Holy Hour for Youth

Celebrated by Archbishop Denis Hart
at Saint Patrick’s Cathedral, Melbourne,
on Thursday, 6th October, 2005, at 6.00pm

(Gospel: Luke 1:39-56, Volume 2, Page 1086)

My dear Friends,

Many of us I am sure have experienced the wonder of World Youth Days, whether in Rome, Toronto or more recently in Cologne. The striking words of Pope Benedict in Cologne to our young people, “to live our faith authentically in union with the Church and ever close to the Lord Jesus Christ in the Eucharist, as travelling companions of Christ, we see that only from God can come the ability to transform the world”.

Tonight in the presence of Our Lord we hear the words of the Pope, “Seek for Jesus Christ, allow him to lead your life”. Indeed, just a month ago, the Pope on his own return to Rome said of us, “The young people have left Cologne for their own cities and nations, enlivened by the great hope, but without losing sight of the many difficulties, obstacles and problems that accompany an authentic search for Christ and faithful adherence to his Gospel. It is urgent for us to bring our contemporaries to rediscover the authentic face of God, who revealed himself like Jesus Christ.

Thus, the humanity of our time will be able, like the three wise men, to fall on their knees to adore him. Faith is not merely an attachment to a list of dogmas that is supposed to satisfy the thirst for God. It guides us on our way through time towards a God who is ever new.”

Tonight as we are in the presence of our God, we remember that our faith guides us on our way because we are at the same time, in the Pope’s words, “seekers and finders”, and this makes the Church young, open to the future, rich in hope for the whole of humanity.

Last year on 7th October Pope John Paul said to young people, “Bring to your encounter with Jesus hidden in the Eucharist all the enthusiasm of your age, all your hopes, all your desire to love.” ( Mane Nobiscum Domine. 7th October 2004. no. 30 )

Tonight we are on the eve of the celebration of Our Lady of the Rosary. This leads us to look at Mary, the perfect model and disciple of Jesus, in her acceptance that she was carrying a child by the power of the Holy Spirit at the Annunciation, her recognition of the wonders of God at the Visitation, “My soul magnifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God, my Saviour, for he who is mighty has done great things for me and holy is his name.” Each of us can say this in the depth and wonder of our heart, as we follow through Mary’s prayer. God has chosen not the mighty and powerful, but ordinary people because we can be touched by love.

In his talk on 28th August, Pope Benedict said, “Constantly seek the face of the Lord.” And Saint Augustine points out that this invitation is not only valid for our life, but also for eternity, the discovery of “God’s face” is never ending. The further we come to know the splendour of divine love, the more beautiful it is to pursue our search. The more we love our God, the further we will seek him. Like a single star on the darkness of the sea at night, Mary is the one who shows us how to be the perfect disciple.

Remember she was puzzled, yet accepted God’s plan at the Annunciation that she became pregnant by the power of the Holy Spirit. Courageously, she visited her cousin, Saint Elizabeth. Through the birth and infancy and loss in the temple she trusted God’s plan, she followed Jesus in his public life and then underwent the agonising moments of the cross and crucifixion in perfect faith and openness to God. Because of her preservation from sin, she was the first tabernacle, the first monstrance; she brought us the Saviour and because of this was taken by God’s power, body and soul, into heaven.

Mary is the star of our personal life, the guide of how to be the perfect disciple, the woman of the Eucharist, showing us how to contemplate the Lord. Take these words of Mary, “My soul glorifies the Lord. The Almighty has done great things for me.” And again, “I am the servant of the Lord, let what he has said be done to me”, and use them in our contemplation of the Lord, really present in our midst; the same Lord whom we offer and receive at Mass, whom we worship in adoration, the same Lord, whom we looked at on the hill in Cologne and received in Holy Communion is with us in this Cathedral.

To seek Jesus must be the constant desire of believers, young people and adults, priests and bishops. Again in Cologne the Pope reminded us that Mary is the star of all that we can be and do in our own lives and in the example we show to others. He said of the importance of Sunday Mass:

“Do not be deterred from taking part in Sunday Mass and help others to discover it too. This is because the Eucharist releases the joy that we need so much and we must learn to grasp it evermore deeply, we must learn to love it … anyone who has discovered Christ must lead others to him. A great joy cannot be kept to oneself, it has to be passed on.”

(Pope Benedict XVI. 20th World Youth Day.
Cologne. 21st August 2005 )

+ Denis J. Hart,
Archbishop of Melbourne.