Sharing the Good News with Joy

CNS PHOTO | JOE RIMKUS JR.

Pope John Paul II embraces a young woman during the closing Mass of World Youth Day in Denver in 1993. 
 

“I’m a child of World Youth Day in Denver. I had that experience with St. John Paul II right before I entered seminary in 1993. That experience of the Church changed me. It deeply impacted me. It strengthened my vocation, and we know, of course, it did that for thousands of people. This (the National Eucharistic Congress — and Pilgrimage in July of 2024) is not JUST an event …”

BISHOP
KEVIN J.
SWEENEY

It was “pretty cool” to hear Bishop Cozzens as he described his experience at World Youth Day in Denver in 1993; he also described my own experience of being “changed” by the “experience of the Church,” gathered in prayer in such great numbers and experiencing in a powerful way the presence of the Holy Spirit.

In his Message of Invitation to the 1993 World Youth Day, Pope Saint John Paul wrote: “The World Youth Days and Gatherings are providential opportunities to break our journey for a while: they enable young people to examine their deepest aspirations, to heighten their sense of belonging to the Church, to proclaim their common faith in the crucified and risen Christ with increasing joy and courage.” Our young people, in fact, all of us, need that privileged time away with the Lord where we simply listen to his voice and share our gift of faith.

Another thing that happened as I listened to the interview with Bishop Cozzens, the bishop of the Diocese of Crookston, Minn., and the leader of the USCCB’s efforts in planning and organizing the National Eucharistic Congress, was not as “cool.” Listening to Bishop Cozzens describe his (and my) experience of World Youth Day caused me some concern. I am concerned that there are some, especially youth and young adults, in our diocese who will “miss out” on a similar “experience of the Church” that could, literally, change their lives. The National Eucharistic Congress (rcdop.org/nec) that is being planned for this coming July 17–21, 2024, will surely be a blessed moment for the Church in our country, and I hope that as many of the faithful in our diocese as is possible will be able to attend.

Although I have written about the Congress a number of times, I wish to do so again for three reasons:

1. To be sure, as many as possible will consider attending the Congress by clicking on the link above or going to our diocesan website. Please go to the website yourself to learn more about the National Eucharistic Congress and how you can register to attend, and please encourage others to do the same.
2. To make sure everyone knows that we are offering an opportunity for TWO Young Adults to win a FREE trip to the Congress by entering a video contest — details can be found at the same link above.
3. To ask you to please LISTEN to the (40-minute) interview with Bishop Andrew Cozzens about the planning and preparation for the Congress AND to learn about the Eucharistic Pilgrimages being planned: from North, South, East, and West, all leading to Indianapolis. You can hear the interview here.

A few months ago, when I asked readers whether they were in favor of my referring to and recommending PODCASTS, I happily received some very favorable replies. Having received those replies, I am comfortable with recommending a second podcast in this column. In the most recent episode of “Jesuitical,” the hosts interview Bishop Donald Hying of the Diocese of Madison, Wis.

As I invite and encourage you to listen to the interview with Bishop Hying, I will share one “highlight” that I hope will pique your interest (and/or curiosity). Early on in the interview, the bishop shares a recent experience, which he introduces with these words:

“… Speaking of that (the kerygma), I was on an airplane a couple of months ago. A woman came on board, and she saw my collar, and she said, “Oh, I feel so much better knowing you are on board” (the bishop shares a funny response and then continues) … she ended up sitting next to me, and she turned to me with great interest and said, “I was raised without any faith. I was never baptized. Tell me what you believe?”

The bishop then jokes about having a “captive audience” for the next two hours, but he then shares that, after he offered her a “basic explanation of the essence of our Faith,” she said: “Everything you said is so beautiful, but it’s so beautiful that it seems too good to be true.” He asked her, “Can you dare to believe for a moment that it is true?”

The interview, “Why we love the Church, with Bishop Donal Hying,” can be found here.

For those who may prefer to read something rather than listen to a podcast, Bishop Hying wrote a wonderful article entitled “Why I love the Church.” 

By chance (or providence?), I listened to the two interviews, with Bishop Cozzens and Bishop Hying, just a couple of days apart. Listening to these two shepherds of our Church share their and our Faith and their love and hope for our Church literally lifted my spirits. If you can find the time to listen to either or both, I hope that you will be similarly uplifted and inspired.

It’s possible that the Lord felt that the two interviews were not sufficient to lift me up. On the evening of Ash Wednesday, someone sent me an interview about Father Aloysius Schwartz, “Priest and Beggar,” which was excellent. You can find it on YouTube.

As I finished listening to the interview, I “saw” on the page someone whom I had not seen or heard from for some time: Father Mike Schmitz. There was a recording of a talk that Father Mike had given at a seminary (St. Charles Borromeo, in Philadelphia), entitled, “Telling the Story of God’s Love” — Father Mike Schmitz on Evangelization. You can find it on YouTube.

In my opinion, Father Mike Schmitz is a wonderful gift to the Church. Even though he gave this particular talk four years ago and the talk is 32 minutes long, followed by 30 minutes of “Q & A,” I found it to be time very well spent. “Father Mike” fans and/or “fans” of the “Hallow App” may also be aware or would like to know that he gave a beautiful homily for the First Sunday of Lent as part of the Hallow App’s “40 Day Chal­lenge for Lent,” which this year centers on Father Walter Ciszek’s book, He Leadeth Me. I will refrain from adding any more “links.”

This may be a “new record” for me — recommending SIX links in one column! We have begun the beautiful and holy Season of Lent. All that I have mentioned above was a great help to me in my Lenten preparation and during the first five days of Lent. I hope that everyone’s Lent is off to a good start, and I hope that clicking on one or more of the resources I have recommended may be of some help to you as we continue our Lenten Journey.