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Catholic Outlook Magazine Ordinary Time Winter Edition 2022

The official publication of the Diocese of Parramatta

The official publication of the Diocese of Parramatta

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Faith in the ordinary<br />

STORY PAOLO GRELLA<br />

Paolo, 28, is a parishioner at Our Lady Queen<br />

of Peace, Greystanes, and currently working<br />

as a Campus Pastoral Associate at ACU<br />

North Sydney Campus. He shares about his<br />

relationship with Jesus.<br />

Comforting and reassuring.<br />

It was not always like that but right now He is very<br />

much a friend and a source of comfort, strength and<br />

reassurance. I was brought up <strong>Catholic</strong>, would pray,<br />

but coming into my teenage years where you do start<br />

questioning things you aren’t really sure about, faith<br />

was not at the forefront of my mind - neither was my<br />

relationship with Jesus. I still went to Mass but very<br />

much questioned whether it was real or the point of<br />

it. I was involved in the music ministry which kept me<br />

going to Mass.<br />

In 2015, I was invited by <strong>Catholic</strong> Youth Parramatta<br />

to a retreat called LIFTED. Initially, I did not want to<br />

go but I remember it was the last day to register. I<br />

was reading and I got up to go to the study, where<br />

my Mum was helping my brother register, and I said,<br />

“Oh you are still registering? Can you register me<br />

too?”. They were stunned ‘cause I had been telling<br />

them “No I don’t want to go,” for a month straight.<br />

I felt this interior tug to go. When I got there, there<br />

were just so many young people which I found odd<br />

because there are usually so many old people at<br />

Church. It was a beautiful moment.<br />

One night we had adoration, which was my first<br />

experience of it. I remember just being there, Jesus<br />

just present, and I just sat there looking up at the<br />

monstrance and thinking I did not know what I was<br />

doing with my life. Then this feeling of warmth just<br />

filled me and there is no other way of describing it<br />

but this pure love radiating, and I burst into tears.<br />

It was such a powerful moment, and I went to<br />

Reconciliation and had a really honest confession. It<br />

hit me that I just need to focus on what's important<br />

in life and from that moment I knew Jesus was real,<br />

He loves me, and I believe. I attended more retreats,<br />

met an amazing community at the university I was<br />

attending at the time, going to daily Mass on campus<br />

to learn more about the faith.<br />

Faith in small moments<br />

I think a lot of times we can think of faith and look<br />

at some of the saints’ lives and the extraordinary<br />

things that happened like St Padre Pio who had<br />

the stigmatas. But it does not always have to be<br />

extraordinary. It can be just those small moments in<br />

your life where God is there, where you can see God<br />

moving in a conversion or in a moment. It could be a<br />

decision you have to make in terms of work or study<br />

or in the ordinary day-to-day things, and faith can<br />

definitely be present. I think practising gratitude helps<br />

with that; you can feel that this did not happen by<br />

chance, there is a Creator who created all of this.<br />

On a day-to-day basis I am reassured by God’s plan<br />

for my life and live my life on purpose. It's about<br />

trying to live that plan even if I don’t know what the<br />

next step is yet. For me, God is a central part of my<br />

life. He isn’t just something on the side - it’s small<br />

prayers throughout the day, having a conversation<br />

with God, and keeping Him in the loop in my life. <br />

Young people in the Diocese of Parramatta<br />

are invited to find out more about <strong>Catholic</strong><br />

Youth Parramatta. Find details at linktr.ee/<br />

catholicyouthparra.<br />

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