Anne Lastman

Now that the noise and kerfuffle about World Youth Day 2023 has died down I would like to add some ideas of my own.  I have never been to a WYD being an oldie. However, I have to admit upfront that I am a huge fan of World Youth Day, a time for youth from around the world to gather together, for prayer, worship, friendships, catechesis, sharing of faith journey and of course the highlight of being present with the Holy Father, Pope Francis this year, and other previous Popes beginning with St John Paul ll and onwards, who was inspired to bring the young together  as he celebrates Holy Mass and to receive his blessing. WYD is not only an encounter with the Chief Shepherd and hundreds of thousands of young people gathering together to share their faith, journey, and life stories but along the way it’s a pilgrimage. A journey inward in order to be able to “put out into the deep”.

This event, this year in Portugal and the next one in four years’ time in South Korea, and other places like Buenos Aires, Manila, Sydney, Krakow, and God willing more to come.

I would call it an Olympiad for God.  Representatives from around the world. Spiritual games with all nations participating.  And it’s so wonderful to see the young connect with other young like-minded people irrespective of race, colour, or creed.  All who want to go to these Olympiads are welcome.

Daily reports this year (from Portugal the country of Fatima) highlighted the activities, the connections, the clergy beginning from Cardinals, Archbishops, Bishops, priests mixing together let me think and see an image of how God sees his creations, His world, beautiful,  

There were and have been the negative naysayers those who looked for the wrong of which there was none.

The comments that there was no adoration, that lay individuals distributed communion, that chalices and monstrance were placed below, or above boxes and no reverence shown to the blessed Lord. Oh, this so wrong according to critics, but not commenting about the thousands of young people on their knees praying in utter silence. This on rough ground. Silently praying.  This youth, who is so criticised around the globe, kneeling, praying, and adoring. 

The outrage that was heard from the usual crowd and their reporters about the disrespect for Jesus in the blessed Eucharist and forgetting the great respect of the young who travelled thousands of kilometres just wanting to be with others like them and loving Jesus together.

The ugly reports that the blessed Eucharist was placed in plastic containers or “Tupperware” were so dishonest.  The blessed hosts were placed in ciboriums and into plastic containers for transport and protection and then placed in tents for adoration and to be distributed the following day at the Holy Mass with the Holy Father, the Chief Shepherd.

The dishonesty and pharasaical behaviour of the same critical group, beggars belief.  And one must ask “why did they bother going?” Or was it to find more fodder to criticise the Church and its Shepherd.

Is it me or did the images remind us of the thousands who used to gather around Jesus to listen to him speak to them. To teach them. To comfort them and to give them hope.  Were these young not doing the same? Gathering around their shepherds and their Chief Shepherd to listen and hear.

Are these events every four years a very visible sign of the words of Jesus saying, “let the children come to me” and the children en mass go to Him. Are these ways showing us who lived a long time away from the time of Jesus walking the earth ways of seeing  the visible living Gospel?

And the controversy about the tents within which rested the Ciboriums, (guarded) and being adored quietly also demons from hell who could not stand the idea that the Blessed Lord was amongst his people, and they loved and adored him?

As I write this, I’m feeling very emotional thinking about the marvellous ways (without us even realising) that the Gospels are brought to life in so many ways and yet we miss them.  The Gospels are brought to life so that Jesus is again teaching surrounded by those who come to listen.

At this event there are so many ways of both experiencing the faith and of meeting.  I am also reminded that this is a golden spiritual Olympics. An agenda full of events and full of charisms brought from around the world with the conclusion of the three-day event, the closing ceremony, celebration of Holy Mass with “Chief Alter Jesus?” Does this remind us of something of long ago?  Why is it that we cannot see that Jesus, God walk, in our midst and yet not seen. Like Emmaus maybe?

One of the so called “horrible”, “pagan” events which sent social media into meltdown and was harped upon by the usual catholic church and Pope Francis critics was a gathering of young in costumes to sing and dance in their time and style and their DJ was a priest.  And the song/refrain was “all we are saying is give peace a chance”. (John Lennon) Over and over and priest smiling with joy at the young people. And it turns out that the priest was not a “modernist,” “leftie” but a very traditional priest who has understood the young and gathers them into the fold in ways that they understand.

It has been said that a very real miracle occurred at this WYD (the return of sight) but for this we await the voice of the Church, but for me the lasting image looking on from afar, is the image of the young disabled man in wheelchair being lifted high so that he too could see the Holy Father. His friends lifted him up high and looking at the image of him and the joy in his face was something we have no earthly words for, and again this as in the Gospel brought to life another story where four “loyal friends, helping their friend who was paralysed, or unable to walk, lifted him (on mat) and in this case  on his chair to look straight at Christ’s representative and he also be able to see him. (MK2:3-11)

This is World Youth Day and our Living Gospel.  

This is the race to find Jesus……God’s Olympiads.