For the Sake of 10 Righteous Men the Lord Would Have Spared Sodom

Young Pilgrims at World Youth Day 2013
AP Photo/ Felipe Dana

How Much Mercy has been called down upon our tired world by the prayers of Our Holy Father and 3 million young people at World Youth Day?  The answer is known to the Lord alone but if we look at the mercy Our Lord would show for the sake of 10 righteous men in Sodom then one can surmise that the mercy called down by so much prayer this week at World Youth Day is beyond our comprehension.

In the first reading today Abraham speaks before the Lord and asks the Lord to spare Sodom if ten righteous men can be found within the city.  The Lord responds, "For the sake of ten I will not destroy it." (Genesis 18:32)

Last night the scene on the Copacabana beach before the arrival of Pope Francis for an evening vigil was full of song and praise for Our Lord.  Many would remain on the beach overnight singing and in prayer in cold temperatures to be present for the Pope's Final Mass of World Youth Day.  To see the Holy Spirit alive in these young people is an image of hope.  How happy must Our Lady and her Son be to look down and see such a sight.  

Thank you Pope John Paul II for your efforts while here on earth to begin such a wonderful event for our young people.  Thank you to Pope Benedict and now Pope Francis for continuing such a beautiful tradition.  As a person who attended World Youth Day in the US with Pope John Paul II in 1993 I feel the fruits of such intense communal prayer are still bearing fruit.

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