Jul
19
2008
0
By Anonymous (not verified)
Thousands of pilgrims took to the streets of Sydney today, Saturday, July 19, the fifth day of the six-day World Youth Day '08 celebration, presided over by Pope Benedict XVI. They made their way to Randwick Racecourse for a prayer vigil with the Holy Father.
You could call this the "pilgrimage within the pilgrimage," as many youth gathered between 5:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. to walk the nine-kilometer course. As for myself, I began the walk around 12:30 p.m. and finished - yes, I did the whole thing - at about 3:30 p.m.
The walk began in North Sydney and took pilgrims over the Sydney Harbor bridge and down into the city. Since I got a late start, I wasn't really expecting too many pilgrims. Boy was I wrong! To my pleasant surprise, the streets were continually crowded and - at times - literally packed with pilgrims winding their way through the streets (check out the pictures!). The usual enthusiasm accompanied the crowd. Singing, chanting, and flag waving marked the festive movement of the masses. Due to various circumstances, I actually ended up walking by myself. That was probably good because I spent practically the whole time taking pictures and video of this mass movement of people. It was quite the sight to behold.
Everyone made their way to Randwick and packed into the racecourse in time for the 7 p.m. start of the prayer vigil. It was a youth-driven vigil, with the focus heavily on the Holy Spirit. This focus was in accordance with the theme the Holy Father chose for this World Youth Day, taken from words spoken by Jesus Himself to His disciples, as recorded in the Acts of the Apostles: "You shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you shall be my witnesses to the ends of the earth" (1:9).
It was highlighted with young people reading - in different dialects - reflections that highlighted a specific gift of the Holy Spirit. Following this reflection, the Holy Father led a prayer that ended with him invoking one of the patron saints for World Youth Day '08. Pope Benedict then gave his own reflection on the Holy Spirit and how the Holy Spirit helps us to be witnesses in the world.
The Pope, as always, was very thorough in his presentation. He especially emphasized the Holy Spirit's role in creating unity within the Church. In what was a touching moment for me, the Pope reflected on his own relationship with the Holy Spirit. In doing so, he helped us to understand who the Holy Spirit is for us. He mentioned how his parents taught him how to make the sign of the cross, and from this he became familiar with God the Father and God the Son. But the Holy Spirit remained a mystery to Him until he did a personal study as a priest. For this, he looked to St. Augustine. He shared with us the three main points of who the Holy Spirit is for us. Those three being: communion, love, and gift. Read the full transcript of the Holy Father's address.
Throughout the evening, Eucharistic Adoration and opportunities for confessions were made available to the youth. The adoration tent I was in had a couple hundred kids - at 1:30 a.m.! There were about 10 priests on the side hearing confessions.
During the final playing of the World Youth Day theme song, I was able to see on the big screen that this whole gathering visibly moved the Holy Father. His arms were raised in the air, and he had that beaming look on his face. You could tell it definitely wasn't forced. He genuinely was enjoying himself and happy to be there.
World Youth Day ends tomorrow, Sunday, July 20, with the final Mass, which begins 10 a.m. local time and 8 p.m. Saturday on the east coast of the United States.
Concerning the pilgrims, they have a sleep-over at the racetrack to look forward to. The interesting thing about that is it's about 45 degrees Fahrenheit there tonight. Remember this is the middle of the Australian winter.
I have more things to say about World Youth Day. Look for them over the next few days.
