Catechesis Series 09
| Article Index |
|---|
| Catechesis Series 09 |
| Catechesis 2: In Search of Hope |
| Catechesis 1: Two Sides of the Same Coin |
| Our Vocation as Young People |
| All Pages |
A BIG ENOUGH HOPE
Listen to Fr Chris' talk:
Over two hundred young people gathered at St Patrick's Cathedral on Sunday 19 July for a special Catechesis session with Fr Chris Ryan MGL. The Catechesis formed part of a month-long series of events hosted by the AOY to celebrate the one-year anniversary of World Youth Day (WYD) Sydney. The theme for the month was "hope", in line with this year's WYD theme given by Pope Benedict XVI, "We have set our hope on the living God." (1 Tim 4:10).
Fr Chris, who travelled with the WYD Cross and Icon around Australia last year, challenged the young people present to think about the hope in their lives.
"We live in a world where we are constantly searching for new experiences; seeking different thrills and ways of enjoyment with friends and family. It is natural to hope in them – but can they hold all our hope? What happens when these things fail to provide hope when we need it? In other words, have you got your heart set on a big enough hope?” he said.
Fr Chris pointed out the usual coping mechanisms that young people turn to in times of hopelessness.
“Some deal with it by finding solace in a new thrill, a drink, an escape – something to get their mind off it… trying to cope with the disappointment when life doesn’t go the way they had hoped.
But what if there is more to life than just coping? What if we were made for more than coping – made for joy, made for life, made for more! We need something greater than ‘human hope’ for dealing with some of the situations that life throws at us.” he said.
He went on to remind everyone of the ‘great hope’ that Pope Benedict XVI spoke about in his latest WYD message to young people.
"The Pope talks about searching for ‘the great hope’. That great hope is Jesus Christ. We have a God who knows exactly what loss, betrayal, loneliness and rejection feels like. In Jesus we have a God who knows what it is to be human. Jesus knows what it’s like when a situation appears utterly hopeless.” he said.
Drawing on the story of the two disciples travelling to Emmaus, Fr Chris illustrated the new hope that Jesus offered them even after his death.
“As those disciples on the road to Emmaus learnt, HE is risen! This means that the hope Jesus offers starts just as all human hopes fail. This is the hope of the Risen Jesus who has conquered sin, death and every evil. This is a hope therefore that can address every experience of failure, weakness and suffering, every experience of loss or sadness. Jesus is our hope.”
As he ended his Catechesis, Fr Chris encouraged youth not to be afraid to live a life of hope.
"Young friends, Christ is the hope we need. It is only through his Church and the sacraments that we can truly know and experience the love and hope of Christ.
And if we have set our hope on the living God - let's not be afraid to show it! Share it with your family, friends, because they too need to know the great hope that is Jesus Christ.”
Fr Chris Ryan MGL is currently the Director of Formation at the Missionaries of God’s Love (MGL).