Traveling to Sydney
This afternoon I put my daughter on a plane for a trip whose final destination is Australia. She will be one of a half millionCatholic youth expectedto participate in the Papel Mass on Sunday July 20th. As a mother and as a professional Church minister for almost 30 years I have very mixed feelings.
First and foremost I am thrilled and excited for her. These gatherings are rare and to have the opportunity to participate a privilege. Rare in that they have only been happening in the last two Papel reigns. Rare in that World Youth Day only occurs every two to three years. Rare because of the millions of Catholic youth here in the United States only 15,000 are making the trip. And my daughter is one of them. She will have an opportunity to experience first hand how universal our faith really is. She will be standing shoulder to shoulder with individuals from every continent, from almost every country; all singing praise to God in one love. I would love to be a bird flying over the field during the Mass to hear those gathered saying the Our Father, each in their native tongue. The Feast of Pentecost. What an awesome moment.
As a mother I am worried for her safety. In this day and age of terrorism one never knows whether an innocent trip to the grocery story isn’t going to end dramatically. But then to gather in such an attention getting moment. Please, God; keep your children safe. Putting terrorism aside how about her getting kidnapped. I hate watching the news and hearing of a teen disappearing because they were in the wrong place. Please, God, keep her safe.
As a faith giver I am prayerful and hopeful for her and all those who attend. The United States is unique in that we send our High School Students, young people who have not as yet made commitments to their future. Most other countries send their young adults. My daughter still struggles to know what to do with her future. People ask her all the time what she wants to study in college and although she can definitely answer “Mathematics” beyond that she is lost. What does she want to do with her life? Who does she want to be when she grows up? These are things I know she struggles with because we talk about them. My prayer from her, my hope for her is that these next few days will bring some clarity of thought and direction, if not for her life most certainly for her faith.
And I will miss her. They say that absence makes the heart grow fonder. This I know will be true. Although
I will enjoy my privacy and having the apartment to myself for a few days I already feel the emptiness her being gone brings.
Best wishes to each and every one who gathers in Sydney these next few days. Let us all pray that this will be a great opportunity for the Holy Spirit to pour out His grace on the youth of our world. And God brings them all home safe to inspire their personal worlds. I remain, Your servant in Christ.
Theresa
Tags: Catholic youth, faith, Holy Spirit, Hope, prayer, Sydney, teens, travel, World Youth Day
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July 15, 2008 at 5:13 am
I would be more worried about the cardinal of Sydney encouraging young Catholics to use this opportunity to go forth and procreate than terrorists.
Sydney is a police state this week. You’ll have nothing to worry about. You should be more afraid of the police who have been given extra powers to arrest anyone who annoys others.
Also I would be more worried about the clerics she comes in contact with since our church has a history of child sexual abuse.
July 15, 2008 at 3:05 pm
Truthfully I am worried about what my daughter comes home to. My pass blogs will tell you that I am not your everyday Catholic but believe in a God who sees no gender preference. But for every sick priest there are hundreds of wonderful priests; and while the Church struggles with its inperfection there is much truth to embrace — much much more truth then sin. I understand why many feel the need to find safty outside of the confines of the Catholic Church, but most use what they think they know as an excuse to not get involved in the process of healing the Church. I remain, your servant in Christ,
Theresa