by JENNY McPHEE
To all those baby boomers wringing their hands and stressing over whether the “Y Generation” will make it to heaven; worrying about, “Do they know the ‘rules’”?
Young people share ideas at the Young Adults Retreat on Banks Peninsula.
Be still. The recent Christchurch diocese Annual Young Adults Retreat, “Journey to the Father”, in Wainui, on Banks
Peninsula, showed not only that they will, but maybe that they have a better way.
The theme for the 50 young people attending the 2015 camp was “Transformed”. To be purified by Christ so that we may love as he loves and our will becomes one with his holy will.
The weekend followed the Passion of Christ, with the Friday night devoted to identifying each person’s “Cross,”
difficult relationships, family or work-related problems, having to strive, measure up, fail, strive again, past hurts.
Tim Malone from the Catholic Youth Team described the cross as “an instrument of painful torture”. He also pointed
out that without a cross there could be no resurrection in our lives.
Fr Chris Eaton from Missionary of God’s Love, Melbourne, likened the building up of burdens to the apostles locked
away, afraid and unable to move from their situation.
Jesus has an answer to seemingly unrepairable relationships, decisions that went wrong, or just life’s circumstances that have caused us to lock ourselves away from others.
He meets us where we are. He says, “I forgive you, I am glad to see you, don’t let your hearts be troubled, I am here”.
Before an outdoor candlelit altar, with colourful symbolic streams of love and forgiveness flowing from the base of the cross, burdens were written down, burnt and given to Jesus.
The blessings and lightening of the load were evident on the Saturday morning, with noise, shrieks and laughter — in contrast to the silent retreat the prevous night.
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