World Youth Day: cringing at times but rejoicing overall


The world's press is reporting enthusiastically about 3 million people on the beach at Copacabana, participating in the celebration of Mass at the end of World Youth Day. (See for example Daily Mail We need a bigger beach ...) This is delightful to see, and as with previous World Youth Days, I trust that God will bless us with many vocations from this event.

It is heartening to see so many young people gathering for an event explicitly designed to motivate them to evangelise. Much of the good work will be done between themselves, encouraging each other in the Catholic faith and showing that they are not alone in that faith. They also love the Pope because he is the Vicar of Christ - they loved Pope Benedict and Blessed John Paul, and now they love Pope Francis, and they want his blessing and his encouragement.

To be honest, I find myself covering my eyes at times at some of the events though not necessarily the Mass (you can download the booklet with the texts of the Liturgical Celebrations.) Many of the events were greetings and blessings around which there can be a certain leeway, rather like a large-scale school assembly. Mind you, everyone has seen the embarrassing video of the Bishops practising for the arm-waving song which was apparently for Mass. Ho hum, all right then, cringe. Leaving that aside, it was moving to hear of so many young people gathered on the beach for Adoration and Benediction. I'd love to see this as the main event with the Masses held in Churches and broadcast on big screens - most of the crowds at events like this only see the screen anyway.

Following the various hashtags on Twitter, I did feel at times that the one-sentence soundbites extracted from the Holy Father's addresses were like a string of gospel-themed fortune cookies, so I have instead gone to the actual texts. There is a Vatican page with the list of events, and texts of the addresses. (Not all have English translations yet, but it is a convenient "one-stop" shop.)

 My favourite quotation so far is from the meeting with young people from Argentina:
Please do not water down your faith in Jesus Christ. We dilute fruit drinks – orange, apple, or banana juice, but please do not drink a diluted form of faith. Faith is whole and entire, not something that you water down. It is faith in Jesus. It is faith in the Son of God made man, who loved me and who died for me. So then: make yourselves heard; take care of the two ends of the population: the elderly and the young; do not allow yourselves to be excluded and do not allow the elderly to be excluded. Secondly: do not “water down” your faith in Jesus Christ.
So although I share some of the reservations people have about WYD, I am positive overall, both for the young people who were there and for the positive image that it gives of the Church to people around the world. I am told by friends in Rome that the Pope is known for regularly spending significant periods of prayer in front of the Blessed Sacrament. (As he is living at the Domus Sanctae Marthae, this is not particularly a secret.) This should be a great consolation for all of us. Let us pray for him every day.

Thanks to NLM for The Part of World Youth Day that You Haven't Seen, Pontifical High Mass according to the usus antiqior, celebrated by Bishop Rifan.



Just for the record, the Apostolic Administration of St John Vianney does not only celebrate the liturgy, they also have schools, orphanages, a house for the elderly and they work actively with the poor.

Popular posts from this blog

1962 Missal pdf online

The Church Music Association of America and Jeffrey Tucker of the New Liturgical Movement have made available the 1962 Missal online in pdf format (72Mb). The file is hosted at Musica Sacra , the website of the CMAA, thanks to a generous gift from Fr Robert Skeris While you are at it, take a look at the articles clarifying the rules for music at Low Mass and music at High Mass .
Read more

Plenary indulgences not impossible

Dilexit Prior in Letters from a Young Catholic asked some useful questions today about indulgences. I thought it would be best to do a post here especially to cover the controversial question of detachment from venial sin. But first the other questions: The conditions for gaining a plenary indulgence Pope Paul VI set down a number of norms relating to indulgences at the end of Indulgentiarum Doctrina . Norm 7 states: To acquire a plenary indulgence it is necessary to perform the work to which the indulgence is attached and to fulfil three conditions: sacramental confession, Eucharistic Communion and prayer for the intentions of the Supreme Pontiff. It is further required that all attachment to sin, even to venial sin, be absent. If this disposition is in any way less than complete, or if the prescribed three conditions are not fulfilled, the indulgence will be only partial, except for the provisions contained in n.11 for those who are “impeded.” It is worth reading the other norms bec
Read more

Request for Novena to Blessed Pius IX

Image
A priest friend of mine is ill in hospital. He has a special devotion to Blessed Pius IX. Could I ask you, of your charity, to say a Novena for his speedy recovery. Novena In Honour of Blessed Pius IX Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, hear our prayers and glorify your servant Pius IX, who consecrated the Universal Church to you. (Our Father...) O Mary conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to you, hear our prayer and glorify your servant Pius IX who declared you Immaculate. (Hail Mary...) Saint Joseph, spouse of the most pure Virgin Mary, hear our prayer and glorify your servant Pius IX who declared you the Patron of the Universal Church. (Glory be...) Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, Immaculate Mary, our Hope, and Saint Joseph hear our prayers and glorify your servant Pius IX , granting to us through his merits and intercessions the graces which we ardently desire: that the glory of God be revealed through Father's illness. (Our Father..., Hail Mary..., Glory be
Read more

Saint Gabriel

Image
The angels call for our veneration and awe as part of God’s creation. Part of the destructive modernism of the 1970s included advice to Catholic school teachers that they should not talk to children about angels. This wrought lasting damage which continues to need rectifying. We should include in our prayers a heartfelt recourse to our own Guardian Angels. The Archangel Gabriel “God is my strength” would be terrifying were he to appear to any of us. Our Lady was “troubled” at the word of Saint Gabriel and wondered at the manner of the salutation. Immediately, according to his mission, the awesome messenger explained himself. Modern retelling of the event is often reduced to the jejune “Mary said Yes to God”. In fact, she said “Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it done to me according to thy word”. This conveys more accurately the flawless faith and trust of the Immaculata. In the infinitely wise providence of the Father, we now know the structure of the event in even more detai
Read more

God bless America!

Image
I wish you all a very happy Fourth of July over there in the land of the free and the home of the brave. I thought I was a bit late but then realised that it is still early evening for you. I hope you had an enjoyable day. For the video this year, here is Kate Smith IN 1938 introducing the new composition "God Bless America."
Read more