CHRON3504

Saint Lucia

	November 2004 47th Year No.11 Internet Edition Page 3 Click below for Page 1 Page 2 Page 4 Page 5 Home

Archbishop Homily at Youth Rally

Theme: Set Your Hearts On God’s Kingdom Now

My dear Young People,

1. Let me, once again, draw your attention to the theme you have chosen for this year’s Rally and commend you on that choice, since it is taken from the Pastoral Theme of the Archdiocese for the month of November.

I know that there are a few in the Archdiocese who follow month after month the Pastoral directives given in the Catholic Chronicle urging and guiding the faithful in their spiritual journey; and I urge you to continue taking the lead as you have already been doing in implementing the Deanery Structure as called for in the 1997 Synod Recommendations.

2. I want to congratulate you also on facing very squarely during the course of this year, the various challenges that our society today presents, and for having improved on the format of your Youth Rally by adding another day - yesterday, filled with study, prayer, reflection and worship, all destined to set you in the proper frame of mind and on the right path to face another year of witness and service in the Church and Society.

The purpose of yesterday’s seven workshops was to communicate to you the Church’s teaching that every Catholic is called to an active and faith- filled citizenship based on a properly informed conscience, in which each of you, as a disciple of Christ, will publicly witness to the Church’s commitment to human life and dignity with special reference1"”~he poor and vulnerable.

3. That is why your Theme is so relevant “Youth, set your hearts on God’s Kingdom Now!” This clarion call is contained in the very prayer which Christ Himself taught us - “Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in Heaven”. A prayer which we say everyday and often several times a day. This is the prayer we say at every Holy Mass before receiving the Body and Blood of Christ, the spiritual nourishment that gives us the strength and courage to be Christ’s living witnesses in the world today. It was He who taught us to seek first the Kingdom of God and all other things will be granted to us besides.

The Holy Father, Pope John Paul II, in adding five more mysteries to the Rosary, which he calls the Luminous Mysteries or the Mysteries of Light, calls us to reflect on the Third Mystery, “The Proclamation of the Kingdom”, which was central to the life of Christ. This is why He came to earth. To establish God’s Kingdom in the hearts of all and He completed this task with His death on the cross.

4. Mission of Youth Among Youth

During the Youth Rally Mass in November 1999, the Archbishop gave to two youth from each parish, a wooden Mission Cross signifying the Mission of youth among youth in the Parish with Christ at the Centre. I am always pleased when celebrating with you in your parishes to see your
Mission Cross prominently displayed in your Sanctuaries or adorning your Altars and pulpits, while others have remained in an obscure comer in the Sacristy. Let them be displayed for all to see that they may come to understand its value and purpose for the youth of the parish.

In August, many young people were at the Assumption Church in Vieux Fort when six young men from this region pronounced simple vows in the Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer.

As a tangible sign of their acceptance into the Order and the Mission which they were undertaking, they were given a Mission Cross each, suspended from a cord which was put over their shoulders with the cross against their heart and steadied on their belt. They shall carry that Mission Cross with them wherever they go.

Regard your Mission Cross in the same manner, and pass on to your younger members its meaning and significance.

The Bishops of the Caribbean have produced a well-designed programme for Youth Mission in the Caribbean and beyond. Some of you have done the training programme and have responded to the Altar Call at the Youth Encounter in Trinidad. Begin your overseas mission now by your personal involvement in our Great Mission which will begin on January 4th - 13th August 2005.

5. Y oung People, faithful disciples of Christ, the crucified King.

In Lent 2000, the young people took a huge cross with the crucified Christ to every parish of the Archdiocese, demonstrating thereby that you would be the faithful disciples of Christ our King throughout the centuries and throughout our land.

The youth of Castries received the cross at the Cathedral from the Archbishop, took it to the border of the next parish of Our Lady of the Rosary of Fatima, La Clery where they were met by the youth of the parish and their Parish Priest. The cross was taken in solemn procession to the Parish Church where it remained for a night and day of veneration and devotion. Then the youth of Our Lady of the Rosary of Fatima took it to the border of the next parish of the Good Shepherd, Babonneau, following the same ritual until it had done the round of all parishes from North to East, South, West and returning to the Cathedral via Canaries, Anse-La-Raye, Jacmel and the Morne.

6. Setting your hearts on God’s Kingdom Now, also means accepting and embracing the Cross which millions of youth have done and are doing today as they embrace the Lord.
Twenty years ago, at the end of the Holy Year of Redemption, the Holy Father, Pope John Paul II entrusted to young people the Cross... This marked the beginning of World Youth Day. Since then, the Cross has been on pilgrimage from one Youth Day to the next, travelling across the world by young people, proclaiming the merciful love of God, who meets the needs of all His creatures, restoring to them the dignity they have lost through sin. Thanks to these young missionaries, millions of young people, looking at that Cross have changed their lives and committed themselves to living as authentic Christians.

Just recall for a moment, World Youth Day in Toronto two years ago, when I was privileged to accompany 60 of you. The Way of the Cross staged on the streets of Toronto and viewed by millions of people all over the world brought tears to the eyes of hundreds of thousands not only in Canada but in other countries as well. They were instrumental in thousands changing their lives.

Coming closer to home... that occasion was our Eucharistic Congress 2000, when you, the youth of the nation conducted that Holy Hour before the Blessed Sacrament exposed in Mindoo Philip Park. To have witnessed that scene from the vantage point of the Players’ Pavilion, and to see over 15,000 people on their knees in prayer and adoration... was an unforgettable experience which touched the hearts of even unbelievers, who were there in our midst... not to pray and adore but perhaps to laugh and ridicule. They themselves confessed their admiration because their hearts were moved, and they asked, when would we having another such event.

7. Line up on Christ’s side and witness to His love.

This Eucharist is the highlight of your two-day deep encounter with Christ. You have opened your hearts to His presence in your sisters and brothers, to His presence in the presentors who opened your minds to understanding His teachings in the Church, you encountered Jesus in prayer together and in listening to His Sacred Words in the Holy Scriptures. Now you have come to recognize Him in the Breaking of Bread when He will transform our lowly gifts of Bread and Wine into His own Body and Blood.

This is His Covenant with us, with you…..Let your response be as generous as the Lord’s itself
... That is, the giving of your entire life and service to Him. Don’t be afraid to give your ALL to Him, in whose hands your life will be as safe as safe can be.

You love the world and you love life, that’s good, because these are gifts from God to us. But at a certain point in life, it is necessary to make a radical choice, without denying anything that is a genuine expression of God’s beauty or of the talents received from Him. In other words, we are called to make an option for Christ ... To be on His side and to witness before all, God’s great love for us.

Here again, I want to refer you to the seven workshops you had yesterday on
(1) Sexuality
(2) Liturgy and Daily Life - understanding the
Mass
(3) Sexy Fashions - Young People as Role
Models
(4) Music and its Culture
(5) Relationships and Courtship
(6) Family Life and
(7) How to pray and how to use the Bible to pray.

You see, following Christ does not mean spurning the gifts He lavishes upon us, rather it means choosing a path that would help us maximize those gifts for His greater honour and glory, and to bear witness to our sisters and brothers of the love and compassion of God.

So, do not be afraid to entrust yourselves to Him. Jesus knows that you must carry His cross in the world in order to meet the expectations of so many other young hearts.

8. Do not be afraid to proclaim the Cross and swim against the tide.
To carry out this demanding Mission Now, it is necessary to follow Christ closely in prayer and contemplation. Being His friends in the world in which we live, also demands great effort to swim against the tide. By this I mean, not willing to follow the crowd and choose the line of least resistance. I say this because the message that the cross communicates is not easy to understand in our day and age in which material well-being and conveniences are offered and sought after as priority values.

May your love of Christ, which you cherish deep down in your heart, enable you to overcome any superficial emotion, help you to resist the seduction of pleasure and the ambitions of selfishness and comforts.

On the contrary, I especially ask you to spread the Christian vision of the virtue of purity in mind and body, heart and soul, and to show your peers that all these come from true love, and that the strength and gaiety of youth are no obstacles to noble and genuine love.

9. Conclusion
Inspired and touched by these two days spiritual encounter, Christian and Catholic youth of St. Lucia, set your hearts on God’s Kingdom now Take the lead in:!

(a) The celebration of the Feast of Christ the King in your Parish next Sunday. This is why your Rally is held on the Sunday before Christ the King.
(b)The Home to Home Visitation in your Parish, inviting all and especially dormant Catholics to awake.
(c) Making your Parish Mission a Success.
(d) The Stewardship Programme to Revitalize your Parish and the Church in St. Lucia.
(e) Making this Year of the Eucharist known and meaningful.
(f) Making our Diocesan Jubilee Year the greatest religious event in the history of the Catholic Church in St. Lucia.

I commend you and your mission to the intercession of St. Lucy, St. Maria Goretti, St. Dominic Savio, St. Don Bosco and all other Patrons of youth, but especially to Mary, the Immaculate Conception, to whom this Archdiocese is consecrated. We, your leaders, put our trust in you, the hope of the Church and our Society, and now we send you forth in His Name using your own clarion call. Young people of Saint Lucia “Set your hearts on God’s Kingdom, NOW!”

Amen.

Youth Rally 2004
Vieux Fort, 13- 14th November, 2004

Address by His Grace The Archbishop of Castries

My dear Young People:

I consider it not only my duty, but an honour and privilege to have been asked to address you briefly in this Booklet for your 2004 Archdiocesan Rally.

During the past years and particularly since our last Archdiocesan Synod in 1997, I have been following your progress very closely and I am impressed by the level of your commitment, development and achievement. This year’s Rally is a case in point. It has now grown to a two-day intensive encounter with the Lord, and that, after several months of careful preparation.
“Therefore set your heart on God’s Kingdom now.”

Listen to His voice speaking to you through the well-prepared workshop presentations, during your moments of prayer, the scriptural readings and study; but above all through the sacred music and Liturgy of the Eucharist which is the source and summit of our Christian life and worship.

Don’t delay, set your hand to the plough and do not look back, “because those who look back are not fit for the Kingdom of God”. Let us continue in earnest the task of nation-building, and as missionaries, go forward together to build a better Saint Lucia, convinced that we are not alone, but are supported by the power of the Holy Spirit who is our inspiration and guide.

During these days my prayers are with you for a successful Youth Rally 2004.

Humbly
Yours in Christ
+ Kelvin E. Felix
Archbishop of Castries

Click here to view photos

‘Our Answer to The World’s Ill is Jesus’

by Jemima Louis

This year’s youth rally was a two day event that was hosted by the Southern Deanery in the beautiful community of Vieux Fort, under the theme “Youth Set Your Hearts on God’s Kingdom Now”. This celebration commenced on Saturday 13th November and ended on Sunday 14th November. All deaneries gathered at the Vieux Fort Secondary School and from then it could have been duly noted that the festivities for God had begun.

Members from the various deaneries attended one of six different workshops. Not only were those workshops informative, but they allowed old friends to be reunited and new friendships to be formed. The six workshops were based on a variety of topics such as music and culture, family life, how to pray, relationships and courtships and young people as role models. The workshops lasted approximately three hours and after that we all gathered for lunch. It was at that hour that everyone shared their views on the various workshops they attended. The workshops supplied us with the necessary building blocks needed to move ahead as Catholic Christians in our troubled society.

After lunch, we moved on to the Vieux-Fort Technical Institute which was our home for the two days. After getting rid of our physical baggage, we gathered on the court yard to commence our march of faith which freed us from our emotional baggage. We gathered at the Vieux Fort square for a moment of Praise and Worship, we the youth, were given a spiritual boost by the Masters of Ceremony. It was at that moment the rain came pouring down, but not even that could rain on our parade. We marched around town singing and praising God and injecting the youth and elders alike with our jovial spirits. As the march came to an end in the Vieux-Fort Square, the MC’s continued to invigorate us as they called upon various people to pray, sing and share how God had bettered their lives. They constantly reinforced the theme and encouraged us to set our hearts on God’s Kingdom. No one was left untouched as the MCs encouraged and gathered even the on lookers. They prayed, worshipped and genuinely looked refreshed. As the Godly festivities continued we were introduced to our guest speaker, Mr. Winston Garcia. He gave us a sample of what we should expect on Sunday.

To close our day these was a cultural explosion on the theme in which most deaneries participated through song, dance and a skit. The highlight of the evening was a presentation on the theme, written and directed by Allison Lawrence, with assistance from Sister Rose Leon, SIC. The audience was enthusiastic and enjoyed the performances.

When Sunday morning, dawned on us in all its glory and splendor, people were alive and full of joy. Many wanted another march of faith after yesterday’s fulfilling one. We walked to the field to put down chairs for the day’s activities and met up with old and new friends alike. Deanery members who came only on Sunday were registered and we waited eagerly for the start of the days activities as not even the rain which delayed the start could dampen our spirits.

Our guest speaker Mr. Winston Garcia delivered a powerful message. He proved that he came not only to spread a message, but to speak the truth because he said, the truth will set us free. He reminded us that the theme was necessary and relevnt for us as Catholics today. He challenged us to set ourselves in the Kingdom of God saying that if we do not set ourselves on God, we will be off key.

How we live and what we do must be in accordance with God’s law. As Christians we have the answer to the world’s ills. The answer is Jesus. We must be transformed by God to enter the Kingdom. To set our hearts on God’s kingdom we must open our hearts so that God may enter. He encouraged us to make Jesus our number 1 friend. Do not let peer pressure mash us up. We are expected to reflect the image and likeness of God. The Kingdom of God is Righteousness, Peace, Joy and the Holy Spirit.

He called on us to align ourselves to persons on the right track and not waste our lives away. There are three enemies of the soul that can prevent us from enjoying the kingdom (1) the devil (2) the flesh and (3) materialism. He made it quite clear that he was not here to make friends, but to equipp us with the necessary amour for the narrow and difficult path to heaven. He made us realize that we cannot commit our lives to God for only one day, one hour or one minute. .Mr. Garcia said that this commitment is an on going task that needs to be moulded and nourished constantly. He said that our value system must reflect that of the kingdom of God His message was exact and powerful. He used his life experiences to explain to us that he too was straying yet with strength provided by the Almighty he made it through.

After this address, we moved on to the banner presentation among the deaneries. All banners looked spectacular and each possessed its own unique flair. The banners expressed the theme of the rally with a kaleidoscope of colours and in the end the Southern deanery was victorious in its representation of the theme with the Northern deanery in a close second.

After the display of banners we were mellowed down by songs of worship as we prepared for Mass. The homily was done by Archbishop Kelvin Felix who reinforced the theme and provided spiritual methods for us to practice our Christian duties. When Mass ended and the recessional hymn was sung, it was quite clear that we wanted more.

As we stacked the chairs it dawned on us that it was almost over. We sang, hug and said goodbye to our friends and fervently hoped that we did not have to wait another year to get together again spiritually. As we got on our buses, we looked back nostalgically on our massive tent still radiant in all its splendor as it was only an hour ago that it was home to so many young, devoted and faithful Christians.

Page 1 Page 2 Page 4 Page 5

Home