A Reflection
As we know World Youth Day which was held in Cologne was a great success, for all those who participated and also those who observed from a distance.
It also provided many with an opportunity to gain a glimpse into what shapes our Holy Father, Pope Benedict XVI, and what he finds important for our youth to reflect on.
Many wondered if the shadow of our greatly loved late Pope John Paul II would overshadow Pope Benedict XVI input, suffice to say it did not, for this was an occasion of thanksgiving for all who participated in it.
But it did reveal where our Pope Benedict XVI has placed some of his priorities, and in conversing with the youth in Cologne it also softened the hardliner perception many have about our Pope.
Our Holy Father listened attentively to all he spoke with in a spirit of mutual respect, but also with authority, in loving and thought provoking conversations that he had with various groups.
For too those he spoke with, the Pope emphasised the importance of a personal relationship with our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, and also to help them understand the great significance of the Liturgy and the Traditions of our Church.
Pope Benedict XVI came across as a seeker, a listener, a humble soul only to willing to learn from those he was listening too, but also as a teacher of our Great Faith and how much he loves the Church.
The Pope spoke with the voice of authority, as he encouraged and exhorted all to embrace the meaning of the Liturgy, to begin and work on a personal relationship with Jesus through prayer. And also he emphasised the need for our youth to give of themselves in service to others.
As a true Shepherd, Pope Benedict XVI realises that all head knowledge though needed is not the entirety of a person’s life. But that in order for our young to be well grounded they also need to learn heart knowledge and to foster compassion for the less fortunate in society.
He reiterated the importance of true Reverence for the Mass, as we worship God in all His Majesty and this is done through the observance of correct Liturgy. The Pope also encouraged prayer and works of mercy for those who are sick, lonely or poor, whilst never losing sight of the individual person at such a huge event.
Many of our youth came away with a different impression of Pope Benedict XVI, in that he is a humble man, a teacher and philosopher in the spiritual sense, and also an impish sense of humour, which he displayed at various times to the delight of all.
Maybe the media too will catch on to what our youth have acknowledged that this is a man after God's own heart.
To finish here are some quotes from The Pope
"Today there are many forms of voluntary assistance, models of mutual service, of which our society has urgent need. We must not, for example, abandon the elderly to their solitude; we must not pass by when we meet people who are suffering. If we think and live according to our communion with Christ, then our eyes will be opened. Then we will no longer be content to scrape a living just for ourselves."
"I know that you as young people have great aspirations that you want to pledge yourselves to build a better world. Let others see this, let the world see it, since this is exactly the witness that the world expects from the disciples of Jesus Christ."
Peace of Christ to you ALL
Copyright © 2005 Marie Smith. All rights reserved.
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