Here are some testimonies from some of the Ottawa pilgrims:
"The WYD pilgrimage has shown me that there is purpose in suffering; sometimes we suffer to love our neighbours, love God, or learn to better love ourselves. During these two weeks, we have given up food, sleep, shelter and our comfortable routines for the sake of the Kingdom of God."
-Alicia Cameron
"I expected the climax of our pilgrimage to be the closing vigil and Mass. Being denied entrance and later hearing stories from pilgrims who made it to these events was difficult until Archbishop Prendergast pointed out how the Lord allowed each of us to experience it in our own way for a reason. I realized that God wove our experiences
together into a common quilt so that we could learn things from one another that we couldn't on our own."
-Matthew Bisson
"As a Catholic, it is important for me to receive the eucharist. However, due to health reasons, I was unable to during the pilgrimage. I was deeply frustrated, but that frustration turned into prayer, which turned into a hunger and burning desire to receive Christ into my life and experience Him in a new way. It has given me a new appreciation for the Holy Sacrament."
-Serena Williamson
"The experience of WYD 2011 in Madrid gives me great hope for vocations to the priesthood. I have seen thousands of young men from around the world willing to give their lives for Christ by serving His Church. Many other young men have expressed interest in knowing more about the priesthood. I think that WYD really helps to encourage vocations. In fact, that is part of my journey to the priesthood. After WYD 2005 in Germany, I returned home excited about learning what steps I had to take to respond to God's call to be a priest in the Archdiocese of Ottawa."
-Matthew Keshwa, seminarian
"Pour moi, les JMJ ont été une occasion de rencontrer le visage joyeux, enthousiaste et plein d'espérance de l'Église à travers de beaux jeunes!"
-Dominique Nahas
"J'ai beaucoup aimé mon expérience des JMJ 2011, particulièrement les catéchèses données par les évêques à Madrid. Ils nous parlaient de l'amour du Christ étroitement lié à l'amour de l'Église et l'importance de vivre et de partager notre foi ensemble entre amis et avec ceux qui nous entourent, pour pour être affermis dans la foi. Je retourne au Canada avec une soif de témoignage et de partager avec d'autres cet amour que Dieu nous porte."
-Olga Andrianarijaona
Tuesday, August 23, 2011
Monday, August 22, 2011
Notre retraite à Avila
Aujourd'hui, nous avons pris un autobus de Madrid à Avila pour une retraite avant de retourner à Ottawa dans deux jours. Mgr Prendergast a présidé la messe dans la chapelle San Segunda à la cathédrale à Avila.
Mgr Prendergast nous a expliqué que les saints Espagnols s'exprimaient et ils parlaient de leur foi et que nous devons suivre leur exemple, même si les Canadiens sont plus portés à la garder à l'intérieur. Dieu doit remplir nos coeurs et nous devons vivre dans la joie et la paix du Christ pour être de bons témoins de son amour. Aujourd'hui, c'est la fête de Marie reine de l'univers et reine des coeurs. Nous demandons à Marie son intercession pour que nous aillons la même joie et paix qu'elle a dans son coeur.
Voici une photo de quelques pèlerins d'Ottawa à Avila :
Mgr Prendergast nous a expliqué que les saints Espagnols s'exprimaient et ils parlaient de leur foi et que nous devons suivre leur exemple, même si les Canadiens sont plus portés à la garder à l'intérieur. Dieu doit remplir nos coeurs et nous devons vivre dans la joie et la paix du Christ pour être de bons témoins de son amour. Aujourd'hui, c'est la fête de Marie reine de l'univers et reine des coeurs. Nous demandons à Marie son intercession pour que nous aillons la même joie et paix qu'elle a dans son coeur.
Voici une photo de quelques pèlerins d'Ottawa à Avila :
Sunday, August 21, 2011
Vigil and Closing Mass
We are now back at the hotel and getting cleaned up and having a much needed siesta. Many smiles and recounting of the events over the past 24 hours.
Buenas noches!
Ted
Buenas noches!
Ted
WYD Closing Mass with Pope Benedict XVI at Cuatro Vientos in Madrid
Pope Benedict XVI delivered the following homily at the Closing Mass of World Youth Day in Madrid:
Dear Young People,
In this celebration of the Eucharist we have reached the high point of this World Youth Day. Seeing you here, gathered in such great numbers from all parts of the world, fills my heart with joy. I think of the special love with which Jesus is looking upon you. Yes, the Lord loves you and calls you his friends (cf. Jn 15:15). He goes out to meet you and he wants to accompany you on your journey, to open the door to a life of fulfillment and to give you a share in his own closeness to the Father. For our part, we have come to know the immensity of his love and we want to respond generously to his love by sharing with others the joy we have received. Certainly, there are many people today who feel attracted by the figure of Christ and want to know him better. They realize that he is the answer to so many of our deepest concerns. But who is he really? How can someone who lived on this earth so long ago have anything in common with me today?
The Gospel we have just heard (cf. Mt 16:13-20) suggests two different ways of knowing Christ. The first is an impersonal knowledge, one based on current opinion. When Jesus asks: “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?”, the disciples answer: “Some say John the Baptist, but others Elijah, and still others Jeremiah or one of the prophets”. In other words, Christ is seen as yet another religious figure, like those who came before him. Then Jesus turns to the disciples and asks them: “But who do you say that I am?” Peter responds with what is the first confession of faith: “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God”. Faith is more than just empirical or historical facts; it is an ability to grasp the mystery of Christ’s person in all its depth.
Yet faith is not the result of human effort, of human reasoning, but rather a gift of God: “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father in heaven”. Faith starts with God, who opens his heart to us and invites us to share in his own divine life. Faith does not simply provide information about who Christ is; rather, it entails a personal relationship with Christ, a surrender of our whole person, with all our understanding, will and feelings, to God’s self-revelation. So Jesus’ question: “But who do you say that I am?”, is ultimately a challenge to the disciples to make a personal decision in his regard. Faith in Christ and discipleship are strictly interconnected.
And, since faith involves following the Master, it must become constantly stronger, deeper and more mature, to the extent that it leads to a closer and more intense relationship with Jesus. Peter and the other disciples also had to grow in this way, until their encounter with the Risen Lord opened their eyes to the fullness of faith.
Dear young people, today Christ is asking you the same question which he asked the Apostles: “Who do you say that I am?” Respond to him with generosity and courage, as befits young hearts like your own. Say to him: “Jesus, I know that you are the Son of God, who have given your life for me. I want to follow you faithfully and to be led by your word. You know me and you love me. I place my trust in you and I put my whole life into your hands. I want you to be the power that strengthens me and the joy which never leaves me”.
Jesus’ responds to Peter’s confession by speaking of the Church: “And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my Church”. What do these words mean? Jesus builds the Church on the rock of the faith of Peter, who confesses that Christ is God.
The Church, then, is not simply a human institution, like any other. Rather, she is closely joined to God. Christ himself speaks of her as “his” Church. Christ cannot be separated from the Church any more than the head can be separated from the body (cf. 1 Cor 12:12). The Church does not draw her life from herself, but from the Lord.
Dear young friends, as the Successor of Peter, let me urge you to strengthen this faith which has been handed down to us from the time of the Apostles. Make Christ, the Son of God, the centre of your life. But let me also remind you that following Jesus in faith means walking at his side in the communion of the Church. We cannot follow Jesus on our own. Anyone who would be tempted to do so “on his own”, or to approach the life of faith with kind of individualism so prevalent today, will risk never truly encountering Jesus, or will end up following a counterfeit Jesus.
Having faith means drawing support from the faith of your brothers and sisters, even as your own faith serves as a support for the faith of others. I ask you, dear friends, to love the Church which brought you to birth in the faith, which helped you to grow in the knowledge of Christ and which led you to discover the beauty of his love. Growing in friendship with Christ necessarily means recognizing the importance of joyful participation in the life of your parishes, communities and movements, as well as the celebration of Sunday Mass, frequent reception of the sacrament of Reconciliation, and the cultivation of personal prayer and meditation on God’s word.
Friendship with Jesus will also lead you to bear witness to the faith wherever you are, even when it meets with rejection or indifference. We cannot encounter Christ and not want to make him known to others. So do not keep Christ to yourselves! Share with others the joy of your faith. The world needs the witness of your faith, it surely needs God. I think that the presence here of so many young people, coming from all over the world, is a wonderful proof of the fruitfulness of Christ’s command to the Church: “Go into all the world and proclaim the Gospel to the whole creation” (Mk 16:15). You too have been given the extraordinary task of being disciples and missionaries of Christ in other lands and countries filled with young people who are looking for something greater and, because their heart tells them that more authentic values do exist, they do not let themselves be seduced by the empty promises of a lifestyle which has no room for God.
Dear young people, I pray for you with heartfelt affection. I commend all of you to the Virgin Mary and I ask her to accompany you always by her maternal intercession and to teach you how to remain faithful to God’s word. I ask you to pray for the Pope, so that, as the Successor of Peter, he may always confirm his brothers and sisters in the faith. May all of us in the Church, pastors and faithful alike, draw closer to the Lord each day. May we grow in holiness of life and be effective witnesses to the truth that Jesus Christ is indeed the Son of God, the Saviour of all mankind and the living source of our hope. Amen.
*****
At the conclusion of Mass, the Pope led the faithful in the recitation of the Angelus. He gave the following remarks before the prayer:
Dear Friends,
You are now about to go back home. Your friends will want to know how you have changed after being in this lovely city with the Pope and with hundreds of thousands of other young people from around the world. What are you going to tell them? I invite you to give a bold witness of Christian living to them. In this way you will give birth to new Christians and will help the Church grow strongly in the hearts of many others.
During these days, how often I have thought of the young people at home who are waiting for your return! Take my affectionate greetings to them, to those less fortunate, to your families and to the Christian communities that you come from.
Let me also express my gratitude to the Bishops and priests who are present in such great numbers at this Day. To them all I extend my deepest thanks, encouraging them to continue to work pastorally among young people with enthusiasm and dedication.
I now commend all young people in the world, especially you, dear friends, to the loving intercession of the Most Holy Virgin Mary, Star of the new evangelization and Mother of young people.
[Spanish] I greet the Archbishop of the Forces affectionately and I warmly thank the Spanish Air Force, which very generously permitted Cuatro Vientos Air Base on this, the centenary of the foundation of the Spanish Air Force. I place all Spanish Air Force personnel and their families under the maternal protection of Our Lady of Loreto.
In this context, I recall that yesterday marked the third anniversary of the grave accident at Barajas Airport which caused many deaths and injuries, and I express my spiritual closeness and my deep affection for all those touched by that unfortunate event, and well as for the families of the victims, whose souls we commend to the mercy of God.
I am pleased now to announce that the next World Youth Day will be held in 2013, in Rio de Janeiro. Even now, let us ask the Lord to assist all those who will organize it, and to ease the journey there of young people from all over the world, so that they will be able to join me in that beautiful city of Brazil.
Dear friends, before we say good-bye, and while the young people of Spain pass on the World Youth Day cross to the young people of Brazil, as Successor of Peter I entrust all of you present with this task: make the knowledge and love of Jesus Christ known to the whole world! He wants you to be the apostles of the twenty-first century and the messengers of his joy. Do not let him down! Thank you very much.
[French] My dear young people of the French-speaking world, today Christ asks you to be rooted in him and with him, to build your lives upon him who is our rock. He sends you out to be his witnesses, courageous and without anxiety, authentic and credible! Do not be afraid to be Catholic, and to be witnesses to those around you in simplicity and sincerity! Let the Church find in you and in your youthfulness joyful missionaries of the Good News of salvation!
[English] I greet all the English-speaking young people present here today! As you return home, take back with you the good news of Christ’s love which we have experienced in these unforgettable days. Fix your eyes upon him, deepen your knowledge of the Gospel and bring forth abundant fruit! God bless all of you until we meet again!
[German] My dear friends! Faith is not a theory. To believe is to enter into a personal relationship with Jesus and to live in friendship with him in fellowship with others, in the communion of the Church. Entrust the whole of your lives to Christ and bring your friends to find their way to the source of life, to God. May the Lord make you happy and joy-filled witnesses of his love.
[Italian] My dear young Italians! Greetings to all of you. The Eucharist that we have celebrated is the risen Christ present and living in our midst: through him, your lives are rooted and built upon Christ, strong in faith. With this confidence, depart from Madrid and tell everyone what you have seen and heard. Respond with joy to the Lord’s call, follow him and remain always united to him: you will bear much fruit!
[Portuguese] Dear Portuguese-speaking young people and friends, you have met Jesus Christ! You will be swimming against the tide in a society with a relativistic culture which wishes neither to seek nor hold on to the truth. But it was for this moment in history, with its great challenges and opportunities, that the Lord sent you, so that, through your faith, the Good News of Jesus might continue to resound throughout the earth. I hope to see you again in two years’ time at the next World Youth Day in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Til then, let us pray for each other, witnessing to the joy that brings forth life, rooted in and built upon Christ. Until we meet again, my dear young people! God bless you all!
[Polish] Dear young Poles, strong in the faith, rooted in Christ! May the gifts you have received from God during these days bear in you abundant fruit. Be his witnesses. Take to others the message of the Gospel. With your prayers and example of life, help Europe to rediscover its Christian roots.
Dear Young People,
In this celebration of the Eucharist we have reached the high point of this World Youth Day. Seeing you here, gathered in such great numbers from all parts of the world, fills my heart with joy. I think of the special love with which Jesus is looking upon you. Yes, the Lord loves you and calls you his friends (cf. Jn 15:15). He goes out to meet you and he wants to accompany you on your journey, to open the door to a life of fulfillment and to give you a share in his own closeness to the Father. For our part, we have come to know the immensity of his love and we want to respond generously to his love by sharing with others the joy we have received. Certainly, there are many people today who feel attracted by the figure of Christ and want to know him better. They realize that he is the answer to so many of our deepest concerns. But who is he really? How can someone who lived on this earth so long ago have anything in common with me today?
The Gospel we have just heard (cf. Mt 16:13-20) suggests two different ways of knowing Christ. The first is an impersonal knowledge, one based on current opinion. When Jesus asks: “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?”, the disciples answer: “Some say John the Baptist, but others Elijah, and still others Jeremiah or one of the prophets”. In other words, Christ is seen as yet another religious figure, like those who came before him. Then Jesus turns to the disciples and asks them: “But who do you say that I am?” Peter responds with what is the first confession of faith: “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God”. Faith is more than just empirical or historical facts; it is an ability to grasp the mystery of Christ’s person in all its depth.
Yet faith is not the result of human effort, of human reasoning, but rather a gift of God: “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father in heaven”. Faith starts with God, who opens his heart to us and invites us to share in his own divine life. Faith does not simply provide information about who Christ is; rather, it entails a personal relationship with Christ, a surrender of our whole person, with all our understanding, will and feelings, to God’s self-revelation. So Jesus’ question: “But who do you say that I am?”, is ultimately a challenge to the disciples to make a personal decision in his regard. Faith in Christ and discipleship are strictly interconnected.
And, since faith involves following the Master, it must become constantly stronger, deeper and more mature, to the extent that it leads to a closer and more intense relationship with Jesus. Peter and the other disciples also had to grow in this way, until their encounter with the Risen Lord opened their eyes to the fullness of faith.
Dear young people, today Christ is asking you the same question which he asked the Apostles: “Who do you say that I am?” Respond to him with generosity and courage, as befits young hearts like your own. Say to him: “Jesus, I know that you are the Son of God, who have given your life for me. I want to follow you faithfully and to be led by your word. You know me and you love me. I place my trust in you and I put my whole life into your hands. I want you to be the power that strengthens me and the joy which never leaves me”.
Jesus’ responds to Peter’s confession by speaking of the Church: “And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my Church”. What do these words mean? Jesus builds the Church on the rock of the faith of Peter, who confesses that Christ is God.
The Church, then, is not simply a human institution, like any other. Rather, she is closely joined to God. Christ himself speaks of her as “his” Church. Christ cannot be separated from the Church any more than the head can be separated from the body (cf. 1 Cor 12:12). The Church does not draw her life from herself, but from the Lord.
Dear young friends, as the Successor of Peter, let me urge you to strengthen this faith which has been handed down to us from the time of the Apostles. Make Christ, the Son of God, the centre of your life. But let me also remind you that following Jesus in faith means walking at his side in the communion of the Church. We cannot follow Jesus on our own. Anyone who would be tempted to do so “on his own”, or to approach the life of faith with kind of individualism so prevalent today, will risk never truly encountering Jesus, or will end up following a counterfeit Jesus.
Having faith means drawing support from the faith of your brothers and sisters, even as your own faith serves as a support for the faith of others. I ask you, dear friends, to love the Church which brought you to birth in the faith, which helped you to grow in the knowledge of Christ and which led you to discover the beauty of his love. Growing in friendship with Christ necessarily means recognizing the importance of joyful participation in the life of your parishes, communities and movements, as well as the celebration of Sunday Mass, frequent reception of the sacrament of Reconciliation, and the cultivation of personal prayer and meditation on God’s word.
Friendship with Jesus will also lead you to bear witness to the faith wherever you are, even when it meets with rejection or indifference. We cannot encounter Christ and not want to make him known to others. So do not keep Christ to yourselves! Share with others the joy of your faith. The world needs the witness of your faith, it surely needs God. I think that the presence here of so many young people, coming from all over the world, is a wonderful proof of the fruitfulness of Christ’s command to the Church: “Go into all the world and proclaim the Gospel to the whole creation” (Mk 16:15). You too have been given the extraordinary task of being disciples and missionaries of Christ in other lands and countries filled with young people who are looking for something greater and, because their heart tells them that more authentic values do exist, they do not let themselves be seduced by the empty promises of a lifestyle which has no room for God.
Dear young people, I pray for you with heartfelt affection. I commend all of you to the Virgin Mary and I ask her to accompany you always by her maternal intercession and to teach you how to remain faithful to God’s word. I ask you to pray for the Pope, so that, as the Successor of Peter, he may always confirm his brothers and sisters in the faith. May all of us in the Church, pastors and faithful alike, draw closer to the Lord each day. May we grow in holiness of life and be effective witnesses to the truth that Jesus Christ is indeed the Son of God, the Saviour of all mankind and the living source of our hope. Amen.
*****
At the conclusion of Mass, the Pope led the faithful in the recitation of the Angelus. He gave the following remarks before the prayer:
Dear Friends,
You are now about to go back home. Your friends will want to know how you have changed after being in this lovely city with the Pope and with hundreds of thousands of other young people from around the world. What are you going to tell them? I invite you to give a bold witness of Christian living to them. In this way you will give birth to new Christians and will help the Church grow strongly in the hearts of many others.
During these days, how often I have thought of the young people at home who are waiting for your return! Take my affectionate greetings to them, to those less fortunate, to your families and to the Christian communities that you come from.
Let me also express my gratitude to the Bishops and priests who are present in such great numbers at this Day. To them all I extend my deepest thanks, encouraging them to continue to work pastorally among young people with enthusiasm and dedication.
I now commend all young people in the world, especially you, dear friends, to the loving intercession of the Most Holy Virgin Mary, Star of the new evangelization and Mother of young people.
[Spanish] I greet the Archbishop of the Forces affectionately and I warmly thank the Spanish Air Force, which very generously permitted Cuatro Vientos Air Base on this, the centenary of the foundation of the Spanish Air Force. I place all Spanish Air Force personnel and their families under the maternal protection of Our Lady of Loreto.
In this context, I recall that yesterday marked the third anniversary of the grave accident at Barajas Airport which caused many deaths and injuries, and I express my spiritual closeness and my deep affection for all those touched by that unfortunate event, and well as for the families of the victims, whose souls we commend to the mercy of God.
I am pleased now to announce that the next World Youth Day will be held in 2013, in Rio de Janeiro. Even now, let us ask the Lord to assist all those who will organize it, and to ease the journey there of young people from all over the world, so that they will be able to join me in that beautiful city of Brazil.
Dear friends, before we say good-bye, and while the young people of Spain pass on the World Youth Day cross to the young people of Brazil, as Successor of Peter I entrust all of you present with this task: make the knowledge and love of Jesus Christ known to the whole world! He wants you to be the apostles of the twenty-first century and the messengers of his joy. Do not let him down! Thank you very much.
[French] My dear young people of the French-speaking world, today Christ asks you to be rooted in him and with him, to build your lives upon him who is our rock. He sends you out to be his witnesses, courageous and without anxiety, authentic and credible! Do not be afraid to be Catholic, and to be witnesses to those around you in simplicity and sincerity! Let the Church find in you and in your youthfulness joyful missionaries of the Good News of salvation!
[English] I greet all the English-speaking young people present here today! As you return home, take back with you the good news of Christ’s love which we have experienced in these unforgettable days. Fix your eyes upon him, deepen your knowledge of the Gospel and bring forth abundant fruit! God bless all of you until we meet again!
[German] My dear friends! Faith is not a theory. To believe is to enter into a personal relationship with Jesus and to live in friendship with him in fellowship with others, in the communion of the Church. Entrust the whole of your lives to Christ and bring your friends to find their way to the source of life, to God. May the Lord make you happy and joy-filled witnesses of his love.
[Italian] My dear young Italians! Greetings to all of you. The Eucharist that we have celebrated is the risen Christ present and living in our midst: through him, your lives are rooted and built upon Christ, strong in faith. With this confidence, depart from Madrid and tell everyone what you have seen and heard. Respond with joy to the Lord’s call, follow him and remain always united to him: you will bear much fruit!
[Portuguese] Dear Portuguese-speaking young people and friends, you have met Jesus Christ! You will be swimming against the tide in a society with a relativistic culture which wishes neither to seek nor hold on to the truth. But it was for this moment in history, with its great challenges and opportunities, that the Lord sent you, so that, through your faith, the Good News of Jesus might continue to resound throughout the earth. I hope to see you again in two years’ time at the next World Youth Day in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Til then, let us pray for each other, witnessing to the joy that brings forth life, rooted in and built upon Christ. Until we meet again, my dear young people! God bless you all!
[Polish] Dear young Poles, strong in the faith, rooted in Christ! May the gifts you have received from God during these days bear in you abundant fruit. Be his witnesses. Take to others the message of the Gospel. With your prayers and example of life, help Europe to rediscover its Christian roots.
Saturday, August 20, 2011
Le corps et le sang de Jésus nous donnent notre force
Ce matin, Mgr Prendergast a célébré la messe avec nous à la paroisse San Antonio de Padua à Madrid et son homélie était court car nous avons besoin d'énergie pour nous rendre à Cuatro Ventos pour la vigile avec le pape ce soir.
Mgr Prendergast a souligné que Jésus a partagé plusieurs repas avec les pécheurs et il a donné son corps comme nourriture pour notre pèlerinage dans cette vie et non seulement pour les 10 jours que nous passons en Espagne pour les JMJ.
La soif que nous avons est une soif pour la vie éternelle. Jésus nous parle d'une alliance nouvelle et pour se faire, nous avons beaucoup besoin des prêtres. Prions pour nos séminaristes, pour nos prêtres et nos évêques, et pour les jeunes qui discernent leur vocation.
Mgr Prendergast a souligné que Jésus a partagé plusieurs repas avec les pécheurs et il a donné son corps comme nourriture pour notre pèlerinage dans cette vie et non seulement pour les 10 jours que nous passons en Espagne pour les JMJ.
La soif que nous avons est une soif pour la vie éternelle. Jésus nous parle d'une alliance nouvelle et pour se faire, nous avons beaucoup besoin des prêtres. Prions pour nos séminaristes, pour nos prêtres et nos évêques, et pour les jeunes qui discernent leur vocation.
Friday, August 19, 2011
Jesus' nails hold our faith together
Today, over 10,000 English-speaking pilgrims from every continent packed into Palacio de Deportes for a catechesis session with New York City Archbishop Timothy Dolan, who is currently the president of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB).
He lead us in prayer and we said "Praise be Jesus Christ now and forever!" He said that the result of being firm in the faith and rooted in Christ is to be His witnesses.
"How are we going to be missionaries and evangelists?" he asked us. "How are we going to be light of the world and salt of the earth?"
Archbishop Dolan said that there are four essential components: charity, joy, hope, and love for the Church.
Charity captivated people from the beginning of our Church. "The love that the followers of Jesus had for one another captivated the unbelivers' hearts," he explained. He addressed the canadian pilgrims and mentioned our devotion to Catherine Doroty because of her love for the poor. "We are at our best when we give ourselves in love to one another," he added.
Joy is the infallible sign of God's presence. When we're happy, people want to know why. JOY stands for "Jesus first, others second, yourself third."
In Haiti, after the earthquake, they gathered in front of the cross even though they had nothing because they had hope. When the world sees us never giving up, they want to know why.
Passionate love for the Church must be the passion of our lives. This is tough for us today because people want spirituality without religion and we answer "no" because Jesus and His Church are one and they cannot be seperated. Jesus is so close to the Church that the Church is His bride and His body because the two are one flesh. The nails of Jesus Christ are what holds our faith together because the human body died and that was when He was mostly God.
He lead us in prayer and we said "Praise be Jesus Christ now and forever!" He said that the result of being firm in the faith and rooted in Christ is to be His witnesses.
"How are we going to be missionaries and evangelists?" he asked us. "How are we going to be light of the world and salt of the earth?"
Archbishop Dolan said that there are four essential components: charity, joy, hope, and love for the Church.
Charity captivated people from the beginning of our Church. "The love that the followers of Jesus had for one another captivated the unbelivers' hearts," he explained. He addressed the canadian pilgrims and mentioned our devotion to Catherine Doroty because of her love for the poor. "We are at our best when we give ourselves in love to one another," he added.
Joy is the infallible sign of God's presence. When we're happy, people want to know why. JOY stands for "Jesus first, others second, yourself third."
In Haiti, after the earthquake, they gathered in front of the cross even though they had nothing because they had hope. When the world sees us never giving up, they want to know why.
Passionate love for the Church must be the passion of our lives. This is tough for us today because people want spirituality without religion and we answer "no" because Jesus and His Church are one and they cannot be seperated. Jesus is so close to the Church that the Church is His bride and His body because the two are one flesh. The nails of Jesus Christ are what holds our faith together because the human body died and that was when He was mostly God.
Thursday, August 18, 2011
S'enraciner dans la foi comme un arbre près d'un ruisseau
Aujourd'hui, nous sommes allés à la catéchèse à la paroisse San Millán y San Cayetano et quand nous sommes entrés, il y avait l'adoration eucharistique.
Mgr Jean Kockerols au Vicariat de Bruxelles nous a parlé du corps et de sa transfiguration. Il nous a expliqué que l'enracinement prend beaucoup de temps et c'est progressif, mais c'est fort. « Le livre des psaumes s'ouvre par la promesse que si nous sommes comme un arbre planté près d'un ruisseau, nous buvons de l'eau vive et notre feuillage ne meurt pas », il nous expliqua. « Il faut devenir familier avec Jésus et le connaître pour s'enraciner dans la foi. Les disciples ont pris le temps de le connaître et de reconnaître en lui le sauveur », il ajouta.
C'est une démarche personnelle. Parfois, il est à mes côtés et parfois, il est bien devant. Il faut accepter ce compagnenage avec lui. « Il nous invite à prier avec lui sur la montagne et de voir l'imensité de la beauté de notre vie », il nous expliqua. « Il veut aussi nous montrer où nous allons. Nos souffrances ne seront plus une limite quand nous serons transfigurés dans notre corps glorieux. »
Ici sur terre, il faut rester « connecté » au monde spirituel et endurer la souffrance de notre humanité. Notre proximité de Jésus est la raison de notre bonheur. Le Seigneur nous montre où pêcher ; où jetter nos filets et il répond à nos besoins.
Il faut vivre ce compagnenage jour après jour afin d'être enraciné dans le Christ.
Suite à la catéchèse, nous avons célébré la messe.
Le pape est arrivé à Madrid aujourd'hui à midi.
Mgr Jean Kockerols au Vicariat de Bruxelles nous a parlé du corps et de sa transfiguration. Il nous a expliqué que l'enracinement prend beaucoup de temps et c'est progressif, mais c'est fort. « Le livre des psaumes s'ouvre par la promesse que si nous sommes comme un arbre planté près d'un ruisseau, nous buvons de l'eau vive et notre feuillage ne meurt pas », il nous expliqua. « Il faut devenir familier avec Jésus et le connaître pour s'enraciner dans la foi. Les disciples ont pris le temps de le connaître et de reconnaître en lui le sauveur », il ajouta.
C'est une démarche personnelle. Parfois, il est à mes côtés et parfois, il est bien devant. Il faut accepter ce compagnenage avec lui. « Il nous invite à prier avec lui sur la montagne et de voir l'imensité de la beauté de notre vie », il nous expliqua. « Il veut aussi nous montrer où nous allons. Nos souffrances ne seront plus une limite quand nous serons transfigurés dans notre corps glorieux. »
Ici sur terre, il faut rester « connecté » au monde spirituel et endurer la souffrance de notre humanité. Notre proximité de Jésus est la raison de notre bonheur. Le Seigneur nous montre où pêcher ; où jetter nos filets et il répond à nos besoins.
Il faut vivre ce compagnenage jour après jour afin d'être enraciné dans le Christ.
Suite à la catéchèse, nous avons célébré la messe.
Le pape est arrivé à Madrid aujourd'hui à midi.
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