Love in Madrid

The events taking place in Madrid today are significant. Exciting. Inspiring. These events will most likely come to be seen, in retrospect, as a tipping point for a world desperately longing for peace. In a couple hours, Pope Benedict XVI will celebrate a vigil and then, in the morning (half past midnight our time), he will celebrate Mass with a million faithful young people.

Our Taming representative on the ground has reported Madrid is “so alive,” like nothing she has seen before. The streets are filled to overflowing with pilgrims waving flags, chanting—their souls on fire. The chants of “Benedicto! Benedicto!” fill the street and attest to the love the young faithful have for this very special Pope.

Yesterday as I watched coverage of events in Madrid I witnessed events that humbled me, then raised me up. After completion of the Stations of the Cross ceremony, beautifully observed by the young participants, as the papal contingent on stage prepared to exit—Benedict XVI turned to the thousands of young people and in a spontaneous gesture spread his arms, metaphorically embracing the entire crowd of tens of thousands with love. And they loved him back. Talk about the Presence!

In that moment, seeing with my heart’s eyes, I witnessed Christ flowing his immeasurable love through the remarkable man sitting in the chair of Peter and out to young people gathered from nearly every country on the globe for this World Youth Day. In that moment love was planted, like a mustard seed, in the hearts of thousands who will go forth to bring Christ’s love to a world badly in need of love.

Our prayers and blessings today are with Pope Benedict XVI as he brings the message of love to the entire world.

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