Madrid, Spain, Aug 17, 2011 / 22:56 pm
Archbishop-designate of Philadelphia Charles J. Chaput told thousands of young people gathered in Madrid for World Youth Day that an authentic relationship with Christ isn't based purely on emotions.
“Ultimately, it will not be how you feel that will determine how genuine and profound your encounter with Jesus is,” he told pilgrims.
“Instead, it will be determined by how much you are transformed into Him and how much you burn in the desire to bring Him to others, by announcing the Gospel, by serving the poor and the needy, by defending the unborn, by securing a culture that is not hostile to the growth of Christian families,” he said.
Archbishop Chaput made his remarks to English-speaking youths at the Madrid Arena – which seats 12,000 people – on Aug. 17 for the “Noche de Alegría” or “Night of Joy.”
The French lay movement the Emmanuel Community organized the evening's events, which included prayer, worship, music and Eucharistic Adoration.