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It was around 11 p.m. one night in Fiuggi, a picturesque hill town in Italy. I was with a small group of participants of the Leaders’ Colloquium organised as part of the 40th anniversary of the Catholic Charismatic Renewal. We were seated in a wayside cafe, chatting over coffee. Suddenly Bishop Christopher Prowse from Australia, wearing just a collar like any ordinary priest, got up from our midst with a smile and walked to the next table. He smiled at the people seated there, said something and smiled again. Soon he was seen talking to everyone in the cafe - and later blessing them with a genuine concern. We continued to watch as the Bishop moved into the next cafe, praying for a pregnant woman, joking with a couple and blessing everyone in there. Soon the cafe was filled with smiles. This simple, loving, unexpected gesture of the Bishop opened my eyes to a different dimension of pastoral care. With the exemplary presence of such Spirit filled pastors and leaders in our midst, how much more should we Jesus Youth be challenged and inspired to reach out to people beyond the borders of our inhibitions and comfort levels ! Personally, the last three months, though hectic, have been extremely blessed for me. I had the privilege of being invited to two meetings organised by the Pontifical Council for the Laity: the World Youth Day Consultation meeting, and also the meeting of members of the Ecclesial Movements and New Communities with the Pope, a highly enriching ceremony attended by around 400,000 young people. As I stood among the throng of youngsters, I was amazed at the influx of young people to the throne of St. Peter - the heart of the Church - from the time of Pope John Paul II and continuing unabated to that of Pope Benedict XVI. Like the Church and other movements, Jesus Youth is also gearing up for World Youth Day. The South East Asia Leaders’ Conference, a preparatory conference for the WYD is scheduled to be held in Singapore from 21st – 24th Oct. During my last visit to Sydney, the venue of WYD 2008, the initial plans for hosting the JY delegates were worked out with the local Australia JY team. The Jesus Youth pilgrims will fly to Brisbane for the Youth Arise International Festival on the 10th of July 2008, and move to Sydney on the 14th for the WYD from the 15th – 20th, and continue to stay there for the Jesus Youth International Conference to be held in the parish of Liverpool from the 21st - 23rd. For our movement, this is indeed a time of tremendous grace. The training of the first international batch of full time volunteers is in full swing in Sri Lanka with 24 participants from 9 countries. Besides this, an in-depth leadership programme covering 350 participants across four continents is also under way. There are four major conventions lined up for Europe and Asia to be held in the UK, Jordan, Singapore/Bangkok, and India in 2007. All the lively happenings of our times brings to my mind the words of Mark Nimo, a renowned speaker and former ICCRS member from Ghana, as he addressed the Jesus Youth Conference in Bangalore, India. Pointing to the joyful approach of Jesus Youth to life, our faithfulness in prayer and fellowship, our commitment and missionary zeal, our readiness to take risks, and the rise of new initiatives, he said, “You do not know the value of these graces that have been showered on you. Many others are trying hard to gain them, but they are showered naturally on you”. Yes! Grace is flowing in and I believe the time is ripe for us to recieve it freely, live in its fullness and share it with others. This living and sharing will be possible only if we are ready to pay the price in an extraordinary way. It is heartening to see this happening already in the lives of many people I know, like two young couples in the US - Sunil and Sindhu, Georgie and Sunita. The four of them and their five children live together in the less spacious floor upstairs so that they can offer the ground floor and basement for JY gatherings and activities. Recently I met George Devassy, a zealous young man heading the JY activities in Thailand, who has rented a two storeyed building and lives on the first floor with his friends so that the Jesus Youth there can have an office in the floor below. Let us like them take to heart Isaiah 54:2 - “Enlarge the place of your tent; let the curtains of your habitations be stretched out; do not hold back...” Manoj Sunny
Jesus Youth International Co-ordinator
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