Our pilgrimage in prayer

George帶我們欣賞半月彎的夕陽美景

When I arrived the Melbourne International Airport on 10 July 2008, I read a letter by Archbishop Hart on a pilgrim's guide. He recommends that our pilgrimage should begin in prayer, be a journey in prayer, and end in prayer. And I was lucky I did it.

When our pilgrimage begins in prayer it implies that we receive the forgiveness of Jesus, especially in the Sacrament of Reconciliation. Our journey is made light when we cast all our sins and cares at the foot of the Calvary Cross and receive the merciful forgiveness of the Father of us all. It means that when we all celebrate the Commissioning Mass on Friday 11 July we receive the grace and nourishment of Jesus, the Word and Bread of Life, for our journey. It means that we prepare ourselves by prayer and fasting. We invoke the angels and saints to accompany us on our way.
+ Denis J Hart, Archbishop of Melbourne "Welcome to the Great Pilgrimage". DID08 Pilgrims Edition, July 2008, p3.

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在出發世青前的培育活動，找神父辦修和聖事，我還沒有開始告明，望著神父慈愛的眼神，並羞愧於自己的罪過，便開始哭了。當神父把雙手放在我的頭上，說寬恕我的罪，我更為激動。能真正面對自己的過犯，坦白的向天主求恕，立定不再犯罪的心，仁慈的天主必會憐憫。因為祂體察了我的傷痕，我的一切祂也全都知曉，我實在沒有隱瞞假裝的理由，而祂的真光必定引導我。