B16 Opening Message WYD

Build Your Lives Upon the Firm Foundation of Christ"

ADDRESS OF POPE BENEDICT XVI
OPENING MESSAGE OF THE 26TH WORLD YOUTH DAY
PLAZA DE CIBELES
MADRID
18 AUGUST 2011
Dear Friends,

Thank you for the kind words addressed to me by the young people representing the five continents. And I salute with affection all of you gathered here, young people from Oceania, Africa, America, Asia and Europe; and also those unable to be here. I always keep you very much in my heart and pray for you. God has given me the grace to see and hear you for myself and, as we gather together, to listen to his word.

In the reading which has just been proclaimed, we heard a passage from the Gospel which talks of welcoming the words of Jesus and putting them into practice. There are words which serve only to amuse, as fleeting as an empty breeze; others, to an extent, inform us; those of Jesus, on the other hand, must reach our hearts, take root and bloom there all our lives. If not, they remain empty and become ephemeral. They do not bring us to him and, as a result, Christ stays remote, just one voice among the many others around us which are so familiar. Furthermore, the Master who speaks teaches, not something learned from others, but that which he himself is, the only one who truly knows the path of man towards God, because he is the one who opened it up for us, he made it so that we might have authentic lives, lives which are always worth living, in every circumstance, and which not even death can destroy. The Gospel continues, explaining these things with the evocative image of someone who builds on solid rock, resistant to the onslaught of adversity, and in contrast to someone who builds on sand – we would say today in what appears a paradise – but which collapses with the first gust of wind and falls into ruins.

Dear young people, listen closely to the words of the Lord, that they may be for you "spirit and life" (Jn 6:63), roots which nourish your being, a rule of life which likens us – poor in spirit, thirsting for justice, merciful, pure in heart, lovers of peace – to the person of Christ. Listen regularly every day as if he were the one friend who does not deceive, the one with whom we wish to share the path of life. Of course, you know that when we do not walk beside Christ our guide, we get lost on other paths, like the path of our blind and selfish impulses, or the path of flattering but self-serving suggestions, deceiving and fickle, which leave emptiness and frustration in their wake.

Use these days to know Christ better and to make sure that, rooted in him, your enthusiasm and happiness, your desire to go further, to reach the heights, even God himself, always hold a sure future, because the fullness of life has already been placed within you. Let that life grow with divine grace, generously and without half-measures, as you remain steadfast in your aim for holiness. And, in the face of our weaknesses which sometimes overwhelm us, we can rely on the mercy of the Lord who is always ready to help us again and who offers us pardon in the sacrament of Penance.

If you build on solid rock, not only your life will be solid and stable, but it will also help project the light of Christ shining upon those of your own age and upon the whole of humanity, presenting a valid alternative to all those who have fallen short, because the essentials in their lives were inconsistent; to all those who are content to follow fashionable ideas, they take shelter in the here and now, forgetting true justice, or they take refuge in their own opinions instead of seeking the simple truth.

Indeed, there are many who, creating their own gods, believe they need no roots or foundations other than themselves. They take it upon themselves to decide what is true or not, what is good and evil, what is just and unjust; who should live and who can be sacrificed in the interests of other preferences; leaving each step to chance, with no clear path, letting themselves be led by the whim of each moment. These temptations are always lying in wait. It is important not to give in to them because, in reality, they lead to something so evanescent, like an existence with no horizons, a liberty without God. We, on the other hand, know well that we have been created free, in the image of God, precisely so that we might be in the forefront of the search for truth and goodness, responsible for our actions, not mere blind executives, but creative co-workers in the task of cultivating and beautifying the work of creation. God is looking for a responsible interlocutor, someone who can dialogue with him and love him. Through Christ we can truly succeed and, established in him, we give wings to our freedom. Is this not the great reason for our joy? Isn’t this the firm ground upon which to build the civilization of love and life, capable of humanizing all of us?

Dear friends: be prudent and wise, build your lives upon the firm foundation which is Christ. This wisdom and prudence will guide your steps, nothing will make you fear and peace will reign in your hearts. Then you will be blessed and happy and your happiness will influence others. They will wonder what the secret of your life is and they will discover that the rock which underpins the entire building and upon which rests your whole existence is the very person of Christ, your friend, brother and Lord, the Son of God incarnate, who gives meaning to all the universe. He died for us all, rising that we might have life, and now, from the throne of the Father, he accompanies all men and women, watching continually over each one of us.

I commend the fruits of this World Youth Day to the most holy Virgin Mary, who said "Yes" to the will of God, and teaches us a unique example of fidelity to her divine son, whom she followed to his death upon the Cross.

Let us meditate upon this more deeply in the Stations of the Cross. And let us pray that, like her, our "Yes" to Christ today may also be an unconditional "Yes" to his friendship, both at the end of this Day and throughout our entire lives.

Thank you very much.

WYD update

The wifi has been spotty making it difficult to keep tge blog and pictures updated. i just posted a bunch of new shots to the web. today the bishop joined us for breakfast and the catechesis session. it was great to have him with the group. he even travelled tge subway with us and joined in a few precatachesis songs!!! he really does love spending time with the youth and im sure for all the bishops present the feeling must be profound to be around 20,000 worshiping young people. ive been impressed with the quality of the liturgy. if anyone thinks the young people will have a hard time with the new translation they would be surprised at the resoonse of the young to various traditional hymns and even lati mass parts. There has been some news about protests. apparently they were right outside the hotel. some of the kids got to witness spanish policia at their finest. as much as the press likes to blow things out of proportion there hasn't been much to worry about. i hope it stays that well. generally the people seem greatful we are here. those that arent appear to be godless europeans. good thing we are here.

http://picasaweb.google.com/106202299991712065761

Photos of Santiago de Campostella

Spent today in Santiago de Campostella. Tradition has it that St. James, the brother if St. John, son of Zebedee, and one of the 12 Apostles preached in Spain. After returning to Jerusalem he was beheaded by Herod. His body was returned to Spain by his disciples and forgotten about for over 800 years. In the middle ages a hermit saw stars in a field (campo = field Stella = star) and rediscovered the tomb of the Apostle St. James. The site became a major pilgrimage destination. Thousands hiked the 500 miles from France to Santiago de Campostella every year during the middle ages. Recently there has be a renewal of interest in the pilgrimage. Today they expect 200,000 or more pilgrims per year.

Our pilgrims arrived in the drizzling rain. I hadn't packed a pancho or raincoat. Poor George. I made him a poncho out of a ziplock bag. We got a tour of the city, the cathedral, and saw the tomb of St. James. The cathedral is known for a ginormous incenser that stands about 6 feet tall, take 6-8 grown men to operate, and swings from ceiling to ceiling at speeds of 50 miles per hour. I so totally wanted to see it in action. I even more want to take it home with me but I'm sure I'd over the 50lbs baggage limit for the flight home.

We went to Mass. It was in Spanish. I'm still disappointed I didn't get to see the incenser in action. It's such a different experience to be the "outsider" at Mass to not be able to understand the language, homily, or the readings. We've been to several international masses now. I'm consistently struck by how beautiful the singing at mass is in different cultures. I'm not an ultra trad. but America your music is atrocious.

After mass we had time to wander the city. We had lunch. I ate octopus. We had fun trying to order in Spanish. Some of the young people used the free time to pick up gifts for people back home. The rainy weather made sampling European coffee a more than pleasant experience. In the court yard behind the cathedral a large group of brasilians broke into song and dance. I was hoping more of our youth would jump in. But I think they are shy. I myself must refrain because I killed a 300 person dance/drum circle in Sydney when I jumped in. It was really beginning to feel like world youth day. Hopefully by the time we get to the vigil our youth won't be so shy.

Sent from my iPhone

WYD Santiago

well we have arrived in Santiago Spain. Fatima was amazing. Words really can't describe the experience. Seeing the devotion of the more than 100,000 pilgrims really just can't help but be moving. It was beatutiful. Amazing. So awesome to be part of it. The youth were greatly affected. Tonight we shared some of our experiences. They spoke of for the first time experiencing the caholicity and the universality of the church, they spoke of witnessing the care and love of christians for each other and the poor, the spoke of the beauty of the Mass and how even though very little of it was in english how powerful it was. Some one even remarked how after the lenghy homily in portuguese that it gave them new appeciation for Fr. Nathan's homiles. As far as I am concerned that alone makes the trip a success.

We didnt have wifi in Fatima so I am way behind in updating the blog. Ive tried to keep the twitter wall up to date. It will probably cost me a small fortune in international charges. Now that we are in Santiago i have uploaded some photos. it will take me a while to catch up.

Photos : Traveling to Spain/Portugal
Photos : Santarem, Eucharisic Miracle
Photos : Fatima

We are now at our terminal in the Boston airport. It took a little while to clear security. Lately my rosary seems to be giving TSA some issues. I got a full pat down. I know I think the rosary is a weapon (against evil) but seriously TSA?!?

We left Portland in the drizzling rain. We boarded two buses. 68 pilgrims. It was great to see so many parents there to see the youth off. Michael Lavigne from the Office of Life Long Faith Foration greeted us in the name of the bishop. And then we were off. On the bus Sarah went over the itinerary. I'm excited to be in Fatima tomorrow. We played and "On the Bus Scavenger Hunt" to learn more about eachother. A few of the youth speak Spanish. at least two have never flown before. i found out that some snore- ill have to keep that in mind when planning my locaion for the evening vigil.

Right now we are waiting to board the flight to Madrid which departs in less than an hour. Some of the youth have ransacked Starbucks. Some of the adults are exchanging money. I went looking for a Sd card to ipad adapter because i forgot mine at home (may take me a while to get some photos up on the blog). some of the kids are reading. Tara and Lizzy are havinga conversation, several conversations, with me and i have been blogging and oblivious- how rude!!

ill check when we arrive in spain.

It ain't homophobia

"As analysts running the gamut from Hannah Arendt to Leszek Kolakowski understood, modern totalitarian systems were, at bottom, attempts to remake reality by redefining reality and remaking human beings in the process. Coercive state power was essential to this process, because reality doesn’t yield easily to remaking, and neither do people. In the lands Communism tried to remake, the human instinct for justice—justice that is rooted in reality rather than ephemeral opinion—was too strong to change the way tastemakers change fashions in the arts. Men and women had to be coerced into accepting, however sullenly, the Communist New Order, which was a new metaphysical, epistemological, and moral order—a New Order of reality, a new set of “truths,” and a new way of living “in harmony with society,” as late-bureaucratic Communist claptrap had it.

The twenty-first-century state’s attempt to redefine marriage is just such an attempt to redefine reality—in this case, a reality that existed before the state, for marriage as the union of a man and a woman ordered to mutual love and procreation is a human reality that existed before the state. And a just state is obliged to recognize, not redefine, it.

Moreover, marriage and the families that are built around marriage constitute one of the basic elements of civil society, that free space of free associations whose boundaries the just state must respect. If the twenty-first-century democratic state attempts to redefine something it has neither the capacity nor the authority to refine, it can only do so coercively. That redefinition, and its legal enforcement, is a grave encroachment into civil society."

If the state can redefine marriage and enforce that redefinition, it can do so with the doctor-patient relationship, the lawyer-client relationship, the parent-child relationship, the confessor-penitent relationship, and virtually every other relationship that is woven into the texture of civil society. In doing so, the state does serious damage to the democratic project. Concurrently, it reduces what it tries to substitute for reality to farce."

article by George Weigel

It Ain’t Homophobia

19th Sunday of Ordinary Time

Readings: 1st Kings 19:9, 11-13; Romans 9:1-5; Matthew 14:22-33

Listen to the homily.

I don't know if you have ever been in a really scary situation and how you dealt with it. Me, I'm afraid of heights. I remember one summer my family went to the water park. At the top of the waterslide I looked down and became paralyzed. After several agonizing minutes, and annoying the people behind me in line, I finally climbed down. I couldn't do it. I don't know if you are scared of heights; if you've ever had to climb down a waterslide? Even if you haven't, we all have to deal with scary situations from time to time. We all have to cope with our fears.

It seems to me many people would rather live with the burdens and dangers they know, than risk stepping out into an unknown situation where things could get worse- or better. I see it all the time: the couple who suffers a lackluster marriage rather than working on their marriage and risk "rocking the boat"; or the person who works for many years in a job that affects their physical, psychological or emotional health rather than takes the risk of putting together a resume, looking for a new job, moving or starting their own business; I see it in the teenagers who will suffer abuse and mistreatment from so-called friends, or give up on chastity, because they are afraid to risk being alone or disliked.

We all have to deal with scary situations from time to time. We all have to learn to cope with our fears. The question is: how are we as Christians to deal with them? In the Gospel today, during a terrible storm at sea, the Lord came to his disciples walking on the water. He told them, "Take courage and be not afraid!" So, how are we to deal with our fears? Jesus says courage.

Now courage is not the opposite of cowardice. The opposite of cowardice is recklessness. In the Gospel we have an example of both. The disciples in the boat were fearful to the point of inaction. They were paralyzed. If they could have turned around and climbed down the proverbial waterslide, they would have. Then there is Peter. Peter's action was the extreme opposite. He recklessly jumped out of the boat. But that doesn't make him courageous. I made him reckless. He had no fear. As soon as he became aware of his situation, he panicked and began to drown. Neither the disciples cowering in the boat, nor Peter recklessly jumping out of the boat are good examples for us of how to deal with our fears.

If courage isn't recklessness, then what is it? What does it look like? Aristotle defines courage as a virtue. It is an act of understanding our fears and the ability to overcome those fears. As Catholics we speak of "fortitude" -one of the 4 cardinal virtues. The catechism says "Fortitude assures firmness in difficulties and constancy in the pursuit of the good." Basically, courage is the power by which we overcome our fears. So isn't a feeling or an emotion. Courage isn't fearlessness. In fact, fear is sort of a prerequisite, because it is the overcoming of fear for the sake of the good that makes an action courageous.

In the Gospel, after initially being reckless, Peter found himself drowning. Aware of his danger, he was finally afraid, and in that fear, he demonstrated real courage. He turned to the Lord and exclaimed, "Lord, save me!" That's courage. It is courage rooted in knowledge and humility. That's what courage looks like. That's what it means to "Take courage and be not afraid!"

My brothers and sisters, being a Christian doesn't mean “no fear.” We all have our waterslides moments. We have them so we might tap into the source of courage and become stronger. When the storms of life come, the challenge is to "Take courage and be not afraid." We need not cower, nor be paralyzed. Neither should we be reckless and jump right in. When the moment comes, we should reach out to Jesus, just as Peter did, and say "Lord, save me!"

In the arms of Christ, Peter overcame his fear. In the Eucharist, Jesus is as present to us today as He was to Peter on the sea. And just as Jesus stretched out his arms to Peter- just as He stretched out his arms on the Cross- in the Eucharist, Jesus continues to stretch out his arms to us today. The Eucharist is the key to fortitude. It is the source of Christian courage. When we receive Holy Communion, when we kneel before the Tabernacle or fix our gaze on the Blessed Sacrament in adoration, we have the opportunity, like Peter, to be courageous. We have all we need to face our fears. "Take courage, be not afraid!"