The second day somehow managed to be bigger and better in every way than the first day. No small feat considering the great experience of the opening to ACYF. It began with a very captivating and moving morning plenary station that had everyone dancing in the aisles to songs like the nutbush and macarena and later listening to inspiring stories and passionate pleas to encourage the youth to consider how they can have the power to end modern slavery. Perhaps the highlight of the morning session was Father Rob Galea singing "Lord I need you" and asking everyone in the audience to join in as a way of praying to God.
When the plenary session ended it was time to once again explore the exhibitions and various talks from a wide array of presenters. We also had an opportunity to celebrate Mass together once again. Today was the Solemnity of the Annunciation which fittingly linked with so many of our own masses at school which focused on Mary's courage to say yes to God.
Throughout the day a couple of our students managed to meet Fr Rob Galea and have him autograph some of their ACYF items. It is really quite inspiring to see our youth look to a Catholic Priest as a celebrity considering the fact that so many youth are crying out for role models and celebrities that are positive influences on the world.
To ensure that the students got a chance to explore the city of Perth beyond the confines of the exhibition centre Ms Flett and I took the students on our own little pilgrimage to visit St Mary's Cathedral in Perth on the day of the Annunciation and the anniversary of the Cathedral itself. The students loved the opportunity to sit inside the cathedral and pray in silence for their own special intentions.
When we returned it was time for the evening plenary which was once again a great experience. Starting with a fun game of karaoke to classic hits such as Mariah Carey's "All I want for Christmas" the plenary began with a bang. The highlight of the plenary was once again something quite reverant and religious as we experienced a very special adoration of the Holy Eucharist.
Day Two was amazing and once again Catholic Life leader Robert Pittavino has shared his own experiences of the day below:
Surrender, be strong
Not to our suprise but Day 2 was another great day, if not better than our first. A real theme that was prevalent amongst us pilgrims as we journeyed in our faith journeys was it is through surrending that we find our greatest strength. What does this mean per say? Well simply put, by opening yourself up to the Holy Spirit and it's power, you serve to enhance your faith and meaning . From attending talks, to dancing up and down and singing our hearts out, praying in St Mary's Cathedral and for myself personally, commenting on the Perth Pigeons, they're quite friendly. Through ACYF, we have greater realised how life can be challenging and our faith can be questioned, however, there is always hope. Through this hope we listen to the spirit and hence can show in many ways to many people, who we are, as a child of God. Good Sam, you have the power to surrender, surrender to the spirit and listen to what it is telling you!
