The Journey Has Begun (Fr Michael)

As Stephen and Chloe have already posted twice, I thought I had better take a turn!

We're somewhere in the middle of Germany at the moment about another 10 hours away from our final destination in Poland. It's quiet on the coach, a few people chatting, a few people drifting in and out of sleep. It seems a good time to let you know how we're getting on.

Once we got on our coaches yesterday it was a race down to Dover to the parish of Our Lady of Dover to officially begin out pilgrimage with Holy Mass.

It has been three years since Pope Francis announced World Youth Day (WYD) in Kraków. Two years since the planning group began working on the diocesan pilgrimage. A year since the young people started meeting together each month for prayer and catechesis. After all of that preparation it is great to finally begin.

Our starting point was around the altar for Mass. It is on the altar that we encounter Jesus in the Eucharist, truly present with us. This is the image of our pilgrimage. We begin with Jesus. Jesus is our constant companion on the journey. It is Jesus who we will have a renewed encounter with through the mission projects and the World Youth Day events.

The first reading from Micah had the line in 'let us see wonders'. It is a great prayer for us and all WYD pilgrims. A prayer to marvel at the great things the Lord will do in each of. A prayer to marvel at the wonder of such a gathering of young people of faith. A prayer to marvel at the wonder of the witness we will give to the world and to go out from WYD and share that joy.

Our pilgrimage has begun!