Catholic and Loving it!

What is the opposite of kicking a man while he's down? Lifting a man while he's up? Supporting a man while he's doing good? Whatever it is, I'd like to do it to Fr John Paul Leonard of the Diocesan Youth Service who most definitely did good when he wrote this.

First the new. The emphasis was on new praise by worship music. On three mornings we joined thousands of youngsters who danced, sang and clapped as they were led by young people exercising their ministry of musical talents with drums, guitars, cellos, etc.

Good music is crucial if not essential in this new evangelisation, and youngsters can succeed.

Fr John Paul Leonard leaves it ambiguous, so I'm curious whether the praise and worship music was taking place during mass. The mass I saw (on the big screen) featured rather a lot more Gregorian Chant than worship music.

And now the old, an emphasis on Eucharistic adoration. There was a church two doors from the hotel where a large part of the day was allocated to Adoration. One night at 11o’clock as I was on my way home, I noticed that a light was on in the church. It was open so I went inside and saw that the church was jam-packed with youngsters on the benches and on the floor kneeling and bowing deep in prayer.

Yes! Yes! Yes! Eucharistic Adoration is the KEY to evangelisation.

There is also a renewed emphasis on beauty; vestments, music (classical mainly), prayer - the Salve Regina, the Pater Noster, the Tantum Ergo and Benediction.

It could be a glitch in the diocesan website, but that sounded like latin to me. Definite yes to beauty... young people are post-post-modernists. The whole "put puke on the wall and talk about how deep and meaningful it is" thing is over. Young people want to walk in to church and think Wow! instead of What?

A beautiful feature of World Youth Day was the number of confessions you hear as a priest. Wherever you go priests are requested to make themselves available for confession.

Yes! Yes! Yes!

World Youth Day really tried to recreate the power of Pentecost; a call to the Holy Spirit to help us to become holy, to be saints. Let ‘Be a saint’ be your motto for life.

So what can I bring back from World Youth Day to my own parish? How can we be changed by World Youth Day?

There are many things. One is a determination to continue good things, with particular emphasis on community, families, integrated Catholic lifestyle; the belief that Catholic lifestyle is the best lifestyle.

"integrated Catholic lifestyle" - that's not a phrase I've heard before but it's one I'd like to hear again.

Music. I am interested in musicians and have heard new tunes which have captivated youngsters in worship and faith events.

What about old tunes which have captivated youngsters?

Adoration. How can we build upon our prayer life and especially our relationship with the Blessed Sacrament?

Yes! Yes! Yes!

Confession. How can we recapture the practice and use of confession and become so grateful for and open to the conversion and conversation in this sacrament?

A good question.

World Youth Day is a rallying call to the young and not so young to rejoice, to seek the Holy Spirit and the person of Christ, and to love the Father. It is a call for us to be holy and active and joyful in our faith. Are we ready to say our own “Yes!” to this call?

Yes!