World Youth Day 2

Having officially opened World Youth Day last evening at the Mass, today we began what will be our daily routine through Saturday - morning catechetical sessions at 10am, lunch, then the rest of the day whatever activites of the day are.  So, this morning we attended our first catechetical session, led by Archbishop Smith from Alberta, Canada.  We gathered in San Francisco de Borga church and listened to a teaching based on the World Youth Day theme: ¨Firm in the Faith.¨  This is a very brief summary of Archbishop Smith´s reflection:

World Youth Day is all about an encounter with Christ.  When Blessed John Paul II was in Baltimore in 1995 he said, ¨Jesus is the answer to every human life.¨  Saint Andrew, having encountered Jesus and learned who He was, went to search out his brother, Simon (Peter) and brought him to Christ saying, ¨We have found the Lord.¨  THIS is World Youth Day - to encounter Christ and, by our response, bring others TO Christ.

Joey serves Mass for Archbishop Smith

Every World Youth Day the local media is very critical of the Church and her teachings prior to the event - then these 100,s of thousands of young people show up and, by their witness, their faith, their devotion, their love, their respect, witness to Christ.  Suddenly the media ¨changes its tune¨ and begins to praise the Church because of the witness of the young people.

We are all familiar with the Scriptural passage, ¨What God has joined men must not separate." We think of this in terms of marriage - and so we should.  But there may be another way to think of this passage: it pertains to the Church!  You cannot separate our belief in Christ from our belief in the Church.  The Church is the will, the creation of God - part of the plan of God for the salvation of the world.  Thus, we put our lives in the hands of God by living our lives within the Church which He gave us.

 One of the awesome things about World Youth Day is how it helps our young people to realize that they are not alone in their faith and belief and in the joy they find in Christ.  This is especially true in the world today which is truly anti-Christian.

These would be ways to be sure that you are ¨Firm in Faith.¨

1. Renew regularly your commitment to your baptismal promises.
2. Examine your life regularlyl in view of the 10 Commandments and the Beatitudes.
3. Love and trust the Church - praying always for her unity and her faithful witness to the world.
4. Remember Whose we are!  We are made for Jesus.  Do we live as His children?
5. Remember the Original Sin: to reach out in disobedience to pluck the fruit from the tree - a symbol of human limitations and trusting in God - NOT the lies of the devil.
6. Pay attention to your diet - your spiritual diet.  How are you nourishing your soul?  There is much out there which is toxic and bombards us without end.  Always ask, ¨Dos what I´m doing bring me closer to Christ and the Church - or away from them?¨
7. Stay firm in the Faith by staying close to the Pope and remaining in union with him.  He is the one who, by Christ´s institution, guarentees that the Truth of the Faith is preserved.  Second, remain in union with your local bishop who is himself in union with the Pope.  
8. As we daily examine our lives, always do so without fear if you find that you have drifted away.  ¨Have no fear¨ (Blessed John Paul II)!  The Lord awaits our return.  We are all redeemed sinners. 

 Jesus is humanity´s ¨yes¨ to the Father.  In Him we remain ¨Firm in the Faith¨ which is God´s gift to us.

Following the catechesis we celebrated Mass then headed out for the days activities.  We intended to visit the Prago museum, but the line was very long and it is VERY hot.  So, we instead returned to the hotel for some rest.  Tonight we´ll be going to Retiro Parque for Eucharistic Adoration and a visit to the vocation tent (this is also where the ¨feast of forgiveness¨ is taking place) before we meet for dinner at 7pm.  Then some more exploring for the evening.

Tomorrow, THE POPE ARRIVES!!!!