Twenty-Second Sunday in Ordinary Time
Lectionary: 124

It was a great Pilgrimage to WYD!  We suffered greatly!  Wow!  Thank you for your support.  You might think it sounds as though I am not serious in my words but I am.

When we were on the way to events there was heat, there were jams of people stuck in lines that became so hot and tight you thought you would be crushed and pass out.  You say people passing out.  You couldn't always find food and water and you and your group would start to run out of what you had.  The group would get separated in the crowd on public transport.  The phones would stop working.  Two people in our group got so sick they needed to be taken to the hospital.  All of this was difficult enough but in our group we had even more blessings.  In our group we had the honor and privilege of being able to take turns leading a person who was blind, a person who had mild cerebral palsy and needed a hand, a person who had autism, a person who had a heart condition, and most of the group was deaf.  So how was it that we were blessed?

Well, everyone help each other.  Everyone sacrificed for each other.  Everyone looked out for each other.  We were patient with each other.  We had a plan.  We tried to listen to each other.   We were no strangers to troubles and difficulties with the background we all had so we knew how to do all these things.  We were blessed.

On the day of the perfective end of the who trip Sunday Mass with the Pope and the Youth from all five continents of about two million strong, we entered the great field of hot tarmac and dirt to what was essentially a giant concentration camp.  Just to get there was exhausting for the most fit and healthy.  Our group was more blessed.  Some of our members were quite fit and healthy and they were caring the bags of others or giving an arm, or leading if there was sight problems.  One person even needed to be carried but that was something we could do.  We got stuck in a big human traffic jam and were seeing people passed out and being taken away on stretchers.  It was so hot.  Their were groups that were splitting up because so of the adult leaders were in revolt with other adult leaders and groups were splitting up.  Some people just didn't go at all. And there we were against the odds staying together and moving on.  How?  Well we know how to keep on.  The group had members expert in facing adversity.  We found a resting spot in the middle of the mayhem.  We were crying out to God in our distress.  A sister convinced security to let us through a barrier into an area, still in the blazing sun, but with a little more elbow room.  There was no plan.  We waited.  The sister was up so something so we waited.  Two wheal chars appeared with two people to push.  We charged back into the crowd.  Found a rout a little less crowded but a sandy.  The wheals kept sinking.  The young volunteers ladies pushing were going to need to triage.  We had to take over pushing.  We had to push the chairs fast to get through the sand traps.  It was hot.  We finally got to the area for the Deaf.  Met the others we were separated from.  It was in the blazing sun on the supper heated tarmac.  We thought some of our number were suffering from heat stroke and one member was shaking and week.  We were all O.K. in an hour.  We were happy again and together and at peace with each other.  We knew about forgiveness and healing.  A crazy guy came by and wanted to heal us.  We were patient with him as he tried to heal the deaf youth.  He didn't get it as Peter didn't get it.  Healing is not salvation.  Salvation is suffering and Death. We knew that and so we could endure anything and did better that many groups who where supposedly "healthy" and not in need of a "cure." 

We prayed with our Holy Father who told gives us as he said "Absolute truth"  and "give our freedom wings" as our banner illustrated.  The youth make us all feel young again and we thank God for our weaknesses which as the first Pope came to understand are the bearers of our strengths.

In Christ,

Fr. St. Martin