The last time we posted was on Monday from Grenada, and we've been in Madrid since Monday night. Each morning we've attended catechesis with other English speakers and celebrated Mass. Yesterday we met the group from our Diocese at the Madrid Arena for Mass. Bishop Burns from Juneau, Alaska was the main celebrant and preached a very moving homily about the peace Christ gives us in the Resurrection. It was great to see other priests from Arlington and meet up with other pilgrims we know from home. Gretchen Crowe, a writer from the Catholic Herald, interviewed some of our teens for the paper, so maybe we'll see some of quotes on the website for the Herald or in print next week!
Friday morning we saw the stations of the Via Crucis up close - many great works of art gathered from around Spain just for WYD. We returned to pray the stations with the Holy Father at 7:30, though we had to stake out a place on the street more than two hours in advance.
The teens have been having a lot of fun meeting others from all over the world. One the things everyone does is trade - hats, pins, flags - everything! Our US flag bandanas have been a popular trade, but by far the thing everyone wants is our "Team Jesus" t-shirts. We even met a spaniard in the street who told us, "My name is Jesus - you are my group!"
This week has truly been wonderful, and we've all experienced the Church in a new way. The Church truly is universal - all nations adore Him! The Church is ever young and continually being renewed by the Holy Spirit. As we've been riding the metro and walking the streets, seeing and hearing groups sing songs about the Lord from their own place, I've thought, what a gift it is that this city is full of such song and dynamism! Would that every city be so joyful in the Lord!
Today we'll celebrate Mass on our own, then make our way to the airfield where we'll spend the night and celebrate Mass with the Holy Father tomorrow. Please pray for us, as it is expected to be 98 degrees today and 102 tomorrow. We'll just have to find some shade and stay in it!
Hoping all have recovered from the heat and are enjoying the last couple of days in Spain! Can't wait to hear all the stories that happened in between the 'blogs'! :)
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