Preaching Youth Day Sermons
Faithful Roman Catholics hear their priests preaching Youth Day sermons in honor of World Youth Day. It is one of the occasions when the church opens its doors to Christian youths of other denominations as well as those who may have never gone to church. Every two to three years, the Pope chooses an international venue that will welcome copious numbers of visitors during this week long event.
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History
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The observance of World Youth Day is a relatively new tradition in the Roman Catholic faith. Pope John Paul II instituted it in 1986 and directed bishops and priests internationally to celebrate the occasion by preaching youth day sermons, welcoming those from outside the faith, and reaching out to youths in the various localities. The Pope modeled the occasion after the childhood pilgrimages he experienced, which impacted him in his own faith. As such, international meet-ups that host these celebrations take place every two to three years.
Benefits
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The benefits of World Youth Day are three-fold. First and foremost, on the local level an active outreach program reaches youths who may not have been connected to their Catholic faith. In some cases, it serves as a tool for evangelism and brings youths into the church who never before attended a service.
Secondly, large cities have the opportunity to take turns holding their own versions of World Youth Day, modeling the celebration after the example of Rome. They welcome Catholic youths from around the country and especially around the world. Roman Catholic youths realize that they are not alone in their practice of the faith, and allowing other nationalities to proudly display their flags, sing songs in their languages, and also pray in their tongues, greatly cements the feeling of worldwide Catholic unity.
Third, by preaching Youth Day sermons the priests or bishops give the youngsters a charge to remain true to their faith, which they can take with them as they return home. -
Impact
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The impact of World Youth Day surpasses even the Pope's initial expectations. The 2008 celebration in Australia coincided with the founding of a Catholic youth social networking site named XT3 (a link is provided in the resources section). Pope John Paul II's successor, Pope Benedict XVI, used it to send messages to the faithful attendees that complemented the messages of the Youth Day sermons which were preached.
Attendance
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After the preaching of the final Youth Day sermon is completed, attendance is taken at the events. It is interesting to note that depending on the locality, the numbers of those present fluctuate greatly. For example, when World Youth Day was celebrated in Poland's Czestochowa, the number of attendees at the final mass was counted to be 1.6 million faithful. At the end of the 2008 Sydney festivities, only 400,000 were counted.
Specifics for Preaching Youth Day Sermons
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Looking back at the 2008 World Youth Day (a link is provided in the Resources section), the specifics for preaching Youth Day sermons emerges as an exercise of helping attendees focus on unity, the Passion and spiritual goal setting. Including a reenactment of the Christ's Passion, and a Pope led candlelight vigil, the actual sermon taking place on Youth Day is the emotional and spiritual culmination of the experience that ties the events together.
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Resources
- Photo Credit World Youth Day 2000; photo by Sporki/Wikimedia Commons
