News
NETworks Issue 2, 2023
In this issue: Shine, Listen, Be Unafraid · The Joy of Accompaniment · The Call of Jesus Unfolds
WORLD YOUTH DAY LISBON
SHINE, LISTEN AND BE UNAFRAID
I have just returned from WYD in Lisbon, Portugal together with some 2 million others. It was both a privilege and a gift to be asked to assist in the leading of the Archdiocese of Brisbane pilgrimage. To see young people so alive, hungry and committed to their faith does something to lift your heart and mind. Pope Francis, in his homily at the final Mass called young people to shine, listen and be unafraid.
TO SHINE: not by putting themselves in the spotlight, rather by letting Jesus in and letting him shine through them.
TO LISTEN: by reading the scriptures to listen to Jesus so as not to take the wrong path, especially being aware of selfishness disguised as love.
To be unafraid and here I quote him directly:
You have great dreams, but often fear that they may not come true; sometimes you think that you are not up to the challenge, which is a kind of pessimism that can overcome us at times. As young people, you may be tempted at this time to lose heart, to think you fall short, or to disguise your pain with a smile. As young people, you want to change the world – and it is very good that you want to change the world – you want to work for justice and peace. You devote all your life’s energy and creativity to this, but it still seems insufficient. Yet, the Church and the world need you, the young, as much as the earth needs rain. To all of you, dear young people, who are the present and the future, yes to all of you, Jesus now says: “Have no fear”, “Do not be afraid!”.
Pope Francis, WYD Mass, Feast of the Transfiguration, August 6 2023, Lisbon
Mark Lysaght
Executive Director Australia & New Zealand
At NET Ministries we wholeheartedly embrace this encouragement to shine, listen and to be unafraid and especially the words "the Church and the world need you, the young, as much as the earth needs rain". NET believes in and acts on the prophetic voice of God proclaimed by young people who have encountered Jesus and as a result shine, listen and are unafraid to be witnesses to the “more” that God offers to us in Jesus Christ and his Church. We have confidence that there are young men and women who want their peers to experience Jesus, not as a moment in time but as fullness of life. Jesus makes a promise to give us a life full of meaning and purpose; a life which impacts the world with positive change through relationships, work and community. To shine, listen and be unafraid are the hallmarks of the 35 years of NET Ministries that we celebrate and give thanks for this year. What we celebrate and give thanks for are the young people who hear the call to go to their peers and share life so that other young people may shine, listen and be unafraid. This is a tremendous gift to our world and we look forward to celebrating in October. I am so grateful for your ongoing support of this ministry and the vital work it does with young people in Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific region.
Ramona Villanueva
THE JOY OF ACCOMPANIMENT
Recruiting Officer for NET Ministries
In the beginning of August, I found myself in the middle of a very hot European summer, sitting on the dusty concrete ground in Avila with the women in my small group. We were debriefing the chaotic and whirlwind week that was World Youth Day Lisbon.
As much as we appreciated the many holy places, chapels and basilicas, shrines and breathtakingly beautiful churches we visited, every day I was reminded of the sacred ground that it is to be alongside another person. I was reminded in conversations on buses and trains and walking tours. I was reminded when Neil shared his umbrella with me as we waited for hours in the sun. I was reminded when Miles carried the bags of two other pilgrims for 3km. I was reminded when Fr Wil waited in line with Virginia to touch the water in Lourdes. I was reminded when the women in my small group would always eventually find ourselves gathering unprompted in the common room of our floor at the end of a full day so we could share with each other what we had experienced; to take a minute to breathe and to laugh about the chaos of it all.
In our first small group, we shared about what we hoped for on this pilgrimage, and the prayers we were bringing with us. In our last small group, we shared about how God spoke to us and moved in us and through us, the ways we felt called to listen, give and love; each person sharing so honestly from their heart. As I sat there with these 7 women who I knew very little about at the beginning of this journey, I was overwhelmed with gratitude for the joy of accompaniment, for the privilege it is to walk alongside another, share our stories, listen and be heard.
Accompaniment is a joy and a privilege. What a gift it is to find sanctuary in another amidst chaos; what a gift to let your presence be another’s sanctuary; what a gift it is to be reminded that we need each other and that we are made to be alongside each other.
“Jesus’ journey is this: God going out of himself in order to walk by our side.”
Pope Francis, Stations of the Cross with Young People
NET MINISTRIES UNITE AT WORLD YOUTH DAY
World Youth Day (WYD) Lisbon became a significant event for NET Ministries as representatives of NET from Canada. Ireland, Scotland, the United States and Australia came together to provide a common witness to the mission that God has entrusted to us. Ramona Villanueva (NET’s recruiting officer) was chosen as the representative of NET Australia and New Zealand. It was an unexpected surprise when Mark Lysaght (Executive Director) was invited to join with the Brisbane Archdiocesan Pilgrimage in a leadership role – and then there were two! This provided a wonderful opportunity to give witness and serve the young people of the world.
Our two representatives were in big demand for interviews, so they used every opportunity to share the vision of NET and the value of spending a year on mission with NET Ministries. They were joined by representatives from NET Ministries from the other countries and welcomed countless numbers of young people who came to seek out the various Mission Ministries where they might be able to serve.
One of the hidden joys of a WYD experience is the opportunity to grow together with those who are on pilgrimage. In the previous article Ramona gives an insight into her experience of accompaniment with a group of young women. Its actually not possible to attend a WYD as a pilgrim and not be challenged by long lines waiting for meals and toilets; having other people come and take your allocated space for the sleepout and final Mass, dealing with the idiosyncrasies of your brother/sister pilgrims and not forgetting the 35+ degree heat. The words of St. Paul to the Romans (5:3-4) comes to mind, “we know that suffering produces perseverance; 4 perseverance, character; and character, hope”.
ENCOURAGEMENT IN THE FACE OF DIFFICULTY
In spite of the more than a million young people gathering in Lisbon, Pope Francis was aware of the struggle that many were facing in different parts of the world. His address to the Bishops of Lisbon was largely unreported but the content of his address is powerful and certainly applies in our context of life in this part of the world. He draws his inspiration from the Gospel of Luke and Jesus call of the apostles contrasting their experience of catching no fish and their subsequent encounter with Jesus. He says, “We see the difference: the disciples get out of the boat, while Jesus gets into the boat; they want to put away their nets, while he wants them to lower them once more into the sea for a catch.”
Someone once said, “I am afraid when good people grow weary”. At those times when we think we are holding only empty nets. It is not uncommon to feel that way in countries of ancient Christian tradition, buffeted by social and cultural changes and increasingly marked by secularism, indifference to God and growing detachment from the practice of the faith. Here lies the peril of a creeping worldliness… Whenever we feel discouraged (and here each of us can think of times when we felt discouraged), we may feel tempted to leave the boat and become entangled in the nets of resignation and pessimism. Instead, let us trust that Jesus continues to take us by the hand, lifting up his beloved Bride. Let us bring our struggles and our tears to the Lord, in order then to respond to pastoral and spiritual needs, together, with open hearts and finding new ways to follow him.
The experience of life in the Church can sometimes cause us to feel disappointed and empty handed after a hard night’s labour. His message goes on to state,
Prayer becomes the necessary response to the challenges to give up and settle for an empty catch. He encourages us all, “Now is the God-given time of grace to sail boldly into the sea of evangelization and of mission.”
JOURNEY WITH JESUS
Erin Sprenger
About a year and a half ago, I was feeling unfulfilled following my own plans instead of God’s. Through many prayers, God showed me a path that would lead me to the other side of the world. Intrigued by the promise of adventure, a radical Christian lifestyle, the faith-based accountability of living in community, and the opportunity to use my education degrees to continue building God’s kingdom in a new way, I made my way to NET Ministries.
I spent the first half of the year on the Darwin team. I was blessed to get to experience much of Australia’s Northern Territory. While we spent most of our time at the schools in the Darwin area, we also traveled to do ministry in some Aboriginal communities. At Mid-Year Training, the team was shuffled, and I was sent to New Zealand to serve on the Hamilton Diocesan team.
Of course, this adventure God called me to was never just about traveling to new places. In these past seven months, I’ve been able to encourage young people in their faith while also journeying deeper myself. Getting to share my experience of the Catholic faith and how my relationship with Jesus has looked throughout my life has been beautiful and rewarding.
I’m so grateful for you, our sponsors, who have made it all possible. Your support is truly making an impact on myself and each person I’ve encountered this year. Together, we are spreading the message that faith isn’t boring. In the words of St. John Paul II, “life with Christ is a wonderful adventure!”
Michael Rayner
I spent most of my first year out of high school working 60-hour weeks as a manager at McDonalds. All I cared about was money. Overall, my life was alright, but I felt a great lack of purpose. A part of me knew I needed change and that I would be miserable if I kept working at that pace for much longer. So, I made plans to leave. I planned to use my savings to travel around Europe for 4 months then do the Camino & finish at World Youth Day. This was how I intended to find myself and sort my life out. Little did I know God had a much greater plan for my year.
“What no eye has seen, what no ear has heard, and what no human mind has conceived” the things God has prepared for those who love him…”
1 Corinthians 2:9
I discovered it, by chance, at a Catholic camp I attended at the beginning of this year. Some NET alumni were there and shared about their experience of being on NET and encouraged us to consider doing it. The thought popped into my brain “You should do NET Australia.” I laughed at the thought thinking, that's ridiculous! It became even more ridiculous when I found out I would have to leave 3 days after the camp finished. The problem was the thought kept coming back, I couldn’t get rid of it. A part of me knew it was Jesus because it made no sense to me at all. why would I drop my trip to Europe, risk getting a bad reference from my boss, and go to a country I’d never been to, with people I’d never met on an impulse decision? After chatting to one of my new camp friends at 2 am (Not the best time to make a life decision) I decided. It seemed absolutely impossible that I would do NET but somehow Jesus made a way. My boss was really supportive, my dad encouraged me to go after a 1-minute conversation and my strong emotional attachment to my job disappeared instantly. Everything just worked out.
I made the best decision in my life on impulse but it wasn’t really impulse because I knew it wasn’t just my own thoughts… It was the Holy Spirit leading me to follow God's calling for me. Do I have any regrets whatsoever? None. I would encourage everyone who feels called to do NET or anything else in life not to doubt Jesus. He will make the impossible possible, if you allow him to do so! Trust in him and I’m sure where you end up will be more exciting than you could ever imagine.
THE CALL OF JESUS UNFOLDS
As Jesus was walking beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon called Peter and his brother Andrew. They were casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen. “Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will send you out to fish for people.” At once they left their nets and followed him. (Matthew 4:18-20) No one could have predicted the impact of the call of Jesus on these unsuspecting fishermen. God received their yes and their fruitfulness was multiplied time and time again. A similar story could be told about NET Ministries but not on such a grand scale. This year NET Ministries celebrates 35 years of evangelisation by young people and with young people in Australia, New Zealand, Uganda and the Pacific Region. During this time, more than 1000 youthful missionaries have been speaking life and hope into the lives of at least a million young people. While NET began with travelling teams running retreats in schools and parishes from Cairns to Perth, the ministry has diversified and developed Local Teams (working in parishes, schools and dioceses) as well as University Teams working “on campus” alongside Campus Ministry or University Chaplaincy.
LET'S CELEBRATE 35 YEARS
From the very first years of NET, there has been a conviction that one of the roles of NET, in whichever country we found ourselves, was to encourage young men and women to become apostles for a new generation. We take to heart the words of Pope Francis when he says in his Apostolic Exhortation, Christus Vivit, 175. Filled with the love of Christ, young people are called to be witnesses of the Gospel wherever they find themselves, by the way they live. Saint Alberto Hurtado once said that “being an apostle does not mean wearing a lapel pin; it is not about speaking about the truth but living it, embodying it, being transformed in Christ. Being an apostle does not mean carrying a torch in hand, possessing the light, but being that light… The Gospel, more than a lesson, is an example. A message that becomes a life fully lived.
In our 35th year, we wanted to take time out and to celebrate what God has done through this ministry. We are delighted to invite you to attend our Gala Fundraiser on Friday evening October 20 at “Lightspace” (2 Scanlan St, Fortitude Valley QLD 4006) to give thanks for the ministry of NET and to look towards the needed work and opportunity for evangelisation in the third millennium. For bookings, please go to:
app.tickets.org.au/NETAUS/NETGALA
Can you help us rebuild the church by transforming the lives of young people across Australia and New Zealand?
As always, please pray for us as we seek to fulfill our mission. We hope to see young hearts transformed as they encounter Jesus. That's why we exist. Thank you for your generosity.