1 a message of hope Dear friends, For me one of the most memorable moments of the WYD week was during the Vigil on the Saturday night. After the Ceremony of the Light, the Testimonies of the young people, the Holy Father s address and invocation of the Holy Spirit, we all knelt in silent prayer before the Blessed Sacrament. It was an eerie and deeply moving thing to hear the silence of 300,000 young worshippers, kneeling reverently at Randwick, behind Pope Benedict XVI. In July 2007, one year prior to WYD08, we launched a campaign to introduce (or reinforce) Eucharistic Adoration in every parish, school, chaplaincy and group for at least one hour weekly. As Jesus said to his apostles in the Garden Can you Young people do want to contemplate Christ, they are searching for meaning, for silence and for answers to their questions. IN THIS ISSUE 3 Faith Foundations 4 Pilgrim Prayer 5 Inspired Writings 6 Testimony of Faith 7 Saints and Witnesses 8 Place of Pilgrimage
2 a message of hope not spend one () There were, of course, some who were already undertaking this at the time, and in a few cases there was evidence of great generosity of time and spirit. For many, however, this ancient and beautiful practice of the Church was not present in their Christian life. We called this the Holy Hour of Power a title alluding to the hour of prayer itself and the power of the Holy Spirit received in this act of worship of the Incarnate and Eucharistic presence. Just prior to our launch Pope Benedict XVI made some statements about adoration and young people on the feast of Corpus Christi. He indicated that many young people are discovering the love of God through the practice of time spent before the Blessed Sacrament, and strongly encouraged pastors to lead young people to Christ in this way. Undoubtedly, the World Youth Days have played a significant role in this rediscovery. The twofold theme of WYD08 was, put simply, Spirit and Witness or Grace and Mission or gift and response. It offers a multitude of possibilities for formation. We took as many of them as we could, but we wanted especially to focus on spending time with Jesus. We are convinced that to be Christ s witnesses we need to be with him, to sit in silence, to let him love us, to love him in return, to listen to his word, to pour out our hearts in total trust. There is an old expression you become like those you spend time with. This is so true of time with Jesus. Only He can transform us and empower us with the Holy Spirit from the Father so that we can love others with His love, so that we can bring hope to others, so that we can serve others. The first requirement to be an Apostle in the Gospel of Mark was to be with him. The second, to be sent out to preach (Mk 3:14) was predicated on the first. Jesus sends us out to witness to him, and in order to send us he requires us to first come to him. We have seen in the preparation to WYD08 and in the incredible events of that week in July that the Holy Father s words are pertinent in Australia. Young people do want to contemplate Christ, they are searching for meaning, for silence and for answers to their questions. In short, they are searching for Christ, even if it is not always clear to them that their search for justice and truth and beauty and goodness is ultimately a desire for communion with God. In Eucharistic adoration this desire for communion is fuelled and nourished, and it is then realised in Holy Communion in the Liturgy of the Mass. As we continue our pilgrimage towards Eternal Communion with the Trinity in inexpressible Heavenly happiness, let us do all in our power to lead young people and indeed ourselves to be with Jesus in Eucharistic Adoration. BISHOP anthony fisher op wyd08 coordinator
faith foundations Will you not spend and hour with me? () In our excessively busy and complex lives, the words of Jesus to us by way of his disciples: to stay with him an hour in prayercan seem impractical or pointless or something only older or holier people do. We might say: I have too much to do!, My attention span isn t up to it!, It seems like a waste of time! I get distracted. The type of prayer that Jesus asks from his disciples in Chapter 26 of St Matthew s Gospel is set in the Garden of Gethsemene just before his Passion and death. It is primarily not about doing, or performance or even about mental gymnastics. A few verses earlier in this Gospel, Jesus says to his sleepy and distracted disciples: My soul is sorrowful even to death. Remain here and keep watch with me. (Matthew 26:38) The essence of prayer is being present and uniting ourselves to the love and even to the suffering of Jesus Christ. It means waiting on the Lord with an open, patient and ready heart. It was Matthew 26 which inspired the particular Catholic prayertime called Holy Hour. This important expression of prayer and spirituality can take a variety of forms. A Holy Hour can be kept by one person or a group, it can be shared by lay people or consecrated communities; it can involve the recitation of special prayers or the wordless contemplation of the Mystery of God s nearness to us in the Sacrament. It can be in a Church or in the privacy of one s own room. A most important form of keeping vigil with the Lord for a dedicated hour is Eucharistic. It involves being silent and attentively present to the Real Presence of Jesus Christ in the Blessed Sacrament of the Eucharist. Jesus Christ promised to be present in his Church until the end of time. But we often forget that He is present in Catholic Churches, reserved in the Tabernacle of a Church or altar. This attitude of wonder, worship and humility before Jesus in the Sacrament is called Eucharistic Adoration. Adoration is takes me out of myself and out and upwards towards God so that we can really find ourselves. Patience and time in a Holy Hour can transform our ability to love, to recognise the truth and to have the strength to be a follower of Jesus today. In adoration we let loose the sails of lives and hearts so that they can be filled with the powerful breath of the Holy Spirit. 3
4 pilgrim prayer The following scriptures and prayers provide a guide for a Holy Hour, found in the Holy Hour of Power Kit available on the website, WYD08 Eucharistic Adoration Campaign. Scripture John 6:51 I am the living bread that came down from heaven. Whoever eats of this bread will live forever; and the bread that I will give is my flesh for the life of the world. Prayer Lord Jesus Christ, Eternal Son of God made man, you come to me now from God our Father so humbly in the form of bread. You are truly present. You remain with me in this Sacrament so that I can be lifted to heaven. Living Bread, nourish me for this life and all its daily needs, and may my Sunday communion with you extend your mission in the world. Lord Jesus I love you. Prayer in silence (15 minutes) Scripture John 13:6-9 He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, Lord, are you going to wash my feet? Jesus answered, You do not know now what I am doing, but later you will understand. Peter said to him, You will never wash my feet. Jesus answered, Unless I wash you, you have no share with me. Simon Peter said to him, Lord, not my feet only but also my hands and my head! Prayer Lord Jesus, you came to me not to be served but to serve. In your presence I am being washed by your love. I desire to receive your healing, mercy and strength. I open my heart to you and all that needs washing. Scripture John 7:37-38 On the last day of the festival, the great day, while Jesus was standing there, he cried out, Let anyone who is thirsty come to me, and let the one who believes in me drink. As the Scripture has said, From his heart shall flow rivers of living water. Prayer Lord Jesus, you allowed your heart to be pierced on the cross to reveal the infinite love of the Father, the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. Send me your Spirit that I might be your witness in the world today. Come Holy Spirit. Prayer in silence (15 minutes) The Last Word Jesus, I must soon leave You, but I carry away with me the memory of Your love which is an inspiration to come and visit You again in the Most Blessed Sacrament very soon. Until my next visit, I leave my heart, in spirit, before Your Eucharistic Presence. Let its every beat tell You how much I love You and that I am longing to soon be in Your Presence again. Bless me before I go, dear Jesus. Bless my home and all my undertakings. Bless my family and friends and bless, also, my enemies. Amen. Prayer in silence (15 minutes)
5 inspired writings Excerpt on Eucharistic Adoration; Angelus for Corpus Christi 2007, Pope Benedict XVI Click here to access the excerpt Every time that the priest renews the Eucharistic Sacrifice, in the prayer of consecration he repeats: This is my Body... this is my Blood. He says this lending his voice, hands and heart to Christ, who wanted to stay with us and be the heartbeat of the Church. However, after the celebration of the divine Mysteries, the Lord Jesus remains alive in the tabernacle; for this reason special praise is given to him with Eucharistic adoration, as I wished to recall in the recent Post- Synodal Apostolic Exhortation Sacramentum Caritatis (cf. nn. 66-69). I rejoice to see that many young people are discovering the beauty of adoration, both privately and in groups. I ask priests to encourage these youth groups in their adoration, but also to guide them, to ensure that the form of their community adoration is always appropriate and dignified and that they allow sufficient time for silence and listening to the Word of God. In life today, often noisy and dispersive, it is more important than ever to recover the capacity for inner silence and recollection. Eucharistic adoration permits this not only centred on the I but more so in the company of that You full of love who is Jesus Christ, the God who is near to us. May the Virgin Mary, the Woman of the Eucharist, introduce us into the secret of true adoration. Her humble and simple heart was ever pondering the mystery of Jesus, in whom she adored the presence of God and of his redeeming love. May faith in the Eucharistic Mystery, joy in participating in Holy Mass, especially on Sundays, and enthusiasm in witnessing to Christ s immense love grow throughout the Church through her intercession. Adoration Christ and St John Icon, Benedictine Convent of the Mount of Olives, Jerusalem
6 testimony of faith Secondary school students reflecting on their experience of Eucharistic Adoration Joseph Having experienced Eucharistic Adoration, the Mass is now different for me personally. I no longer go to Church out of routine. It actually means more and I can relate better to God through man. Troy Eucharistic Adoration is like a silent hymn. You can sit there and everybody is praying together. It brings us closer to Christ. It unifies people from different nations as well. Tiffany In Eucharistic Adoration, it s amazing having that intimacy with the Body of Christ. You just want to tell everyone about it. Simone Attending the WYD Mass made my focus on the Eucharist become a lot more real. I didn t really understand what the Eucharist meant to me until I experienced it with the Pope, and with so many other people. Having Adoration made my focus on the Eucharist stronger. It was amazing how everyone looked at it and it helps you to focus on what it is. You can pray and you can reflect. Sonja During Eucharistic Adoration, I found myself more in tune with my faith and asking myself, how can I further show my love for God? Being with people as young as I am and seeing their deep faith was really a cleansing feeling. 1 Sarah During a recent experience of Eucharistic Adoration, we had the opportunity to light our own candle, and to pray for a personal intention. This created a whole spread of lights in front of the Blessed Sacrament. Taking part in Eucharistic Adoration was just an amazing time of being together with other young people and a great opportunity to strengthen my relationship with God. Levia At a recent youth festival, we had time for personal reflection and to rebuild our relationship with God. We took part in Eucharistic adoration where the Blessed Sacrament was placed on the altar, enabling us to enhance our connection with God and benefit through this spiritual experience. This was a new experience for me which I felt was beneficial and should take place more often as I left at peace with myself after this experience.
7 saints and witnesses Saint Mary Faustina Kowalska Born: 25th, August 1905 in the town of Glogowiec, Poland. Died: 5th October, 1938 Cracow, Poland. Patron Saint of: The Divine Mercy of Jesus, Patron of WYD08 Representation in Religious Art: a young religious sister in black habit and veil. Feast Day: 5th October. Divine Mercy Sunday - First Sunday after Easter. Helena Kowalska was born into a faithful, large and very poor Polish family. At the age of 16 in order to help her family, she became a housekeeping assistant in several different towns. Despite these hardships, Helena from a young age began to experience the types of mystical visions, insights and interior life which are more familiar in the lives of the Church s greats such as Saints Francis of Assisi, Catherine of Genoa and Catherine of Siena. Although she was sure that she would consecrate her life in religious vows, Helena because of her lack of education found it difficult to find a convent which would accept her. She finally entered the Sisters of Our Lady of Mercy and at the age of 21 she was professed taking the name Sr Mary Faustina. In each of the convents in which she lived, Sr Faustina occupied the simplest and most humble roles: cook, door-keeper and gardener. During this time her mystical experiences became more specific- she experienced mystical conversations and visions of Jesus Christ and the saints, experiences of visiting Purgatory and also unseen stigmata (the wounds shared with Jesus). Sr Faustina although she was only semiliterate, recorded many of these experiences in a spiritual diary which was later published as a book entitled: Divine Mercy in My Soul. She believed that Jesus wanted her to sacrifice her life in the mission to encourage each person around the world to trust and know God s compassionate heart in an immediate and personal way. She continued to work for this mission until her early death from tuberculosis. An artist s impression of Sr Faustina s mystical vision of the Risen Christ now widely known as Jesus of Divine Mercy has been promoted around the world as part of the Divine Mercy mission. At her Canonization as Saint, Pope John Paul II, who did much to bring universal recognition to Sr Faustina reflected Humanity will not find peace until it turns trustfully to divine mercy. It is not a new message but can be considered a gift of special enlightenment that helps us to relive the Gospel of Easter more intensely, to offer it as a ray of light to the men and women of our time.
8 place of pilgrimage Lanciano Where: Adriatic Coast, Italy Some say that the medieval town of Lanciano takes its name from the word lance the long spear with which the Roman soldier pierced the body of the dead Jesus Christ on the Cross (Mark 15:29 and Jn 19:34) A tradition relates that the centurion, whose name was held to be Longinus, came from the town when it was still called by its ancient Latin name Anxanum. The water and blood of the Saviour is said to have led to the restoration of his physical sight, his conversion and his eventual martyrdom for the faith. The town of Lanciano is also a place of pilgrimage because of two mysterious events which occurred during the consecration of the Blessed Sacrament at a Mass in around 700 AD and again in the 11th century. On the earliest occasion a certain monk-priest was struggling with the Catholic belief in the Real Presence of Jesus in the sacrament of the Eucharist. Despite his many doubts, the monk attempted to say Mass and to complete the consecration of the bread and the wine of the liturgy into the true Body and Blood of Christ. (Normally in the Eucharist the Sacramental Real Presence occurs while the elements still appear as wine and bread). However in this case, the tradition relates, the elements were visibly changed into what appeared to be flesh and blood. This caused a conviction of faith in the priest and a commotion in the area. The most striking aspect of this strange and miraculous event is that the same relics of that ancient event are still present and can be venerated in Lanciano. The relics have been studied by scientists and doctors throughout the history of Lanciano. During the 1970s with the use of powerful tests and microscopes, doctors came to the conclusion that the Relic of the Flesh seems to be taken from the muscle of the human heart, and the Blood can be identified as AB type and has not deteriorated as it would if taken from a corpse. The Church of the Eucharistic Miracle was in 1258 rebuilt by the Franciscan Order and it is today still cared for by the friars. There is also a museum nearby which documents the studies, pilgrimages and devotions which have been focused upon the mysterious relics.