Youth
How to Pray? How to Read the Bible?
Brasilian writer Paolo Coelho wrote in one of his books: "When you want something, all the universe conspires in helping you to achieve it". If we really want to do something, we will find the ways to do it. Do we want to pray? Prayer is like a meeting with the friend. So, relax. Try to think, that in the prayer you meet God who is your friend. And very special one - the One who cares for you, for your life. He would listen to you when you are happy and would listen to your problems as well. The One who is compassionate and the One who can give you strength...
Every meeting requires one thing first of all. Guess what? TIME! We need time to do anything and many things take looooots of our time. But we wouldn't be stingy on our friends, would we? Actually we spend with them most of our time every day.
If we want to pray we would have to find time to do it. There's 24 hours in a day. It means - 1440 minutes. Can we find 10 minutes a day to meet God and talk to Him? If we do, we are already half way to learn how to pray.
To be continued
World Youth Day 2016 - Poland
The theme for the 2016 World Youth Day was "Blessed Are The Merciful, For They Shall Obtain Mercy". The event tied in closely with the Year of Mercy, which was initiated by Pope Francis, and with the Merciful Jesus (Divine Mercy devotion) which is based on the messages received by Saint Faustina Kowalska. Pope Francis led mass at Campus Misericordiae. This was the second World Youth Day hosted by Poland.
World Youth Day 2002 - Toronto
World Youth Day will take place already for the 16th time, and this time - in Toronto! Such a day, wherever it took place before (in Rome, in Paris, in Czestochowa, in Manila...) was always a great moment of joy - thousands of young people from all over the world were getting together and feeling really united, singing on the streets, dancing, talking in any language possible... But not only that. They were actually united in their deepest desires for a better world, better life, for happiness. We have now a great opportunity to join this event and experience the strength of our faith and hope and love, that are coming from Jesus.
At first we may learn more about what the World Youth Day really is looking at its logo and what it represents:
The cross represents the presence of Jesus Christ among the participants. We go to Toronto as pilgrims - it means people who are looking for God. We are pilgrims and not tourists. World Youth Day is an occasion to meet Jesus Christ first of all and to renew our faith.
The yellow circle symbolizes young people who will participate in the World Youth Day.
The blue sections represent the waters and oceans surrounding Canada. WYD involves all of our country, from Pacific to Arctic and Atlantic oceans. The last element is the maple leaf - national symbol of Canada. Surrounding the yellow symbol of participants means our hospitality and friendship we offer to participants who will come to Canada from other parts of the world.
Faith Formation Session in Ottawa
An important event in our diocese will take place in Orleans (Ontario), close to Ottawa, from September 24th till October 5th. About 50 participants from our northern communities will have occasion to learn more about catholic faith and how to share it wherever we live. On October 2nd they will have occasion to welcome the World Youth Day Cross which is already in Canada, visiting catholic communities throughout the country. The same cross was already received by millions of people in the whole world. This pilgrimage of the cross is part of preparation for the World Youth Day in Toronto, in July 2002. It symbolizes the union of us all in the same faith. No matter how far we live from each other, Jesus is reaching us all in the same way and wants us to care not only for our personal faith, but for our local church and the church all around the world. After all our personal faith is getting stronger when we share it with others. Soon we will let you know how the Ottawa session is going and hopefully we will fill its fruits in the life of our communities.
World Youth Day 2000 - Rome
Last year, during World Youth Day in Rome, Pope said to the young people:
"Every human person has inevitable limits: even in the most successful of marriages there is always a certain amount of disappointment. So then, dear friends, does not this confirm what we heard the Apostle Peter say? Every human being finds himself sooner or later saying what he said: “To whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life”. Only Jesus of Nazareth, the Son of God and of Mary, the eternal Word of the Father born two thousand years ago at Bethlehem in Judaea, is capable of satisfying the deepest aspirations of the human heart."