World Youth Day

Well I hope you were able to read about World Youth Day or watch some of it.  I’ve been hearing great things about it.  I’ve also read some of the Pope’s messages over there – very powerful!  

My friend Lilian from Australia sent me today an amazing write-up on World Youth Day by Peter Kentley.  Peter is a non-Catholic Christian who is the CEO of Australian Marketplace Connections (AMC) http://www.marketplaceconnections.com/.  AMC is a Christian organization bringing the Kingdom to bear in the work world. Lilian and her husband Bjorn (both Catholics) works with AMC.

I thought it was a wonderful perspective from a non-Catholic Christian, which gives me great hope for deeper Christian unity and renewal and evangelization!

The Cross of the King of Kings was front page news across the nation this week as World Youth Day took over Sydney. The media respectfully honoured Christ as the top news for a week, with the city awash with pilgrims from across the world flooding the streets and the hearts of the people of Sydney.

As a visitor to Sydney last week I want to honour our Catholic brothers and sisters for an outstanding invasion of a city with the presence of the Spirit of Christ. Everywhere ordinary Aussies were touched to the heart by huge crowds of happy, smiling, praying, joyful young people... Truly reflecting the face of Christ in the world.

AMC was invited to contribute to this event with a workshop on marketplace ministry led by Bjorn Schmid at St Aloysius college, Milson's Point. A wonderful group of vibrantly alive young people came to search out ways they could serve Jesus in their everyday working world. The session concluded with a joyful sharing of stories, beautiful fellowship across all boundaries and spontaneous prayer. It was a wonderful experience in the Spirit.

Alexandra Bekiaris, producer of the movie "MOST" was also invited to show her movie as part of the World Youth Day celebrations. Alexandra reports:

I saw the multitudes of every nation, tribe and tongue, listening to the cry of God, as they shared his heart for unity in the Nation and for the nations, for the youth and our City and our Church.

He needs more and more workers in this field, it is so vast. I just saw the fields of Gold, ready for his people to take the sickle and reap. I don't think I will ever be the same after last night, it was so overwhelming.

I had a taste of a whole City , thousands of youth, united from every nation, wanting more of God. Whether you believe that this was an elaborate Catholic expedition or not, God showed me a larger picture. I saw  a whole City, worshipping to songs we know and sing in church every Sunday.

People singing on the streets of the City in circles. Dancing like David danced. Everywhere your eyes looked there were multitudes of pilgrims. I saw and had a taste of revival, it was amazing. People with flags of different nations from everywhere chanting for Jesus.

I tasted the heart beat of Jesus when I felt like I could not love again. He put a new heart in me to love the lost more!  I felt the heart beat of the father and his heart beats and beats and beats for the lost.

Get ready in your city. The Lord needs us to be effective for him where we are!