Pilgrimage of Youth Cross begins in Faisalabad July 22
Message from Msgr. Arshad for the diocesan celebration of World Youth Day. "The youth must, in particular take pride in the Cross of Christ who has reconciled humanity with God our Heavenly Father by his sacrifice on the Cross".
Faisalabad (AsiaNews) - The World Youth Day will be celebrated in Faisalabad, in Pakistan, with the pilgrimage of the Cross, entrusted to young people in all the parishes of the diocese. The announcement is contained in a message by Msgr. Joseph Arshad, in which it is noted that the diocese will launch the pilgrimage of the Cross with Mass celebrated in the Cathedral of Saints Peter and Paul on Friday, July 22, at 7. At the end of the ceremony the Cross will be entrusted to the youth of Jaranwala parish.
"This Cross will keep on rotating for one year from one parish to another and, the youth delegation of each parish in the diocese will have an access to keep the Cross in their parish for two-week veneration. This one year program will be concluded by fixing the cross in our St. Thomas the Apostle minor seminary. At this occasion, we shall prayer for the vocation to the priesthood in Pakistan and in the world.
In his message, Msgr. Arshad recalls that this year WYD will be celebrated in Poland, in Krakow, the city of St. John Paul II, 25 to 31 July. " The icon of this event is ‘The World Youth Day Cross’ that is reminding youth how our Lord Jesus Christ washed the stain of Original Sin by shedding his precious blood on the Cross. The youth must, in particular take pride in the Cross of Christ who has reconciled humanity with God our Heavenly Father by his sacrifice on the Cross. Today’s youth must become irresistible bearer of the Cross in order to uphold the Catholic Teaching in the world vis-à-vis the current problems of materialism, extreme ideologies, militant tendencies, faithlessness, pornography and negative broadcasts of electronic/print media and social media". In Poland, "the WYD Cross will be carried by the young delegates from churches, schools, colleges and universities in all the dioceses".
The message continues " We venerate the cross for it is the emblem of Christ’s sacrifice, the insignia of his passion and sacrifice and, the power of God that reconciled the sinful humanity with God, the Heavenly Father. The Cross of Christ is the icon of God’s power for those who are called. Being lifted up on this staff, Christ our Lord treated the toxic sting of the ancient serpent pricked on our soul. The Cross of Christ is the ladder that facilitated him to reach his Heavenly Father in order to share his eternal glory. The same has become our vehicle too to have an access to the Heavenly Father and our Savior".
"Soon after the crucifixion of Jesus, every symbolic cross made of wood or marble or steel or copper or silver or gold etc. has awfully become workable portal and welling up source of blessing for those who believe in the saving action of Christ’s sacrifice on the cross. The mysterious power of the cross amazingly works to overcome the malicious designs of the eternal enemy, Satan, who is ceaselessly haunting the followers of Christ to devour them. Venerating thus the pictogram of the Cross of our Savior, we are spiritually strengthened to crush the head of the tempter. Revering the cross, we may echo with St. Paul, “we are preaching a crucified Christ to the Jews an obstacle they cannot get over, to the Gentile foolishness, but to those who have been called, whether they are Jews or Greek, a Christ who is both the power of God and the wisdom of God, (1-Cor 1:23)”.
“The passion, crucifixion and the resurrection of Christ is the mystery of our faith. This same faith, we proclaim in every celebration of the Eucharist. St Paul claims in 1-Cor 1:18, “The message of the cross is folly for those who are on the way to ruin, but for those of us who are on the road to salvation it is the power of God. “But as for me, it is out of question that I should boast at all, except of the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom the world have been crucified to me and I to the world” Galatians 6:14. Let us young men and women take up our crosses and follow our Lord witnessing his message of love, peace, mercy and forgiveness by faithful performance of our various tasks in our domains”.
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23/01/2019 12:26
