By Amanda Murthy
“A Christian cannot think of his or her mission on earth without seeing it as a path of holiness… Each saint is a mission, planned by the Father to reflect and embody, at a specific moment in history, a certain aspect of the Gospel.” – Pope Francis, Gaudete et Exsultate.
The 2018 Apostolic Exhortation document released by Pope Francis titled ‘Gaudate et exsultate’ inspired the message of Catholic Education Western Australia (CEWA) Director Dr Debra Sayce, who delivered a one-time workshop, during the Australian Catholic Youth Festival (ACYF), titled ‘Our Call to Holiness: Being, becoming and belonging.’
“This workshop explores how we can be the best we can be, through exploring the signs of holiness in today’s world and build our capacity to model our faith to others,” Dr Sayce expressed to over 80 young people gathered.
Held on Monday, 9 December, the 4pm workshop began with pilgrims invited to take some time to reflect on the questions, ‘What is holiness to you?’ and ‘How do you define yourself in just six words?’, before discussing some of the challenges and obstacles young Christian men and women may face in today’s world.
Encouraging the youth to rise above the challenges, Dr Sayce encouraged the youth to always recognise that God is always present.
“We need to be grounded in our faith in order to face the challenges of today,” Dr Sayce said.
“God is with you… Do not let your challenges limit you to be the person God wants you to be.
“God created beauty (us) in the ordinary of life – We are a reflection of His image and therefore, Jesus reveals Himself through us and through those around us,” she explained.
Answering the question, ‘How can we strive to be holy,’ Dr Sayce shared five great expressions of Love of God and neighbour, on a slide she dubbed ‘Signs of holiness in today’s world’.
“Pope Francis in his previous Apostolic Exhortation Gaudate et Exsultate (Rejoice and be Glad) reminds us that holiness is something that every person should be working towards, and through the grace of God, all can grow in,” Dr Sayce expressed.
“Some of the ways we can strive to be holy is to rely fully on our inner strength given to us by God to practise perseverance, patience and meekness amidst our challenges, to radiate a positive and joyful spirit, and have a sense of humour, as well as to be bold and have passion.
“Being in community is essential to our journey towards holiness and finally, being in constant prayer, always finding ways to grow in your faith,” she added.
In a video message published on social media by CEWA, Dr Sayce shared a summary of her workshop and her inspiration behind the conversations shared with the topic of holiness, a topic which she acknowledged is extremely relevant to the young Church of Australia today.
“We are all called to be missionary Disciples of Christ, and the fact that they can all gather together to understand their faith better, and be the best that they can be,” Dr Sayce stated.
“Pope Francis provides us with a bit of a framework, when he talks about perseverance, patience, boldness, being in prayer, being in community, being humble, and above all being in love with God.
“I hope the young people here will gain much from this festival,” she added.
Also on pages 4 to 5 of Issue 23: 2019 Australian Catholic Youth Festival: ‘Rebuild of Church’ of The Record Magazine