WYD: Papal Love #1 - World Youth Day Itself
As I reflect on the experience of World Youth Day, my thoughts keep going to the Holy Father himself. I keep saying to myself that I have seen a man in love. In love with the Church. In love with the Lord. In love with World Youth Day.
I was texting my wife during certain times at the liturgy -- not during the proclamation of the scriptures, homily, or eucharistic prayer. :) She was watching a streaming feed of the closing liturgy and we were kinda talking about it as it was going on. Pretty cool, really. Anyway, at one point I sent a simple message to her: That was HUGE!
Many had wondered about the future of World Youth Day when Pope Benedict was elected. He wasn't the charismatic force the John Paul the Great was. He didn't seem concerned with matters of young people. He indicated he wasn't a traveling man. Moreover, there were intimations that he wasn't necessarily pleased with Cologne because it seemed more like a party than a pilgrimage. All this had some people wondering about the future of World Youth Day.
In Sydney, he took control. I really believe he received the theme of World Youth Day directly from the Lord. He wanted the most idealistic, most energetic, and most passionate members of the body of Christ to gather together to enter back into the experience of Pentecost. The theme went seamlessly from day to day until the final liturgy where 24 people received the sacrament of Confirmation directly from the pope. Can you imagine that?!
We begged for a greater out pouring of the Holy Spirit to fall on us. From Matt Maher's huge concert with Hillsong United at Barangaroo, "Receive the Power," to the vigil, to the final Mass, we cried out to God to give us more. It was a true pilgrimage that touched us and touched him.
His love of World Youth Day was seen at the point that I texted "That was HUGE!"
The Archbishop of Sydney, George Cardinal Pell, stood before the Holy Father to offer his thanks. In those remarks, he mentioned that World Youth Day was the invention of John Paul II and that it spoke to the John Paul II generation. He continued and said the John Paul II generation has embraced Pope Benedict and has indeed become the Benedict generation. In that, World Youth Day has been shown as not belonging to any one pope. Instead, it transcends papacies and has become a permanent part of the life of the Church.
That was HUGE!
Jubilant Crowd at Final Mass: Celebrate Youth!
Read all of Robert's World Youth Day reports:
