The video is Youth 2000 New York, but it's so good :)
Wanted to post something after all the fuss over the latest Youth 2000 event in Glastonbury. Have found a few interesting bloggers speaking about it, but none as yet who was there for the whole thing.
Some background.
Here is the rampant secularist POV.
"Members of the Conservative Catholic group "Youth 2000" marched through Glastonbury on the 2nd November to commemorate the 467th anniversary of the beheading of the last abbot of Glastonbury..."Bobbins!
Misinformation point 1: We aren't conservative. We are just faithful. We love God, we love the Pope. That's it.
Misinformation point 2: Can't even get the date right. Obviously a very well researched article.
Misinformation point 3: Who on earth said anything about commemorating the beheading of an Abbot?! Is that just to make us sound militant? I had no idea it was the 467th anniversary of anything, and as I work in the same building as Youth 2000 and have attended almost every festival in the last 4 years, I reckon if that was our selling point, I'd have heard about it.
Here is the official Youth 2000 statement. Just for balance.
The Southwark vocations director has a blog in which he has
this to say about the festival.
"...
The truth is that at one level this was a non-event. The young people got on with praying in the Church, on the Tor, and during the Blessed Sacrament procession. But at another level the Glastonbury retreat has its own significance. The presence of such a large number of exuberant, young Catholics in a town re-defining itself as the home of 'ceramic green men' and the 'Realm of Faerie' can only be an embarassment its pagan occupants would rather not have to put up with."
A couple of other people (who weren't there, but know y2k) have blogged it,
Matt and a girl I dont know (
the dúnadan?).
It's made me want to search a little harder for the video I have of the previous year's procession. So joyful, none of this agressive nonsense, however, it's currently nowhere to be found, so in the meantime this lovely slide show of our new year festival will do.
My SD told me that he had arrived to a discussion of the Y2k event at a regional chaplains meeting. The response is sad but predictable, those whose liberal agenda is threatened by the simple (succesful) orthodoxy of Youth 2000 jump on this chance to condemn us as militant fanatics, theres even some talk (hopefully farfetched) of no longer allowing Eucharistic processions in the UK. After all, we do pay too much attention to the Eucharist don't we? We should really give more time to passing candles round in a circle and wandering round in "labyrinths." Oh it makes me cross. Apparently some priests saying they were quite justified in not allowing y2k prayer groups in their chaplaincies. I'm not quite sure what they'd like us to do, ban the travellers from coming to the festival?
If someone who'd actually attended the festival had a criticism I'd like to hear it. The organisers said so many times, "this is a peaceful procession... we're not being triumphant, just bringing some of the joy and peace we've experienced this weekend into the streets... please don't talk to anyone as you pass, just smile and sing, and let's glorify God..."
When I said I'd had a blessed weekend and wanted to blog it, this wasn't quite what I had in mind! What I wanted to talk about was what I shared very briefly in the testimonies session on Sunday.
I've been a bit fed up lately, Fr K (SD) told me yesterday that I need to climb out of the cess pit... he's marvellous. So, have been through worse struggles, but had been feeling that I can't really be bothered with all this God stuff anymore. I only went to Glastonbury because I
always go to Glastonbury, I met my friends and pretended everything was ok, and was so busy running the registration desk I didn't have time to pray. Fine by me. On Saturday night I was also tired after traditional Youth 2000 lack of sleep, so when Noel asked me if I'd like to be on one of the prayer teams (we pray with people on the Saturday night, before the healing service) I was very unimpressed. But I didn't have any good excuse, so I went to confession (which was good!) and we prayed. It was amazing, I've never quite understood what a privilage it is to be able to pray with people like that, I really felt that God gave me a glimpse of how beautiful they were to him. Souls in a state of grace (people go to be prayed with after confession), I was just totally awed. So much love for Him, so much longing to be with Him, so much trust in His providence.
So, while I'm not totally back on track, Glasto really helped. And all will be well. Fr K said it is a good thing I no longer feel ready to go to the convent, maybe God's finally teaching me some humility :)
Oh and I mentioned that when I settle down a bit I'd like to visit some Poor Clares. He was so delighted, he was battling to keep the smile off his face. That man is entirely convinced I need to be locked away in a cloister!
May God give you His peace!
My Saint of the Year, St Thomas Aquinas... Get chosen by a Saint!
