July 24 2011

Issue 4

A WYD Prayer Newsletter

The Road to Madrid

A faith journey for those who go

and

those who stay at home

A service from Church Resources

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Issue 4

A WYD Prayer Newsletter

The Road to WYD

Cathedral of St James,

Santiago de Compostela, 1060-1211

A prayer for all pilgrims

Lord, make me an instrument of your peace,

Where there is hatred, let me sow love;

where there is injury, pardon;

where there is doubt, faith;

where there is despair, hope;

where there is darkness, light;

where there is sadness, joy;

O Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek to be

consoled as to console;

to be understood as to understand;

to be loved as to love.

For it is in giving that we receive;

it is in pardoning that we are pardoned;

and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.

Prayer of St Francis of Assisi

Fourth of a series of

six newsletters

In this issue

SECTION 1:

FOOD FOR PILGRIMS

Prayers & reflections

to sustain pilgrims

as they travel

the inner journey –

on the road to Madrid

or at home.

SECTION 2:

WORLD YOUTH DAY

Experiences from

earlier WYDs &

getting the most out

of WYD at home or

abroad

Next issue:

When the going

gets tough

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SECTION 1: FOOD FOR PILGRIMS

Our Desire to Excel

Each of us has a desire to excel - the desire to use our

gifts in order to live lives of meaning and value.

Speaking to young people in June 2011, Pope Benedict

XVI said: ‘We all know that lodged in the heart of every

person is a strong desire for happiness. Every action,

every decision, every intention holds hidden within

itself this deep, natural desire.

‘But all too often we realize that we put our trust in

things that cannot fulfill that desire, things that turn

out to be shifting sands. At such moments we recognize

our need for something 'greater', capable of giving

meaning to our daily lives.’

Eucharistic Adoration ‘In modern life, so often noisy and dispersive, it is more than ever important to recover the capacity

for inner silence and prayer. Eucharistic adoration enables this to happen, not only around “me”,

but also in the company of the “you”, full of love that is Jesus Christ, “God close to us”.’

- Pope Benedict XVI

‘Do This in Memory of Me!’ The Mass provides us with a unique opportunity to encounter

Jesus Christ. It is the ‘centre and summit’ of the Christian life.

Going to Mass is a public recognition that God is at the centre of

my life and that I place myself under God’s protection.

In the Eucharist we go to the Upper Room and sit with Jesus and

the disciples at the Last Supper - and then stand with Mary at the

foot of the Cross.

The Eucharist ‘brings us into the heart of God’s life; in it we

encounter Christ who, dead and risen, lives in our midst’. (John

Paul II)

‘What is happening at Mass is that the body of Christ on the altar gives new life and strengthens the

body of Christ - us - gathered as the Church. At the altar, Christ is not only on the altar. He is there

with the priest acting not only in the person of Christ but in the person of the Church leading the

people.

‘But there is a further dimension to this feast: the risen and glorified Christ sacramentally present in

the Eucharist then points to the future. We are experiencing a future in which the whole of creation

is to be transformed.’ (Fr Denis Geraghty OP)

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Getting to Know Jesus Better

One of the ways Jesus spoke of himself was as ‘bread’:

‘I am the bread of life. The one who comes to me will never be

hungry. The one who believes in me will never thirst.’ (John 6:35)

Going to Mass, being part of the Eucharist, allows us to take our

place with the disciples at the Last Supper. As the priest breaks the

bread, we hear again the awe-inspiring words of Jesus:

‘This is my Body… This is my Blood… Do this in memory of me!’

Through his life, death and resurrection Jesus takes us into

participation in the life of God. As Bread, he sustains us in life -

always present, always ready to give us fresh energy – and to lead

us in what is the right direction for us.

Prayer: ‘Lord Jesus, help me to realise that you are always present

– ready to support me and guide me into the fullness of life!’

It is not the actual physical exertion that counts towards one's progress,

nor the nature of the task, but by the spirit of faith with which it is undertaken.

- St Francis Xavier

Champions of the Faith – St Francis Xavier 1506-1552 One of the patron Saints of WYD Madrid 2011

After St Paul one of the greatest missionaries of the

Church, St Francis Xavier is regarded as the apostle of

India and Japan. One of the first companions of St

Ignatius of Loyola, founder of the Society of Jesus,

Francis was the Jesuits’ first foreign missionary.

Ordained in 1537, Francis departed for India in 1541

and reached Japan in 1549. In 1552 he set out for

China, landed on the island of Sancian within sight of his

goal, but died before he reached the mainland.

Working against great difficulties, language problems,

inadequate funds, and often resistance from European

officials, Francis left the mark of his missionary zeal on

areas which would remain Christian for centuries. He

was canonized in 1622 and proclaimed patron of all

foreign missions by Pope Pius X in 1904.

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SECTION 2

WYD EXPERIENCES

Inspiration from WYD Cologne 2005

The Theme for WYD Cologne:

‘We have come to worship Him.’ (Matthew 2:2)

Pope Benedict XVI addressed the crowds:

‘In the Eucharist, we find ourselves in the "hour" of Jesus,

to use the language of John's Gospel. Through the

Eucharist this "hour" of Jesus becomes our own hour, his

presence in our midst. Together with the disciples he

celebrated the Passover of Israel. Jesus follows the rites of

Israel. He recites over the bread the prayer of praise and

blessing.

‘But then something

new happens. He

thanks God not only for

the great works of the

past; he thanks him for

his own exaltation, soon

to be accomplished

through the Cross and

Resurrection, and he

speaks to the disciples in words that sum up the whole of

the Law and the Prophets: "This is my Body, given in

sacrifice for you. This cup is the New Covenant in my

Blood". He then distributes the bread and the cup, and

instructs them to repeat his words and actions of that

moment over and over again in his memory.

‘By making the bread into his Body and the wine into his

Blood, he anticipates his death, he accepts it in his heart,

and he transforms it into an action of love. What on the

outside is simply brutal violence – the Crucifixion – from

within becomes an act of total self-giving love.

‘We all eat the one bread, and this means that we

ourselves become one. In this way, adoration becomes

union. God no longer simply stands before us as the One

who is totally Other. He is within us, and we are in him. His

dynamic enters into us and then seeks to spread outwards

to others until it fills the world, so that his love can truly

become the dominant measure of the world.’

Many will scratch

their heads

After leaving Marienfeld, our

St Louis group walked and

waited for nearly five hours

until finally reaching our bus

and heading to the hotel.

Germany was not prepared

for such a large number of

people, and I hope that

many will scratch their heads

and wonder why so many

youth would participate in

such a religious activity...

It is because Christ is present

in the Eucharist and his body

is a living, active body that all

these youth came together

in Köln, Germany!

Seeing the Pope was a

wonderful experience, as

was seeing the million-plus

youth, seminarians and

priests on Marienfeld... but

none of this would be

possible without Jesus'

presence.

Through all the cultures,

groups of people, and

regions of the world that I

saw represented at World

Youth Day, the Body of

Christ's universal appeal

shined.

Jeff Geerling,

a pilgrim photographer

from St Louis

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Bernadette Toohey reflects on WYD Cologne

My experiences at WYD in Cologne can be easily

summarised in two words - fun and faith.

Our amazing German host parish treated us to dinners,

activities, dancing and even a Schützenfest (shooting

festival) during our Days in the Diocese home stay. It was a

fantastic chance to meet the local people, absorb some

German culture and share in heaps of joy with my fellow

Adelaide pilgrims. WYD week itself was an incredible

experience of colour, crowds and chaos. Some of my favourite memories are of the late night sing-

alongs on the tram ride home and dancing until my feet hurt at a huge youth festival one evening.

Initially I found it hard to connect with God on our WYD pilgrimage. I was especially unsettled and

challenged after an impromptu Q&A session about the Catholic faith between a priest and a small

group of pilgrims one night.

Little did I know that in Mass the next day God would speak to me so clearly and simply that it would

change the direction of my young life. It was during the song, Open My Eyes, that the big turning

point of WYD occurred for me as I felt a gentle and loving challenge to follow God more closely.

The theme of WYD in Cologne was ‘We have come to worship Him’ and as I began the journey

toward home, I felt an incredible parallel with the Magi, who were so touched by their meeting with

the child Jesus that they returned home via a different path. My faith encounter at WYD

encouraged me to take a new path that involved ending a relationship, beginning to study Theology

and moving into an intentional Christian community.

The experience of WYD in 2005 has remained with me until today, as it was a special time of forging

lasting friendships, creating fun memories and taking some crucial steps on my faith journey.

---------------------------

WYD Cologne in August 2005 was the first International WYD

attended by Pope Benedict XVI.

(Pope John Paul II died on April 2, 2005.)

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WYD at home – how Wollongong Diocese does it. ‘Can’t make it to World Youth Day in Madrid? Then let Madrid come to

you. Madrid Encounter 2011 will feature all your favourite elements of

World Youth Day: Catechesis with Sr Hilda Scott, Stations of the Cross,

Reconciliation, Youth Festival, Youth Mass and a Spanish Fiesta. This is

all happening on Saturday, 20 August at St Patrick’s College,

Campbelltown.’ See http://www.dow.org.au/youth

El Camino de Santiago After Madrid, some of the WYD pilgrims will tackle a pilgrimage which dates from medieval times, El

Camino de Santiago - The Way of St James. Today more than 100,000 people complete the camino

each year. There are many routes but they all end in

Santiago de Compostela, Spain, the venue for the 3rd

International WYD in 1989. A popular camino route

begins in St Jean Pied de Port on the French side of the

Pyrenees, passes through the cities of Pamplona, Burgos

and Leon across northwest Spain, and finishes about

780km later in Santiago.

Since the Christian symbol for St James was the scallop

shell, many pilgrims wore one as a sign that they were a

pilgrim. Pilgrims carry a passport, the credencial, which

is stamped with the official stamp of each town or refugio at which the pilgrim has stayed, and finally

recorded in Santiago de Compostela.

Lismore Diocese prepares for WYD Madrid

(at right)

The WYD logo for Madrid consists of two ‘M’s,

one for Madrid and one for Maria (Mary).

!Adiós por ahora¡ (Goodbye for now!)

This Newsletter is available free for photocopying. It can also be found under the caption

‘WYD Madrid Prayer Newsletter’ on the CathNews website at www.cathnews.com

Our thanks go to all who’ve contributed to the series, especially Lisa Bright, Sarah Coppola, Robyn

Gallagher, Chris Nolan, Bernadette Toohey – Anthony Neylan, Editor editor@churchresources.com