Homily for 17 th Sunday of OT- Year C: WYD! Are the WYD a massive waste of the Church s time and money? Are

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1 Homily for 17 th Sunday of OT- Year C: WYD! Are the WYD a massive waste of the Church s time and money? Are they nothing more than a big Catholic rock concert, pumping young adults up with excitement about the faith and then leaving them empty when they return home? Could the money not be better spent on the poor? IS this really the best use of Pope Francis time and energy? And the big one, is it all for not cause young adults are simply abandoning the faith in troves anyways, can a week of prayer, catechesis and friendship really make a difference? I say yes it can! The fruits bore from the WYD which began in St. Peter s square in 1986 have only just begun to be realized. The steady rise in vocations to the priesthood and religious life during the pontificates of JPII and Benedict XVI and it appears under Francis is but one sign of their importance. The countless numbers of young Catholic married couples who meet at WYD have dubbed it the ultimate Catholic matchmaking event on the planet. But WYD is more than just getting more vocations, it is an example of this New Evangelization that the popes have spoken fondly of over the past little while, to reinvigorate the

2 faith which is ever ancient and ever new to countries and cultures that were once deeply Catholic and have suffered a crisis of faith and practice. Why should we continue supporting WYD? I can only really offer my own experience of how it changed my life forever and I am confident that my experience was not an isolated one but one that others can attest to. When I stood beneath the Eiffel Tower in 1997 waiting to catch a glimpse of JPII drive by in the Popemobile, it was my first real experience of the Universal Church. Like most Catholics, our Catholic world is our parish, its activities, it Masses, its parishioners, etc. This is our home, we grow up here, we receive our sacraments here, we learn what it means to be Catholic yet it is but a glimpse of this universal catholic family, which the Book of Revelation reminds us is made of every tribe and tongue and kingdom and nation, of every race, language, culture and demographic. To stand in a crowd of 1 million plus Catholics, trading trinkets from our various countries, singing songs in multiple languages and then being united in one deafening cheer as Peter entered the crowd, it was life changing! Maybe there was only a few of my Catholic friends

3 back home who went to Church, but there were countless others and sisters in Christ surrounding me that day, and though I will never know most of them in this life, we are united as the Body of Christ! From that day one my understanding of the Church radically changed, it was so much more than just my little parish back home as important to me as it is, it is a Church I can be welcomed to and at home the world over, in different languages, with slightly different styles of Mass celebration, with differing architectures and devotional practices, they are all a part of who I am as a Catholic! WYD is also essential for our world as it makes the Pope real in your life. He is really Peter, not just the political leader of our faith, he is really Peter, holding the keys Jesus gave to the Galilean fisherman, who is our Papa, our protector and our inspiration. This was burned into my soul in Madrid two years ago at the final vigil in an ant ridden dust bowl that they had organized as the place of the final WYD Mass. They pilgrimage to the stop was grueling in +40 heat and most of the day was a big party complete with fire trucks housing down the heat stroke inflicted crowd, dance music pumping through the speakers and people

4 moving around trading hats, stories and having a great time. Then evening came and finally Benedict appeared. The cheer was deafening and there stood the shy German, awkward waving and smiling to the crowd. Now many have said the man has no flare for the sensational minus those lovely red shoes I so dearly missed, but he did surprise us that night. Out of the stage suddenly appeared the famous monstrance of Toledo, 9 feet tall and the most stunning throne of our Eucharistic Lord to have ever been crafted. The monstrance slowly rose out up of the stage to deafening cheers. Then with a gentle word, Benedict asked that we join him in prayer, that we spend a few minute with him in silence to worship the Lord. At that the crowd silenced, Peter placed our Lord in the monstrance and knelt in adoration. We all responded in turn, some kneeling, some sitting, some standing, and silence, there was but a soft hum in air, some praying silently in groups, some singing softly, others staring at the large screens that were fixed on the Lord and Peter praying for us all. I wanted to cry I was so moved, for 15 minutes silence and prayer and then Peter got up and the monstrance descending back into the stage to deafening cheers and the party began once again! Only the

5 vicar of Christ, the bishop of Rome, the servant of the servants of God could do that, to draw us all in not to glorify the Pope but to help us direct our gaze to Jesus and affirm that the Lord is true to his word, behold I am with you always, until the end of the world. And why else do we need WYD? Whether you are physically able to be there or watching the events unfold from a far, now with all the convince of twitter, Facebook and multiple Catholic TV stations, the message you are called to walk away with can change you forever if you all it to. Pope Francis choose to retain the theme of this WYD that Benedict had declared prior to his abdication, that of go and make disciples of all nations. In typical Francis fashion, he spent this past week putting this theme into action. Not only did he meet the youth, celebrate Mass with them and meet dignitaries and what not, he also went on pilgrimage to a shrine dedicated to Our Mother Mary whom he has shown in the past few months he has a very tender affection, he went to hospitals and even one of Rio s roughest favelas where the poorest of the poor languish. Did his visit fix all their problems? No. But he certainly came to them to show that Christ, present among his people, compels

6 each of us to go to those in need, not to be mere humanitarians and fix the world problems, but as an ambassador of Christ, that he is alive in his people, not some myth of the past, he works in and through his people if they just allow him to move their hearts! The Church is a young, energetic and beautiful, regardless of how young or old we may be, it will never perish and it is very alive in the world today. WYD makes it visible for 2 weeks every few years, but God forbid it stop there. No it is suppose to be an injection of grace and zeal into all our lives, yes Lord we are to get out there and make disciples, give us the courage to do so!