WORLD YOUTH DAY 2002 - REFLECTIONS

Christ is alive!

April 2003

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If you were to ask me, "What excited you about the Church in 2002?" I would have to answer, "World Youth Day!" They came, saw and tasted that the Lord is good. They witnessed the joy of being a disciple, a joy that is not dependent upon circumstances in life, but on the fact that Christ is alive. That was their testimony. And Christ was and is alive in each of those young people.

John's Gospel speaks about the first disciples of Jesus. John 1:38 tells us that two disciples of John the Baptist followed Jesus, and Jesus turned to them and said: "What do you want?" They answered, "Rabbi (which means Teacher) where do you live?" He replied, "Come and see." So they went and saw where he lived and stayed with him that day."

For me, those words are a fitting description of the events that took place during World Youth Day in Toronto. For four days I walked around the various booths where different congregations, religious orders, institutes and lay organizations promoted their particular ministry and charism.

What I witnessed was both amazing and faith building for me. I saw the zeal of these young people 'coming to see' what God's call was for them. They moved around, mostly in groups, and it was like Pentecost, with all the languages and dialects penetrating my hearing.

It was a treat to see the youth respond to Pope John Paul II. Their attention was focused on every word our Holy Father uttered. One might wonder how it is possible to communicate with young people because of the age gap. Evidently the message transcends and permeates all age levels.

One may say that God's word was proclaimed powerfully during World Youth Day 2002. We may venture to say that Pope John Paul II's message was spoken powerfully. However, the loudest proclamation took place when the participant went back to their own home, and in their own language and culture heralded what happened to them and how God worked during World Youth Day. That is what will make this event alive and enduring.

Fr. Russ Sampson, GUYANA

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