeing in a few hours — Pope John Paul II.

In one of my readings of his thoughts, pope john Paul II offered a definition of youth that impressed me because of its relevance to the state of our nation. “Youth”, he said, “is that time of life when one plans his life.”

Our nation has had a long and turbulent youth — one lengthened by servitude and burdened by poverty — a period that is, fortunately, now ending, and which hopefully will blossom into maturity with the dawn of the third millennium of Christendom.
THE PROCESS OF MATURING
This process of maturing economically, socially and politically is vital to our nation’s survival and prosperity.

Today, more than ever, I realize that we of our time have been given this beautiful opportunity of rebuilding our nation and I, particularly, as your president, have been mandated to perform the awesome mission of leading our people in the exodus from youth to manhood, from an age of struggle for development to an age of maturity, dignity and responsibility in the family of nations.

This is the common task we share — to advance our country towards a better future which I call “Philippines 2000!!!” — a vision of a Philippines moving towards parity with the other mature nations of the world.

I join the nation in its prayers for the Pope, for the Filipino people, for our youth, and for our future. May the Good Lord shower us with His blessings and His grace. May we all prove worthy of his favor, giving our best to achieve God’s glorious plan for the Philippines and for humankind.
SETTING THE CHRISTIAN EXAMPLE
And may our youth, especially, welcome god into their hearts, their thoughts, and their actions — that we may leave, after us, a new and stronger generation of God-fearing and God-loving Filipinos.

For us, their elders, I believe that the best way to lead our youth to God will be by our own positive example. This is the great challenge that our own generation must embrace: to lead exemplary Christian lives of achievement, tolerance, justice, unity, love and virtue.

I have abiding faith in our spiritual capacity to meet that challenge and that our choices and our actions will be guided by God’s wisdom, and be blessed by His peace.

My best wishes to all of you, on this joyous and historic day.