{"id":785,"date":"2019-05-08T02:47:26","date_gmt":"2019-05-08T02:47:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dojcommunity.com\/?p=785"},"modified":"2019-08-27T03:00:37","modified_gmt":"2019-08-27T03:00:37","slug":"light-to-the-nations-shines-brightly","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dojcommunity.com\/light-to-the-nations-shines-brightly\/","title":{"rendered":"Light to the Nations shines brightly"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
Each year, young people from all around Australia, joined by people from throughout the Pacific, come to the Southern Highlands of NSW on a pilgrimage.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n They camping under the open skies and join in a unique celebration of the Easter liturgies.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Light to the Nations offers a truly powerful renewal experience, held in the beautiful bushland setting of Chevalier College, Bowral.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n There, pilgrims find Jesus in a new way, through prayer, worship, drama, music, and personal sharing.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Since 1987 the Light to the Nations Easter Youth Pilgrimage has been hosted by the Disciples of Jesus Community.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Here are some testimonies from this year\u2019s Light to the Nations.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Every second year, for longer than I care to remember, my husband and I have packed up our growing family and taken them all to an extraordinary Easter youth pilgrimage \u2013 Light to the Nations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This phenomenal event is really a charismatic celebration of the Easter Triduum, Disciples of Jesus \u2013 style, in a circus tent, while camping out with hundreds of people for the long weekend. <\/p>\n\n\n\n We have eight children, two of which are adults and help with different aspects of this mountaintop faith experience of the passion, death and resurrection of Jesus. The liturgies are led by our very own home-grown Missionaries of God\u2019s Love priests, brothers and sisters.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The major highlights include Holy Thursday Mass of the Last Supper, dramatization of Good Friday Stations of the cross (with world class acting), Veneration of the Cross and the opportunity for Sacramental Reconciliation. Saturday morning is centred around Mary\u2019s personal journey of grieving for her Son, while maintaining hope in His promise of resurrection leads the people deep into the experience of the disciples.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The high point peaks in the glorious Vigil Mass that night, my all-time favourite faith moment \u2013 imagine lifting the roof of a big-top, singing alleluia with all your heart, waving your lighted taper with over 1000 other people full of the joy of the resurrection!<\/p>\n\n\n\n All this is shot through with phenomenal praise & worship, led by truly gifted leaders, testimonies, incredible preachings from Catholics (both consecrated and lay), exposure to exciting current outreaches in the Church today, and fresh, moving ways of experiencing our rich Catholic faith.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The powerful renewal of faith & hope that flows out of this biannual fixture of our family life is the reason we keep coming back.<\/p>\n\n\n\nGabrielle Dahdah from Pymble, NSW<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n