(From Pope Francis’s Mass for World Youth Day in Campo San Juan Pablo 11, 27th Feb 2019.)….continued… “You too, dear young people, can experience the temptation to domesticate the word of God whenever you think that your mission, your vocation, even your life itself, is a promise far off in the future, having nothing to do with the present. As if being young were a kind of waiting room, where we sit around until we are called. & in the “meantime”, we adults or you yourselves invent a hygienically sealed future, without consequences, where everything is safe, secure & “well insured”. We don’t want to offer you a laboratory kind of future. This is a “make-believe” happiness, not the happiness of today, of what is concrete, & of love. With this “make-believe” happiness, we “tranquilise” you, we numb you into keeping quiet, so that you don’t make too much of a nuisance, so that you don’t question yourselves or question us; & in that “meantime” your dreams lose their buoyancy, they seem to move slowly, they begin to become flat & dreary, petty & plaintiff. Only because we think, or you think, that your now has not yet come, that you are too young to be involved in dreaming about or working for the future…& do you know something? A lot of young people live like this. Please let us help them to be not like this, to rebel, & to want to live the “now” of God. One of the fruits of the last Synod was the enrichment that came from being able to meet, & above all, to listen to one another. The enrichment of intergenerational dialogue, the exchange & the value of realising that we need one another, that we have to work to create channels & spaces that encourage dreaming of & working for tomorrow, starting today. & this, not in isolation, but rather side by side creating a common space. A space that is not simply taken for granted, or won in a lottery, but a space for which you too must fight. You young people must fight for your space today, because life is for living today. No one can make promises to you about a day in the future. Your life today is today, your taking risks is today, your space is today. How are you reacting to this? (Pope Francis’s powerful message to our young people, & through them to us, will be continued next week….be ready!)
We beginthis weekend preparing our 10 young disciples for their First Holy Communion which will take place on Sun 2nd June 2019.. Please keep the children, their parents & catechists in your prayers. Any other parents with a child of similar age being educated elsewhere who would like to join the preparations, please make contact with me. Please pray for several of our young disciples who are taking part in the Youth 2000 Retreat at Leeds Trinity University this weekend. Youth 2000, established in 1990 is an initiative run by the young for the young, responding today to Pope Francis’s call for missionary disciples: 200 are expected to take part.
Some developing thoughts for Lent 2019. A weekly Lenten Pause, a half hour for silent prayer & recollection in alternate Churches, with varying dates to try to include those with regular weekly commitments. Fri 8th March OL&SB: Tues 12th March St Hilda’s: Fri 22nd March OL&SB: Tues 26th March St Hilda’s: Mon 1st April OL&SB: Tues 9th April St Hilda’s. All at 5.15pm until 5.45pm. Sun 14th April (Palm Sunday) Stations of the Cross & Palm Procession at Byland Abbey (provisional) Caroline Dollard has generously agreed to lead a Lent Course based on her new book “Seeking God Together”. It will help us to look at how we accompany families of all shapes, sizes & make up, at every stage of their existence as part of our belonging together & our community responsibility. An introductory session & 5 “seasons” to explore. Each session will include refreshments, reflection & prayer. Wednesdays 13th, 20th, & 27th March: 3rd, 10th, &17th April 2019, 7.30pm to 9pm. If you would like to participate, a list for names is at the back of Church & the Parish will provide each individual with a copy of the book. with love & my prayers. Fr Bede