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| Four teens and one young adult leader from the Diocese of Madison recently departed to Rio de Janeiro for World Youth Day 2013. Pictured from left are: Cassidy Wegner; Mariah Koehler; Lindsay Becher, from the Diocese of Madison Office of Evangelization and Catechesis; Bibiana Snyder; and Noah teDuits. (Contributed photo) |
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Journey is a poor word to describe our pilgrimage to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, for World Youth Day. The better way to describe it would be to call it a quest. A quest in which the forces of light battle the hordes of darkness. However, in this case the darkness is inside of us. This darkness is the thought that we are alone in our fight against evil, that Church is weak, diminishing, powerless against the aggressive advances of the devil in our world.
But in every quest the light triumphs and evil is shattered by the unyielding goodness inside of man. This unstoppable good is the Church and the demonstration of its goodness and power in this world that was granted by Jesus Christ in His perfect benevolence.
Witnesses of God
We are being witnesses of God’s awesome might that He bestowed upon His holy bride and given a glimpse at the future of the Church: the youth who come in the millions to gather under the name of the one true king, Jesus Christ.
He is demonstrating to the world once again that all the powers of hell can never triumph over His Church, that Christ has triumphed and the victory is won. And so the task of glorious purpose commences.
Hearing the Holy Father
On our pilgrimage we will hear the great voice of the Church, that drowns out the worldly voices within ourselves, as we go to catechesis sessions given by many inspirational members of the episcopate. We will be graced with the presence of Christ’s vicar on earth, His Holiness Pope Francis, who will bless all the youth, lead prayer services, and the celebration that is the source and summit of the Church, the Holy Mass. By the power of the Holy Spirit, the world will be changed forever as we will be changed forever, along with the millions of pilgrims who attend World Youth Day in Rio de Janeiro.
Leaving on the ‘quest’
We begin our venture to Brazil as the great light of the fourth day of creation climbs to the pinnacle of the heavens. We leave our families and our belongings and comforts to pick up the cross to follow Christ in his valiant and glorious mission.
We will suffer and be burdened by pains of this world, but it will be overcome with the glory of God as we walk in His way. We will experience the beauty that is in abundance in Him.
Please pray for Pope Francis and the Madison Diocesan pilgrims: Noah teDuits, Cassidy Wegner, Bibiana Snyder, Mariah Koehler, and Lindsay Becher.
Noah teDuits is a recent high school graduate from St. Ambrose Academy in Madison.