Receive the Power!

“You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you, and you will be my witnesses...to the ends of the Earth.” -Acts 1:8

This years World Youth Day marks Pope Benedict's first visit to Austrailia. This year's theme is a new penecost and outpouring of the power of the Holy Spirit! World Youth day is expected to attract more than 125,000 international visitors. Attending will be musicians such as Matt Maher, Hillsong United, and Human Rythmns. In an article by Zenit News Agency The Holy Father Pope Benedict XVI explains that Jesus is the answer for everything and the reason for World Youth Day is to have a relationship with Him and proclaim Him when you go home. An excerpt from the article is below:

"Where can young people find the answers to their questions about the existence of God and the injustices they see in the world? In Christ", says Benedict XVI.

The Pope said this in a video-message taped ahead of his trip to Australia, dated July 4, to the people of the nation and the young pilgrims who will take part in World Youth Day. The video was released today in Australia.

The 23rd International World Youth Day, to be held in Sydney from July 15 to 20, has as its theme "You Will Receive Power When the Holy Spirit Has Come Upon You, and You Will Be My Witnesses."
"How much the world needs a renewed outpouring of the Holy Spirit," the Pontiff said. "There are still many who have not heard the Good News of Jesus Christ, while many others, for whatever reason, have not recognized in this Good News the saving truth that alone can satisfy the deepest longings of their hearts."

The Holy Father said that he firmly believes the youth to be the "instruments of that renewal, communicating to their peers the joy they have experienced through knowing and following Christ, and sharing with others the love that the Spirit pours into their hearts, so that they too will be filled with hope and with thanksgiving for all the good things they have received from our heavenly Father."

Benedict XVI continued: "Many young people today lack hope. They are perplexed by the questions that present themselves ever more urgently in a confusing world, and they are often uncertain which way to turn for answers. They see poverty and injustice and they long to find solutions.

"They are challenged by the arguments of those who deny the existence of God and they wonder how to respond. They see great damage done to the natural environment through human greed and they struggle to find ways to live in greater harmony with nature and with one another."

The Pope asked, "Where can we look for answers?"

"The Spirit points us toward the way that leads to life, to love and to truth," he stated. "The Spirit points us toward Jesus Christ."

Quoting St. Augustine, the Pontiff affirmed, "If you wish to remain young, seek Christ."

"In him we find the answers that we are seeking," he continued, "we find the goals that are truly worth living for, we find the strength to pursue the path that will bring about a better world. Our hearts find no rest until they rest in the Lord, as St. Augustine says at the beginning of the Confessions, the famous account of his own youth.

"My prayer is that the hearts of the young people who gather in Sydney for the celebration of World Youth Day will truly find rest in the Lord, and that they will be filled with joy and fervor for spreading the Good News among their friends, their families, and all whom they meet."

Please pray for everyone attending World Youth Day 2008 that they would be filled with the Holy Spirit and have the zeal and courage to spread Jesus' love to the world!