WYD part 5

Friday of WYD started much the same as Wednesday and Thursday with catechesis at the Love & Life Centre. As a funny reminder of what had happened with Cardinal Erdő, both Archbishop Dolan and pretty much everyone who spoke in the morning, kept repeating "Praised be Jesus Christ." To which we all would respond "Now and forever." After catechesis, I got lunch with some of the group. Food in Madrid was set up differently than in Toronto and Cologne. Rather than having food tents or trucks sponsored by WYD, we had coupons which could be used at hundreds of restaurants throughout the city. That kept the lines down (somewhat.. lol) and provided many different options. The place where we ate lunch on Friday was a little Spanish restaurant. They were taking pictures of different pilgrim groups that came through with their flags. I don't know the name of the restaurant, but somewhere on facebook, there is a picture of me as part of the group... and I'm one of the people holding the Canadian flag :-D

On the way back to the L&L Centre I did what no trip is complete without...

got a picture with a pig!

I had wanted to go to an exhibit at the L&L Centre entitled "You and Me" and finally had a chance on Friday afternoon. Sponsored by the Sisters of Life, this chronicled the stories of four people/couples faced with unplanned pregnancies and how they responded to them. It was a very interesting set up with each person being given an mp3 player with the people telling their stories as we walked through the exhibit. I was definitely fighting tears at a few points as it was moving to see pictures of the real people and listen to their voices.

Because Friday is the day commemorating Christ's passion, the Pope always leads the Stations of the Cross. A popular Catholic devotional, this is a set of 14 stations telling the story of Jesus' way from the garden of Gethsemane to His burial. At each station there is a prayer and a short reflection on that particular situation. Typically the stations are posted (for example on the walls in a church) and one walks from one to the next, but this setting was different. Towns all around Spain nominated statues to represent the different stations and they were displayed in the main square where Papa Ben had been the night before. Different groups of youth carried the WYD cross from one statue to the next as we "walked" with Jesus.

Each group was somehow connected with the station, for example after Judas Betrays Christ with a Kiss (the some of the stations were different from the traditional ones) the cross was carried by young people from areas where Christians face persecution because of their faith.

For the station, Jesus is stripped of His Garments, young people from Rwanda/Burundi carried the cross as a symbol of people who are stripped of their dignity through genocide.

After all 14 stations, Papa Ben gave a short homily on the importance of carrying our own crosses and following Christ. Although the stations took place outside, we stayed and watched them from inside the L&L Centre... I was glad not to have another long day outside in the sun.

When the stations were finished, I stayed with some of the group for Lectio Divina - a time of reading and meditating on scripture. Concluding the night was a healing Eucharistic Adoration service with procession. There's nothing like quiet time with Jesus... especially when He walks through the room.

I was a bit worried because I had wanted to stay for Adoration but knew that I needed to eat as well. Just as we were leaving, I mentioned to the girls I was with that I needed to stop somewhere and get some food on the way home. No sooner had I said that then we passed someone who offered us most of a pizza that they couldn't eat (we were still inside... this was other pilgrim not some random person on the street). Amazing how God provides!

WYD part 4

Thursday was the day that Papa Ben (The Pope/B16/etc) arrived in Madrid. After catechesis, I went with most of the group to the welcome ceremony. We arrived around 2pm and got pretty close -- we had a good view of a screen and could even see the stage somewhat.

People that arrived after us:

There were pilgrims from ALL OVER the world.


We had to wait from 2pm until the Pope arrived at 7:30 so we saw a ton of strange/awesome things... for example

The "Monk-arena"
(sorry it's turned sideways, I couldn't figure out how to fix that)

It was terribly hot. I'm amazed that I managed not to get sunburned. That's only because I was reapplying sunscreen about every hour. Unfortunately, some people got really nasty as well. I went to the toilet with a couple of the other girls and we had a serious problem getting back to the group. Some other pilgrims wouldn't move a few feet (they had loads of room because they were sitting in a circle playing cards) to let us past and even when a girl fainted from the heat right behind us they didn't want to move. They did finally move so that the girl could get medical assistance and we were able to fight our way back to the group.

Over all, though the atmosphere was great. So many young adults so excited to see the Holy Father. Seriously, there has to be something to the papacy. Otherwise, there is no reason for 100's of thousands of youth to be gathered in the 40+C (well over 100F) heat to see one short, 84 year old man. There is no other reason for us to be chanting with one voice (as we did dozens of times throughout the week, both in the presence of the pope and anywhere else... opposite platforms of the metro, walking down the street, you name it) “¡Esta es la juventud del papa!” ("We are the youth of the pope!") He really is our spiritual father. Forget Dumbledore's Army... I'm in Benedict's Army. Which, ultimately, is Jesus' Army.

Finally, Papa Ben arrived! And we could see him!!


Five young adults representing the five continents presented welcome gifts to the Holy Father. I didn't catch a picture of him putting on the cowboy hat from the North American representative but I did get one of him wearing the flower garland from the Asian rep.



After the gifts, there was a short prayer service with a reading from the Bible and intercessions. Papa Ben greeted the pilgrims and gave a short message in each of the "official" WYD languages (Spanish, French, Italian, German, English, and Polish) eliciting massive cheers from each language group in turn.



After the prayer service, he rode back out of the square in the pope-mobile. We were kind of disappointed because there had been plenty of space right along the fence on the street where he came in but we chose to get closer to the stage rather than stand there. Oh well... we were still there.

We waited a little while for the crowds to start to clear (hah) a little bit and then headed out of the square to find some food. On the way, we passed two cardinals walking down the road. Now, one doesn't normally see two "Princes of the Church" ambling down a city street. I caught a picture and then some of the group decided we should talk to them.



American's are often very irritating in international settings. Not everyone and not always but there is enough truth in the stereotype for me to downplay my citizenship when abroad. Because of this, I was telling people at WYD that I live in Hungary. When we met the cardinals, the rest of the group said they were from Canada and I chimed in (as I had been doing up until that point but sort of stopped afterwards) that I was coming from Hungary.

One of the cardinals looked at me strangely and asked
"Where?"
I figured that he either hadn't heard or didn't know where I was talking about so I repeated "Budapest, Hungary."
No sooner had I said that then, in flawless Hungarian, he says
"Dicsértessék a Jézus Krisztus!" (Praised be Jesus Christ!)

Now, you have to understand that for Hungarian Catholics, that is the common greeting from a priest to the people. If you're Hungarian and Catholic it's about as well known as the Sign of the Cross. Basically, if you don't know it (and the proper response), you are either not Hungarian or not Catholic or neither. When I'm in Hungary, the response flies off the tip of my tongue as easy as pie. However.... I was NOT expecting this random cardinal to be Cardinal Erdő -- the archbishop of Esztergom-Budapest (my home diocese) and the only Hungarian cardinal. I knew that he had to be in Budapest on Saturday for St. Stephen's day so I figured he wasn't going to be at WYD. Apparently, I was wrong. My poor brain was so befuddled with the sudden switch from English/Spanish to Hungarian. I recognized the phrase to be Hungarian, I knew it was the standard greeting from a priest, and I knew that I knew the proper response. What I didn't manage was to come up with the response. Instead, I mumbled, "igen," (yes) looking quite bewildered, I'm sure. The cardinal frowned and, somewhat sharply, gave me the response "Mindörökké, ámen!" (Forever, amen!)

I can't blame him... the poor guy was probably thinking "who is this girl and why is she claiming to be Hungarian/Catholic?!" ... Sorry, Your Eminence, I promise I'm not that thick - just wasn't expecting the language switch.

After that excitement (read: embarrassment -- at least for me) we got dinner and then headed home after a LONG day in the sun.

WYD part 2

Short note in pictures....

World Youth Day is one of the most visible signs of the thriving Church.

The


One
But the cross by itself doesn't save us. It is the Crucified One who saves us.
Taken from the WYD Via Crucis (Way of the Cross) text


Holy
"If angels could be jealous of men, they would be so for one reason: Holy Communion"
~~ St. Maximilian Kolbe


Catholic
Which in the broadest sense, means universal.

and

Apostolic
Not only were hundreds of bishops there (the successors of the apostles) but so was ...


Papa Ben!
The Vicar of Christ on Earth:
the successor of St. Peter,
still holding the keys to the kingdom of heaven given him by Christ.
Matthew 16:13-20

Church


Oh how I love being Catholic!

Quick note

Just a short post to say that Madrid is awesome! Christ is so present! Got to see Papa Ben last night and I'm about to watch Stations of the Cross on the screen in the huge "home center" for English pilgrims. I've been hanging out with a group from Alberta, CA who have made me an honorary Canadian for the week. Had a horribly embarrassing run-in with Peter Cardinal Erdo of the Esztergom-Budapest diocese... talk about a slice of "humble pie"...


Gotta run because there is a line for the computer!!

More when I get back!

Today's the day!

I still can't believe that I'm actually going to World Youth Day in Madrid... today!!

Now that all of the little details are worked out (paying, where I'm staying, my worries about finding a flat for next year (my landlady offered me a discount for a second year so I'm not moving), etc.) I feel I would be remiss to not write a little about WYD itself and my personal reflections before heading to Spain.

A brilliant "brain-child" of Blessed John Paul II, WYD began in 1985 in Rome. JP invited the youth of the world to gather to join him in a period of prayer geared toward the young Church. Following that, every two - three years, there has been a gathering in some part of the world drawing thousands of Catholic youth and young adults.

I have had the privilege of attending WYD twice in the past: 2002 in Toronto and 2005 in Cologne. Toronto was simple because it's pretty much the backyard when compared to the whole world. Cologne wasn't much harder because my family was moving to Europe only a few weeks later so I went early. Both were incredible experiences. I desperately wanted to go to Sydney in 2008 but the flight alone was more than I could afford.

I am thrilled to be able to go to Madrid. Actually, thrilled doesn't begin to describe what I'm feeling right now. I found this video while looking up some WYD info and stopped to watch it.

Honestly, I cried.

I can't believe I was going to stay home. Especially when I am so close this time. WYD is unlike anything else I have ever experienced. Even the hugest Steubie conference is like a birthday candle when compared to the forest fire that is about to blaze in Madrid.

How can one describe the feeling? Surrounded by 100's of thousands of young adults all gathered for the same purpose: to unite in our common faith and love of the Lord. AND, to have Papa Ben there will us. Joining with pilgrims coming from literally, the ends of the earth: Alaska to Afghanistan (OK, I can't say with 100% certainty that there will be any Afghans ... but with 200 countries represented in Cologne, it really wouldn't surprise me!). And, it's different from a vacation. Honestly, I haven't taken a single minute to investigate any of the (I'm sure, amazing) sights in Madrid. No, this is a pilgrimage. We are going to meet Christ in Madrid. And His vicar: Pope Benedict. If there was ever a sign that the Catholic Church was instituted by God Himself, it has to be the papacy. No merely human office could have lasted 2000 years through so many wars, scandals, plagues, etc. Yes, there have been heart-breaking divisions. But the papacy remains. In Papa Ben, we see the representative of Peter - still holding the keys Christ gave him in Matthew 16:19. That's who is waiting for us pilgrims: Christ and His "right hand man" Peter.

How did I almost not go!?!?!

Will try to update but I'm making no promises until I see what the internet cafe situation is like. I'll be praying for you all. Please pray for me as well!

And now, for a Picardy Third for the summer

If I had made this decision earlier it probably would have been cheaper but no matter...

I'M GOING TO WYD IN MADRID!!!!!

Beyond excited! Gonna hang out with Papa Ben and a couple (just looked it up ... more than 4!!) 100 thousand of our bffs!

I <3 our German Shepherd!

I soooo need this after this summer -- kind of like a Picardy third after a piece firmly set in a minor key. (Yep that's my music nerd coming out!)

OK... time for bed... I'm working this week so I have to be up early. But, really... how can I sleep when I'll be in Madrid in less than a week?!?!?

AHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!! SOOOO EXCITED!!