Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Parramatta (Agenzia Fides) - "Holy Spirit pour out your grace on this great south land of the Holy Spirit, grant to us a new Pentecost. Make of this land a true place of welcome for the young people of the world, grant to those young people who come conversion of life, deeper faith and love for all. Enable them to build a new civilization of life, love and truth. Make them true witnesses to your power and grace." This is the opening prayer of the Pastoral Letter entitled: “Come Holy Spirit: my hopes for WYD,” written by Bishop Kevin Manning of Parramatta (Australia), on the occasion of World Youth Day in Sydney and sent to the editing staff at Agenzia Fides.
“My hopes for you, young people, are drawn from that prayer,” the Bishop said. “I hope that you will experience a new Pentecost; that you will experience again the coming of the Holy Spirit,” that it may be like Jesus’ Apostles, whose lives were completely transformed and they went from being cowardly and uncertain people to strong and determined missionaries. “May World Youth Day do the same for you,” the Bishop said.
Regarding the welcome they can offer to the pilgrims who come, the Letter observes that the most important thing they can offer them is “a welcome of hearts graced by the Holy Spirit. Hearts full of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness and trustfulness, gentleness and self-control,” all of which are gifts of the Holy Spirit.
The Bishop expresses his hope that WYD will be an experience of conversion and of growth in the faith: “Every act of reflection on Scripture and the teachings of the Church, every Eucharist, every prayer, every act of Christian charity and solidarity with others deepens our faith. And our faith is in the God who first loved us, the God who said "yes" to us by giving us Jesus. Each day we say "yes" to God in the story of our lives, He, in turn, deepens our faith.”
The youth are called to “to building the new civilization of love.” “The building blocks of this civilization are justice, peace and forgiveness. Forgiveness is a prerequisite for all the others. It is the hallmark of the New Covenant in Jesus Christ, who taught us how to forgive,” the Bishop wrote, inviting the youth to become “capable of dialogue: they must be able to listen, to respect, to be open, to create bridges; to touch the human heart, as well as to account for the hope that is in them.”
The letter’s concluding remarks are dedicated to the subject of witnessing to the Good News, something that does not last one day, but every single day of our entire lives. (PA) (Agenzia Fides 8/7/2008)
