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The ‘Disciples of Jesus’ musical ministry provided the
entertainment
By Kathleen Carmody
On a humid day, under a heavy sky threatening rain, more than 300 young Catholics came together
for a Youth Forum with the theme, Get Connected – Faith in the Third Millennium.
Held on Saturday January 27, Get Connected was organised by the Inter-diocesan Young Catholics Project Team (IYCPT), which
represents youth leaders from the three Sydney dioceses. The event was hosted by the Melkite Catholic Community at
the Cathedral of St Michael, Archangel in Darlington.
At the start of the forum,
committee member Vera Visevic invited a representative from each of the many ethnic communities around Sydney, which were strongly represented, to greet the group in his or her own language.
For young
Christians of many different countries and backgrounds it was an occasion of real joy to blend together through their focus on Jesus and their Catholic faith. All barriers came tumbling down. “I feel so
comfortable,” commented one young attendee. “These are all my brothers and sisters in Christ, and we all speak in one tongue.”
Eminent and dynamic Redemptorist Fr Tom Forrest, from the United States, was the
speaker for the seminar. He is well known in Australia and has ministered in over 100 countries. He told his audience he had come to set them on fire with the “fresh breeze of the Holy Spirit”.
Fr Tom
explained that his definition of “getting connected” was “joining together”. “Since God is love (1 Jn 4:8) I need to love with God’s love. Love is me going out towards you. That’s God in me – loving in a divine
way,” the priest said.
“But,” he continued, “we have a big problem. Each of us is born with a terrible obstacle within us, which hinders this life of divine love. Theologians call it original sin, but it’s
more accurately called human selfishness.”
Fr Forrest argued that selfishness is the root of all sin, and urged his listeners to seriously contemplate this way of thinking. He said that he didn’t believe
that it was possible to be other-centred (Christ centred) and selfish at the same time.
Fr Forrest’s talk attracted a variety of ages and nationalities, and highlighted the need for continuing evangelisation
within the Church, particularly among young people.
Julie Brcar, who is involved in Youth 2000, said Fr Tom Forrest was an inspirational speaker who related well to young people.
“Fr Tom’s talk about
evangelisation has once again reinforced the need for us (the young) to stay firm in our faith, and more importantly, to openly share our faith with others,” she said.
“As we the young people of the
Church bring the Gospel of Christ into the third millennium, may our hearts be ablaze with zeal and love for the faith. May we be strong against the pressures of society and be models of joy and hope for our peers,
challenging them to be witnesses for Christ. May we learn from those who went before us, be inspired by those around us and light the way for those who will follow us,” Ms Brcar said.
The Forum concluded with
a Mass celebrated in the rich and colourful Melkite Catholic Rite by Archbishop Issam Darwish, who had travelled from Melbourne especially for the occasion. He was assisted by Fr Forrest and other priests.
“(Fr Forrest) gave an amazing homily which will always stay close to my heart,” Ms Brcar said.
Ms Brcar said it was lovely to celebrate a Youth Mass in the traditional Byzantine style.
“I felt that
the attendees were very responsive and open to what would have been to most a new and different experience,” she said.
“It was fantastic to have a mix of traditional and modern songs and to hear the entire
congregation participate in singing and following the Liturgy.”
The Disciples of Jesus Community provided inspiring and joyous music all day, and afterwards attendees were able to share in a meal comprising
cuisines from many different countries.
The day highlighted the fact that faith is universal and that we all have one important thing in common – Jesus.
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