‘Come, come O Breath of God’

A view of the Sanctuary during the Opening Mass of Welcome of World Youth Day Sydney 2008 at Barangaroo on July 15, 2008 in Sydney, Australia. (Photo by World Youth Day)

SYDNEY — World Youth Day has begun! Cardinal George Pell of Sydney celebrated the opening Mass of Welcome yesterday, and the pilgrims of the world (not just Madison!) are ready to celebrate their faith, no matter what the difficulty.

And there have been troubles, not the least of which was the missing luggage of many young people, domestic and international pilgrims, who had traveled from Melbourne. The bags of the Madison youth were dropped off Tuesday evening, a blessing, but not soon enough for the days events.

This led to the Wisconsin pilgrims exploring Sydney in less-than-satisfactory conditions for a pilgrimage, considering that sleeping bags and pads were missing as well. However, none of this spoiled the joy and moods of the Wisconsinites, as all had smiles on their faces as they explored the city of Sydney and attended the opening Mass with the thousands of pilgrims throughout the world. As Msgr. James Bartylla mentioned at the beginning of this trip, small sacrifices are part of the pilgrimage experience, and can help aid the suffering souls of the world.

Besides, dirty laundry, hard floors, unheated classrooms, and showers contained in a pine box seems insignificant when one considers that they are celebrating their faith with thousands around the globe. Tadfaszwa Kushamba, seminarian for the Diocese of Madison, said it best when he was describing the youth in Sydney. “No one knows where they all came from and how they got here, but the love of Christ brings them together,” he said.

Cardinal Pell acknowledged that suffering in the world in his homily at the opening Mass as he welcomed the gathered youth, especially “anyone, anywhere who regards himself or herself as lost, in deep distress, with hope diminished or even exhausted.”

“Christ is still calling those who are suffering to come to him for healing, as he has for two thousand years,” Cardinal Pell told the youth. “Christ is calling you home; to love, healing and community.”

The power and force of the Holy Spirit is the theme of this World Youth Day, and Cardinal Pell encouraged the young people to use this Spirit, and the time in Sydney, to listen closely to the call of God. “Our task is to be open to the power of the Spirit, to allow the God of surprises to act through us,” he said. This is often hard, and our human wills and inclinations make it difficult to follow the will of God.

But happiness truly comes from doing our duty and meeting the obligations that God and man has put upon us. “Don’t spend your life sitting on the fence, keeping your options open, because only commitments bring fulfilment,” Cardinal Pell remarked. He also told the pilgrims that the time is short, and soon they will return to normalcy and their homes. But “let us never part from our loving God and Jesus Christ.”

“And so I pray. Come, come O Breath of God, from the four winds, from all the nations and peoples of the earth and bless our Great South Land of the Holy Spirit.”