Pilgrim's Progress Part 4

17th July: Holy Spirit, Soul of the Church
For in one Spirit we were all baptised; and we were all given to drink of one Spirit (1 Cor 12:13)

This morning Martin finds a wooden pole in the Gents. During Sacrament of Reconciliation, Daryl spots an Aussie with cable ties for the flag pole and he asks for some. The Aussie not only gives Daryl the cable-ties but also gives him a wooden pole. So now we have 2 wooden poles. This makes Martin very happy! during the Catechesis, Martin sees that Malawi's flag pole is a tree branch and he gives them one of the wooden poles and the Malawis are also very happy.

Today's Catechesis is straight out of Catechism of the Catholic Church. I've taken notes that fill several pages. What I can remember is that God infuses his breath into our lives. this Holy Spirit is our dynamo. What I see between Martin and the Malawi is the work of the Holy Spirit, soul of the Church, who empowers us Singaporean and Malawi to be sons/daughthers of God and brother/sister to each other.

With our flag pole we're on our way to Barangaroo to welcome the Pope.







My naive friends ask me if the Pope will be coming pass this way (where we were). I laugh and tell them, "No lah. So many people. So many lorongs (lanes). Chances are very slim." The pope finally gets off the boat and into the popemobile. Soon he makes a turn down our lorong. I think my friends wished very hard that day.






We screamed, we cheered. Everyone around us went crazy! It was such a wonderful feeling. I imagine what the crowds felt the day they welcomed Jesus on Palm Sunday. I imagine how the crowds felt when Peter and Paul walked past them in the Acts of the Apostles when their shadows fell on the people. The power of the Holy Spirit just filled the whole place. Great Joy filled our hearts! This pilgrim so many years ago disagreed with the Church and her traditions and did not like the Papal figure was now a changed person. I laugh at myself. Years ago I cannot imagine doing something so "idolastic"!, "worshipping this cult figure", "blesphemy". But I know now that Jesus chose Peter to lead his flock and for 2 thousand years this leadership has been passed down from one to the next. I know that the history of the Church is not that clean and perfect. There have been popes who have been less than ideal. But I decided not to judge from the past because I live in the present and I judge in the present. In my life so far I've only known two Popes. Pope John Paul the 2nd won my heart and enriched my faith. It's because of him I signed up for WYD in Cologne only to welcome Pope Benedict the 16th who despite his age has taken on such a heavy responsibility and continues to be an icon of Christian leadership, faithfulness, holiness and humility just as JP2 had been. I cheered heartily for the Vicar of Christ because I cheer for Jesus and the Church he established. Yes the church has not been perfect, but when I see the good the Church has done, I see that has been more positives than negatives.

I am affirmed as the Pope went past me today that the Church is us, we are the Church. We trudge back to the place we now call home, St Ursula's College. We're so tired. We have to wait 15 mins for the train. Sylvester wishes for a train that would not stop at any other station except ours, Kingsgrove. Seems impossible. But the train that comes turns out to be an express train. "No stops. Direct Kingsgrove" Thank you Jesus.

In the college, we find a less-cold place to pray the Evening Vespers. I'm still a cold, hungry and tired pilgrim. But blessed beyond words.