Today World Youth Day got in full gear! It was definitely No Ordinary Day!

Thought #1: Pray for the citizens of Sydney. Many have been curious about us, but I get the strong feeling that many of them just feel completely inconvenienced. We want to be witnesses to life in Jesus Christ! Pray that we will be such. Please pray that we pilgrims would be a blessing to the good people of Australia and not a burden.

Thought #2: I love the United Kingdom! I am an animator for one of the catechetical sites and all the young people are from outside London. They are having a lot of fun at our little parish church. They also have great questions about living as a Christians. Everybody, believe me ... people are people. We all have the same struggles. They asked great questions of our bishop catechist, Archbishop Gerard Holohan of the Archdiocese of Bunbury in western Australia. What a great leader for our Church! We are blessed. UK, you are blessed to have such good young leaders.

Thought #3: We had a big concert today. Everyone did incredibly
well, but Curtis Stephan is the best-kept secret in Catholic music. If you don't know his stuff, you have to see him live. He is a very powerful minister.

OK, that's today. Tomorrow we are going to the papal arrival!