Flag As Inappropriate

Tonight Bishop Buzon from our Catechesis on Wednesday  July  16 at Sacred Heart has e-mailed me his Catechesis.

Here is his below:

World Youth Day - Catechesis for the Young

by Bp. Patricio Buzon, SDB, DD

Day 1 – 16 July 2008 (Wednesday)

Called to live in the Spirit

“If we live by the Spirit, let us also be guided by the Spirit.” (Gal 5:25)

Know the Holy Spirit

As I was preparing my talks for this catechesis, I found myself having to read over and over again the message of the Holy Father to the Young People of the World on the occasion of the 23^rd World Youth Day. As you well know, the themes of our three-day catechetical reflection are based on the Pope’s message.

After several readings, I began to realize how deeply the Pope desires that young people would know the Holy Spirit. He says in the letter:

My dear young friends, the Holy Spirit continues today to act with power in the Church, and the fruits of the Spirit are abundant in the measure in which we are ready to open up to this power that makes all things new. For this reason it is important that each one of us know the Spirit, establish a relationship with Him and allow ourselves to be guided by Him. However, at this point a question naturally arises: who is the Holy Spirit for me? It is a fact that for many Christians He is still the “great unknown”. This is why, as we prepare for the next World Youth Day, I wanted to invite you to come to know the Holy Spirit more deeply at a personal level.

I know very well that you young people hold in your hearts great appreciation and love for Jesus, and that you desire to meet Him and speak with Him. Indeed, remember that it is precisely the presence of the Spirit within us that confirms, constitutes and builds our person on the very Person of Jesus crucified and risen. So let us become familiar with the Holy Spirit in order to be familiar with Jesus…

Through the Scriptures

What is beautiful with the Pope’s letter is that he not only expresses his desire for each of us to know the Holy Spirit. He also teaches us how to arrive at a personal and intimate knowledge of the Spirit. The primary source is of course the Scripture. In the first part of the letter the Holy Father takes us to some events from the Old and the New Testament and points to the intervention of the Holy Spirit at every stage of our salvation history.

He opens his brief scriptural survey on the Holy Spirit with the scene of the Ascension and flashes back to the beginning of time. Let us join the Holy Father in a quick travel through the Scriptures:

o      From its opening pages, the Bible presents the spirit of God as the wind that “was moving over the face of the waters” (cf. Gen 1:2).

o      God breathed into man’s nostrils the breath of life (cf. Gen 2:7), thereby infusing him with life itself.

o      After original sin, the life-giving spirit of God is seen several times in the history of humankind, calling forth prophets to exhort the chosen people to return to God and to observe his commandments faithfully.

o      In the well-known vision of the prophet Ezekiel, God, with his spirit, restores to life the people of Israel, represented by the “dry bones” (cf. 37:1-14).

o      Joel prophesied an “outpouring of the spirit” over all the people, excluding no one.

o      In “the fullness of time” (cf. Gal 4:4), the angel of the Lord announced to the Virgin of Nazareth that the Holy Spirit, “the power of the Most High”, would come upon her and overshadow her. The child to be born would be holy and would be called Son of God (cf. Lk 1:35).

o      “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favour” (Lk 4:18-19; cf. Is 61:1-2). Addressing those present, he referred those prophetic words to himself by saying: “Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing” (Lk 4:21).

o      Before his death on the Cross, he would tell his disciples several times about the coming of the Holy Spirit, the “Counselor” whose mission would be to bear witness to him and to assist believers by teaching them and guiding them to the fullness of Truth (cf. Jn 14:16-17, 25-26; 15:26; 16:13).

o      On the evening of the day of resurrection, Jesus appeared to his disciples, “he breathed on them and said to them, ‘Receive the Holy Spirit’” (Jn 20:22).

o      With even greater power the Holy Spirit descended on the Apostles on the day of Pentecost. “And suddenly from heaven there came a sound like the rush of a violent wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. Divided tongues, as of fire, appeared among them, and a tongue rested on each of them” (2:2-3).

o      The Holy Spirit renewed the Apostles from within, filling them with a power that would give them courage to go out and boldly proclaim that “Christ has died and is risen!” Freed from all fear, they began to speak openly with self-confidence (cf. Acts 2:29; 4:13; 4:29,31). These frightened fishermen had become courageous heralds of the Gospel. Even their enemies could not understand how “uneducated and ordinary men” (cf. Acts 4:13) could show such courage and endure difficulties, suffering and persecution with joy. Nothing could stop them. To those who tried to silence them they replied: “We cannot keep from speaking about what we have seen and heard” (Acts 4:20). This is how the Church was born, and from the day of Pentecost she has not ceased to spread the Good News “to the ends of the earth” (Acts 1:8).

Through the Sacraments

Besides the Scriptures, we also come to know the Holy Spirit through his action in our personal life, particularly through the sacraments.

You might ask, how can we allow ourselves to be renewed by the Holy Spirit and to grow in our spiritual lives? The answer, as you know, is this: we can do so by means of the Sacraments, because faith is born and is strengthened within us through the Sacraments… (cf. The Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1285).  

Now you see why our catechesis is centered on the sacraments, particularly the sacraments of initiation which are complementary and inseparable, namely, baptism, confirmation and the Eucharist.

Baptism

Today, the first day, our catechesis will be on the sacrament of baptism. Come to think of it, our first experience of the Holy Spirit was actually on the day of our baptism. What really happened on that day? What did the Holy Spirit do to us?

To understand our own baptism, we need to go back to the baptism of Jesus. We are all familiar with the story of Jesus’ baptism in the river Jordan. Did it ever occur to you why Jesus asked for baptism from John, the Baptist? He had no need of baptism because He had no sin. In fact, John protested and asked to be baptized himself by Jesus. But the Lord insisted saying that “it is fitting (for us) to fulfill all righteousness.” The commentators explain that this was a way by which Jesus can enter into the saving plan of the Father: by identifying himself with sinners.

I have my own simple understanding why Jesus wanted to be baptized. I think he wanted us to understand the meaning of baptism, our own baptism. He wanted to show us what happens at every baptism. What happened to him in the Jordan is what happened to us in the baptistry. What happened at Jesus’ baptism?

Let us attentively listen to Matthew’s account:

Then Jesus came from Galilee to John at the Jordan to be baptized by him. John tried to prevent him, saying, “I need to be baptized by you, and yet you are coming to me?” Jesus said to him in reply, “Allow it now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.” Then he allowed him. After Jesus was baptized, he came up from the water and behold, the heavens were opened for him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming upon him. And a voice came from the heavens, saying, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.” (Mt 3:13-17)

At the baptism of Jesus, three things happened:

1.         the heavens opened

2.         the Spirit of God came down in the form of a dove, and

3.         a voice was heard, saying, “This is my beloved Son…”

This gospel account provides us a vivid picture of our own baptism. The same three things that happened to Jesus happened to us when we were baptized.

At our baptism, the Holy Spirit came down on us. He did not just hover over us, but took possession of us and made his abode in us. Indeed, by our baptism, we become temples of the Holy Spirit. Most important of all, He gave us sanctifying grace, which is God’s own life in us. And because we share God’s own life, we become his children.

Hence at our baptism, we too have been claimed by the Father as sons and daughters. Just as the He introduced Jesus as His beloved Son in the Jordan, He must have spoken of us in the same way at our baptism. “George, you are my beloved son… Anne, you are my beloved daughter.”

And because we are children of God, we become heirs of heaven. On the day of our baptism, the heavens were opened to us. Our Catechism teaches us that baptism is necessary for salvation. As Jesus told Nicodemus, “No one can enter the kingdom of God without being born of water and the Spirit.” (Jn 3:5)

This is what the Spirit did for us at our baptism - He made us sons and daughters of the Father, brothers and sisters of Christ. What a beautiful thing! What can be more beautiful, what can be greater than this – our Christian calling?

You might have read of the conversion to Catholicism of a famous Muslim journalist, Magdi Allam. During the Easter Vigil last March, he was baptized by no less than our Holy Father at the Basilica of St. Peter. He recalls that day as “the most beautiful day of my life.” Conscious his new life and new identity, he took a new name, Cristiano. A simple name to express his deepest faith and conviction that, like Christ, he too is a beloved son of the Father.

Somebody told me that the Poles do not celebrate their birthday as much as their baptismal day. They believe that true life begins on the day of our baptism – the day that we receive divine life that makes us God’s children. Any Poles around to verify this?

This is what the Holy Spirit does to us at baptism. And this is just the beginning. As the Holy Spirit was present at every phase of human history and redemption, the Holy Spirit also accompanies us at every step through life so that we may be able to live our divine sonship and fulfill God’s wonderful plan for us. We have seen the many actions of the Holy Spirit in the Bible. He intends to do the same in our life if we allow him. Looking back scriptural survey we just had, let me point out particularly three of the many actions of the Spirit. He creates, He empowers, He guides.

The Spirit creates. What a beautiful world we live in, thanks to the creative power of the Spirit. God has entrusted his creation to us to care for and to develop. Unfortunately, because of greed and irresponsibility, we have reduced our world into a global garbage. We don’t have to see Al Gore’s “An Inconvenient Truth” or Leonardo di Caprio’s “The Eleventh Hour” to be convinced that we might have too little time left, if any, to save the earth from total disaster. The Spirit who creates invites us to be co-creators with him. Through us he wishes to re-create and restore his creation. What can we do? Let us open ourselves to the Spirit and listen to his intimation and allow him to work through us to save this dying planet while it is still possible.

The Spirit empowers. I remember the time when I received my appointment as bishop of Kabankalan. I felt so inadequate and powerless for the task. Before my Episcopal ordination, I made the Ignatian retreat. During one of those days, I was given as subject for meditation the gospel reading on the Good Shepherd. When I came to the verse, “I lay down my life for my sheep,” I was deeply disturbed. I remember how I wrestled and agonized with the passage. Deep in my heart, I knew I could not own it. I have been called to shepherd God’s flock in Kabankalan, and like the Good Shepherd I should be ready and willing to lay down my life for my sheep. But in all sincerity I knew I was not ready nor willing to do so. It was my saddest realization. I have always been afraid of pain, even more so, of death. Hence, I could not honestly tell the Lord, “I lay down my life for my sheep.”

Since it was a Friday, I made the Way of the Cross at the park behind the retreat house that afternoon. As I proceeded from one station to another and retraced the steps of Jesus to Calvary, it slowly dawned on me that Jesus went through every pain and suffering for me, to save me. Then I began to realize how much I am loved. I had never felt so much loved, so infinitely loved. By the time I reached the twelfth station, I could hardly see the crucified Lord; my eyes were filled with uncontrollable tears. I told the Jesus hanging on the cross, “Lord, I’m ready to die for you now.” After a few seconds, I seemed to hear from the depths of my heart the Lord answering, “No, don’t die for me. Live for my people.”

It was the Spirit who led me into the heart of Jesus and allowed me to experience his personal love for me. With such experience I was enabled and empowered to love with an unconditional love in return.

The Spirit guides. How much the young need guidance, the guidance of the Spirit! You are naturally open, sincere and generous. Yet, you know how vulnerable you are to what Benedict XVI calls “the seduction of wealth, consumerism and the subtle violence sometimes used by the media.” You also know that when you fall to such deception you are robbed of your idealism and generosity. Instead of growing, your life shrinks until it loses all purpose and meaning. I remember the words of the Holy Father addressed to you in one of his messages. You seek happiness more anything else. Seek it for it is your right. But remember, the happiness you seek has a face and a name – Jesus of Nazareth. It is the Spirit that leads you to Jesus and makes you recognize his face. “The Advocate, the Holy Spirit that the Father will send you in my name – he will teach you everything and remind you of all that I told you.” (Jn 14:26)

Conclusion

Let me conclude with a familiar story about an Indian brave who found an egg in an eagle’s nest and put it among the eggs of the chicken in his farm. Soon, the eagle’s egg hatched together with the chickens’. The eaglet learned to live among the chicks. One day, as the brood was roaming in search of food, an eagle swooped across the sky and pierced through the clouds. The eaglet asked the mother hen what animal was that. “That was the eagle, the king of the skies.” The eaglet said to himself, “How I wish I could fly like an eagle!” And hanging his head, he continued his search for food, saying, “But I’m only a chicken.”

We are eagles, not chicken. We are God’s children and not anything less. To live as God’s children is to live in the Spirit. If we are to live in the Spirit, let us be guided by the Spirit.

In his letter to the Galatians, St. Paul describes to us the life in the Spirit.” If you are guided by the Spirit, you will be in no danger of yielding to self-indulgence, since self-indulgence is the opposite of the Spirit… What the Spirit brings is very different: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, trustfulness, gentleness and self-control.”

Life in the Spirit is all this. In one word, it is a life of holiness.

Many people have asked from our Catechesis how to get a copy of the bishops talks. Well Bishop Portous from Syndey has sent me his today. It was awesome to hear him speak and he was very engagaing with the youth. He stood outside and welcomed them as they came in and even sang & danced with them.  He got to ride on the boat with the Pope. We are jealous but would love to know what they chatted about.

         Below is his Catechesis from Thursday at the Parish of Sacred Heart

2. The Holy Spirit, Soul of the Church

We continue today our reflection on the role of the Holy Spirit in our lives and in the Church. Today’s theme is – “the Holy Spirit, soul of the Church”.

When we think of the Holy Spirit what image comes to mind? How do we see the Holy Spirit in our lives?

One image of the Holy Spirit is that of wind. It is interesting to note that at Pentecost as the Holy Spirit came there was the sound of a rush of wind. Wind accompanied the coming of the Spirit.

When Jesus imparted the Spirit on his disciples to give them the power to forgive sins, St John tells us that Jesus “breathed on them”. Jesus breathed on them – again the idea of wind is referred to.

The word for wind in Hebrew is ruah. It is also the word for breath.

Let us for a moment consider this image of the Holy Spirit.

The Spirit as wind

We cannot see the wind. It is invisible. Yet the wind is real. We can tell that the wind is blowing by the effects that it has.

So too the Spirit. We cannot see the Holy Spirit, yet the Spirit is real. The way we can tell that the Spirit is active is by the effects that the Spirit has. We notice the profound effects of the coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost on the disciples.  They were extraordinarily changed. They were filled with new courage and confidence.

The Scriptures talk of the gifts – the seven gifts we speak about at Confirmation - and fruits of the Spirit – love, joy, peace, patience, kindness and so on. A person who opens their life to the Spirit can experience real ways in which the Spirit works within them.

When we think about the wind we can note that it can be either strong or gentle. So the Spirit can work in powerful and evident ways, or the Spirit can be subtle and unnoticeable in its influence. It is true that we often do not realise that the Spirit is at work, but it is!

Jesus taught that the Spirit blows where he wills. This is another aspect of the wonderful mystery of the Holy Spirit at work in our lives and the life of the Church. We never know what the Spirit will do next!

We hear people speak about the “surprises of the Spirit”. The Lord speaks about God acting at a time we do not expect!

Spirit as breath

Without breath we have no life! Every moment of our lives we are breathing in and out. It goes on so consistently that we do not notice, except when we run or exert ourselves and are gasping for breath. So the Spirit of God breathes in us. The Spirit is active but we are not conscious of his activity. It is steady and life-giving. For instance, St Paul teaches that we could not have faith but that the Spirit moves in us! We are sustained in our inner spiritual life by the presence of the Holy Spirit.

We can speak of the Holy Spirit as the essence of our inner spiritual life. We can know God because the Holy Spirit is at work in us. We pray because the Holy Spirit moves us to pray. Again, St Paul speaks about the notion of the Holy Spirit coming to help us when we do not know how to pray.

When we read the Scriptures we do not just read with our minds – in the process of understanding from a human point of view. We are listening for the Word of God speaking to our hearts. We can hear the Word of God speaking to us in Scripture because the Holy Spirit gives us the capacity to hear in the depths of our soul.

In short the Holy Spirit enables us to live at a spiritual level. The Holy Spirit breathes life into our soul.

Soul of the Church

Have you ever considered how it is that the Catholic Church has continued to exist and grow for over 2000 years? Many great empires have come and gone over this time, yet the Church has persisted. Not only has it survived and it seems that in every age there is a new freshness and life. The Church is not old and decrepit, but always has a new vitality for every age and every new challenge.

The Church is not just a human institution. The Church cannot be explained as a cleverly run organisation with really smart people able to make it continually relevant and successful.

The Church is what it is because of the fresh life of the Spirit at work in its midst. This is what gives the Church an amazing youthfulness and vigour, particularly at times when one would think that it could not survive.

The Holy Spirit is the soul of the Church. The Spirit is at work in every age in wonderful and unexpected ways. The history of the Church reveals extraordinary manifestations of the Spirit.

The Church began because of the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on the disciples at Pentecost. Despite being with Jesus for three years and even witnessing him risen from the dead it is evident that the disciples lacked the confidence to carry out the great commission of the Lord to take the gospel to the ends of the earth. They needed the Spirit. They needed to be clothed with power from on high!

“You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you and you will be my witnesses” – our theme for this WYD – has been realised in the Church at Pentecost and continues to be realised throughout the long history of the Church.

I believe it is true that without Pentecost there would be no Church. It is equally true that without the action of the Holy Spirit today in the Church we would be unable to carry out our mission in the world.

Signs of the Spirit

How can we recognise the presence and activity of the Spirit in the Church?

One of the fascinating aspects of the history of the Church is the periodic emergence of movements of renewal.

As the age of martyrs was coming to a close, the spirit moved in the hearts of thousands of Catholics to withdraw into the desert. Firstly in Egypt and the Middle East and later in Europe, an extraordinary movement of monasticism was born. This movement preserved the Church during the dark ages that followed.

When the Church seemed to have lost its way in the middle ages, the spirit moved in the life of young Francis of Assisi and an extraordinary movement founded in poverty and preaching emerged.

In the difficult times of the reformation, we see the Spirit inspiring Teresa of Avila to seek the heights of contemplative life, and a new spiritual vitality came to the Church. The Spirit raised up young Ignatius of Loyola to found a new order – the Jesuits – who spearheaded a renewed Catholic life.

In our own times, we are seeing the emergence of many new movements principally attracting young people to a deeply committed Christian life. The WYD is itself a wonderful manifestation of the Holy Spirit at work in the Church.

The Spirit is the soul of the Church and the source of its ever youthfulness and vigour. In times of special need the Spirit comes to the aid of the Church.

Life in the Spirit

To be a Catholic is not just to belong to an organisation or to have some sort of tribal loyalty to the Church. To be a Catholic is to live a life in the Holy Spirit.

We receive the Holy Spirit through the sacraments, especially we identify the key role of the Holy Spirit in Baptism and Confirmation. It is as though God has lit a small fire within us. This is the fire of faith. It is the fire of love.

You know that a fire to grow strong needs to be fanned. St Paul used this image in speaking to Timothy when he told him to “fan into a flame” the gift God gave him when he was baptised.

So too for us. We need to fan this fire of the Holy Spirit into a bright and burning flame. We need to let the Spirit become a strong and driving force within us.

The Church needs men and women alive in the Holy Spirit. God wants to do great things in his Church today. He will endow those who seek to serve his mission with the outpouring of the grace of the Holy Spirit.

My brothers and sisters – you will receive power from the Holy Spirit and you will be witnesses to Christ in the world.

**** By the way we are still working on getting up more video from the catechesis and a awesome powerpoint of pictures. Stay tuned!:) 

Wow! I am so surprised how tired we were from the plane ride home. I still feel like I am on Aussie time.  I guess we are catching up on 4 days hardly any sleep. ( Sat – over night- Sunday- 2 hours sleep- Mon & Tues- travel on plane – little sleep)   Next WYD we go to  we stay an extra day for sleep after the pilgrimage.

   Today we are working on getting our some of  pictures together for an interview by the Catholic Transcript Newspaper & The Archdiocese of Hartford Office of Radio and TV that we are having today. We will be also showing them the things that we traded with others for and the map that we got signed.   We still have videos to get up and info to be put on the blogs about our Catechesis at Scared Heart.  Since we had only a little time on the computers in Australia I did not realize that people were able to comment on blogs  and videos. Thanks for all the kinds words. I know there were some questions also and I will go back and over the weekend to answer them.

Stay tuned for more WYD recaps!!!

Monday July 21

Today we are headed home. We had to catch our bus at 2:45am to get to the airport. All in my group were up and ready to go. We said goodbye to Kristen & Matt who will not be returning with us. They are continuing on their honeymoon for the next three months. We enjoyed having them with us at WYD and wish them safe travels.

When we arrived at the airport at 3: 15 their were lots of other pilgrims from all over ready to go home. We ate our first breakfast which was a bagged lunch from our hotel. Teens slept, read and socialized while we waited. I played a game of Phase 10 with some of my group as we slowly progress in the line to check in. We took our first flight to Melborne at 6:00am. When we go there we found out our next flight to LA was delayed. That actually turned out to be a good thing because my brother in- laws cousin lived there and was able to pop in to the airport with her son for a visit.

Then we headed to the international area. They weighed some of our carryon luggage. Since I was first through they weighed mine and told me it was to heavy and need find a way to check items in. As a youth minister you need to carry important things in your back pack. I had a binder (all the visa, passport, medical forms, minor forms , flight info, hotel info, wyd forms etc) a first aid kit ( which we needed three times that day once for one of my youth and twice for other pilgrims), a video camera, camera ,extra clothes for the flight and a few other little items. I had to go out of the international area to figure what to do one of my teens come with me and we put a few items in her bag since she had room. We went back in and the guy said it was still to heavy. We then went back out and I began to put the extra clothes I had in my bag on me and my youth also put some of my clothes on her. This was quite a comical thing. I do wish it was video taped. We then went to have the guy weigh it again and he let us through. By the time I was on the plane I was sweating and then able to take off some layers.

Once we left Syndey we headed to LA but almost missed our connecting flight due to the delay in Sydney.. We just made it on when the plane took off. Another long flight. We then arrived at JFK and had a layover there. Then just a quick flight home into Hartford. As a youth minister flying with youths there is always concern about safety, and behavior. I have to say this group of youth that I had were totally awesome and should be commended on their behavior, cooperation, teamwork and compassion. All those things are so important to a youth minister and having things go smoothly. I want to thank them all.

When we arrived our families were waiting for us with signs welcoming us home. Monday July 21 was the longest day ever. It was morning three times and we had three breakfasts. It will be nice to get home and take a shower. We have had the same clothes on for two days now and are a little stinky.

Tomorrow WYD over all recap!!!!

Sunday July 20

          Today was the final mass with the Holy Father.  People who live in Sydney also came in for the mass today. A nice couple came in and sat next to me and my youth and offered up hot coffee and biscuits to them. As far as you could see there were people all there to celebrate mass. The Pope Flew around in a helicopter and looked at all the people who were there.  Then he came in his Pope Mobile to say mass. At mass 24 young people were confirmed by the Pope. How cool is that.  We were fortunate to meet one of the woman who was confirmed by the Pope. She said it was amazing and a great honor. She was in the RCIA program at her parish in Australia.

        It was amazing to see so many young people worshiping together and all there for the same reason. There was not one complaint from any of my youths saying when is mass going to be over or can we leave now. As youth ministers we sometime hear that from teens when we bring them to mass. When it came time for the gospel A group of Aboriginals people sang and danced  and brought the book with the gospel in it forward. This was real neat. As we learned when we went to their cultural center music and dance are a huge part of the way they worship

            When it came time for communion there were over 900 priests handing out communion to the 400, 000 people who were there. We had about 5 priest come to our section and it went by rather quickly. You had to step over, around, and by people, sleeping bags ,chairs etc but still no complaints.  This is a rare opportunity to recive communion from the Holy Father.

    The Pope concluded mass with the announcement of   where the next WYD is going to be and it is going to be Madrid , Spain. The youth are already making plans on what they need to do to get there and how they are going to encourage their peers to come also.  We did many different fundraisers to get here from our parish.  Selling gift cards, Jr high dance, Sponsorship program. It was a lot of hard work but well worth it.   I shared a story with my youth  that was in the  WYD  souvenir guide  that I was reading that one young girl from Papua New Guinea sold, bananas,  then peanuts, planted vegs to sell, then sold them to buy chicks to rear and sell.  Then by her 50 something batch of chickens she raised enough for air travel. This story had so many messages in it for youth coming to WYD and I will be sharing it with those youth back at home  who were not able to come and as we prepare  for Madrid J

    Once mass was over we hung out for awhile so to let some of the crowds go away. Fr  Stan Fortuna sang some songs to keep the youth’s attention as they were passing time.  We also played cards to pass the time. Cards are a staple item for youth ministers. We played a lot of different games  but also with youths from around the country.  We also got some more signatures and pictures for our map that we have

   Once crowds started to let up we started to leave.  We walked very slowly back because the streets were packed with people and you could not move fast. At one point we stood in the same spot for 15 minutes. While we were standing there a group a youths on the left  from  France were singing the World Youth Day theme song with guitars and on the right were from Mexico also playing their guitar and singing along.  Ed joined in and played his drum with them.  They sang a bunch of other songs which helped the time pass. This was actually a good opportunity to talk with others about their experience and the teens continued to trade items with many youths from around the world.

        Once back at the hotel after a well needed hot shower and a change of clothes by all we headed out for a nice dinner all together in Syndey.  We then came back to the hotel and met to process our day and one final evening prayer together in Sydney.

Tomorrow Leaving Syndey!!!

Saturday July 19

         We began the am with a hot breakfast. We have had a very interesting hot breakfast selection the last few days at this hotel. Some items include lo main, sausage, and white rice with various toppings on it. They had some eggs, pancakes and toast today. Yummm I encouraged them all to eat today because it was going to be a long day.  Since we were staying in the city we did not have as long as a walk as others had who were outside the city. The pilgrimage route went right by our hotel and we just jumped right in. Once we got to Ranwick Racecourse we found out section E2 and set up our sleeping bags and stuff. Each of us took turns walking around and meeting new people. We had brought a map for those who we meet to sign where they are from. We have also taken pictures of them and will create an awesome map collage we return,

            This evening the Holy Father came for a candle light vigil. It was so cool to turn all the way around and see youths for a long way holding candles and praying together. It was quite a powerful thing to see. Also with all those people there it was so quite that you could hear a pin drop.  The Holy Father said goodnight to the pilgrims and he left but the music and celebrations went on into the night. During the night it did get very cold.  Everyone was bundled up. One member of my group said that when she got up to use the bathroom @ 3:00 she looked around among the crowd and everyone look like hotdogs all wrapped in their silver emergency blankets.  There was a group from Tonga that slept next to us and it was real fun talking with them, dancing, and singing.

Tomorrow Final Mass!!!

Friday July 18

Today was our third day of catechesis that we were running. Our bishop today was the Most Rt Rev Bernard Longley Auxiliary Bishop of Westminster, UK

The energy level in the church was so amazing. A group from Montana who we were with at the beginning of our trip came today and commented on how they enjoyed  the catechesis. We began with prayer and then a game called wallachaya. It was a funny hand game. I just learned it from one of the members of the group the previous evening and it was still tricky to do.  We did another skit that we just practiced for the first time last night. During our practice the teens were so funny that it was hard to keep at straight face. Well today during the actual skits I tired to hold it together and not laugh but that was very hard and ended up laughing so hard I could not read the skit.  We eventually got through it and it was terrific.

           Bishop Longley then gave his talk. He began talking up front and realized he left his notes in the back and went to the back while talking on the microphone. It was quite funny. He shared a lot of great insight with the youth and about the Holy Spirit. Youth also we able to ask him questions and like the last two days the questions were just so amazing that they had.

                We then concluded with mass and as a reflection song after communion we sang  the song "How beautiful "and put up pictures on the screen of the pilgrims at our site.

Many people asked me if I would post a list of the songs that we used during our  Catechesis  and I put that together and post that soon.   We will also get the slide show up.     

  This afternoon we headed out to Taranga Zoo. We took the bus down from our site. Here were able to take our picture with a Kola and pet a kangaroo. That was a cool experience. The youth I was with were so excited about seeing a kangaroo. One even tried singing to get him to look at her so she can take a picture.  He eventually did and she got a great photo.

       After the zoo we took the ferry back to Syndey Opera house.  While trying to get on the ferry two members did not make the ferry and needed to take the next one.  A little concerning for a youth minister but the next ferry was only 15 minutes away and we just waited for them on the other side. It was a nice ride to see the opera house from the water and the Sydney Harbor bridge. When we got to the Opera house we were able to see the some of the Stations of the cross. It was quite powerful to watch it.

Even though you give your teens a list of things to bring for WYD some how they forget things. Tomorrow is the over night and it is going to be cold. We had to run out  toight and buy some warmer clothes, hats and gloves for them so they won’t freeze.

Tomorrow the Pilgrimage!!!!

Today we had our second monring session and it was really packed in the parish. The youth & adults who came  we really into the music and paid attention to the talk by Bishop Porteous from Australia. The bishop even sang and danced to the song Lean on me with teens.  I recorded a video today that we will try to get up. The computer at our hotel is vey slow and it is taking a long time to get the video up.

        After the session we all headed to Farm Cove to wait for the Pope. He came into the harbor on a boat but we could not get a good view of him . But then he was transferred to  the Pope Mobile to go through the street. He was driven in a car right by us. The car was going kind of fast so our pictures are not very clear. Once member of my group did get a good picture and we are going to make copies of it.  Theenergy level of the people eaiting for the pope wad crazy. There wer paople singing, danceing and trading things all over.

           Tommorrow last morning session!

A few months ago I answered a e-mail looking for someone one to introduce a bishop at the catechesis. Little did I know that I would be planning it for 3 days for youth around the world. Today was our first one. We are at Parish of Sacred Heart in Mosman. When we first  arrived there were not many people in the church but with in 10 minutes the churched filled out people and the Bishop Patricio Bizon came to speak. We began the day with songs and the whole church and I mean whole church was up and singing and dancing along with us. The musicans I brought with me and Kyle from Colorado were terrific. I had youth with me perform a skit. During the skit not a peep could be heard. It was a great. May people commented about he skit in the end and how great it was. We concluded with mass that was concelbrated with the bishop and many priests.  I was so excited to see all the hard work and planning for the session come together and was successful. We have another one tomorrow with a bishop from Sydney.

This  morning we headed out to the parish we are going to do the catechesis at. I along with members from my parish will be hosting the catesis for the next three days.  We went to check out the site and practice the music.  Kyle a musican from Colorado will also be joining us to play the guitar. Members from the parish were very helpful in helping us to organize things.  Once we were done we headed out  for the opening mass.

     There were tons of people there for the mass. We met people from Chile, China, Samoa, and France. We have a map of the world that each person is signing and we  are trying to find someone from each country. We are also taking  pictures of the people to  put next to there name.   After mass there was a great concert that all youths were singing and dancing to. The evening concluded with a spectualar firework display.

     Tommorrow will be the catesis!!