World Youth Day is like a bolt of lightning. There was the energy of the pilgrims, colourful events, powerful prayer, incredible scenes of joy and fellowship. It was a time of feeling more alive, where Catholics of all ages were plugged into a very potent energy source.

If World Youth Day is like a bolt of lightning, then how do we harness the energy? Lightning is a potent source of power but very quickly dissipates. World Youth Day's theme was: "You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes, and you will be my witnesses to the ends of the earth" (Acts 1v8). But do we risk losing the power of the Holy Spirit in the same way we can lose the power of a lightning bolt? How can we stay connected?

In this Year of St Paul, we can draw great wisdom from a man who was supercharged with energy and life as he witnessed God's love to all nations. What can we learn from Paul, a man who encountered Jesus Christ in a "flash of light"? His own experience was so intense that he chose to commit himself to following Jesus even into persecution and martyrdom. What is extraordinary is that his zeal never died. Let us consider some ways St Paul invites us to connect.

Connecting with the community
In our effort to come to terms with St Paul's writings, we can sometimes forget that they were real letters which were penned to communities he had helped to initiate. What is significant here is that St Paul did not simply move on after forming a community. He continued to support these new Christians.

In the wake of World Youth Day, people may return to Mass or seek to become Catholic. We can learn from St Paul's example as we respond to new Christians within our own community, or to returning members of our parish. How do we continue to support community members after they join or who may have returned after being away? How can the way we live be a letter of encouragement to those around us? Does the welcome stop at the door or end at the baptismal font?

Connecting beyond the usual suspects
Another wonderful hallmark of St Paul is his spreading of the mission beyond the Jewish people. In the Acts of the Apostles we hear that St Paul would visit the synagogue when he first went to town but then he would always continue on to the marketplace.

Do our faith communities today have the same vision? How much energy do we spend building up and preaching to our own people? In what ways are we out in the marketplace, sharing the Good News? If God is the power source, then we are like the electric wires through which the life of the Holy Spirit flows. Are our faith communities closed circuits or open circuits? Do our local libraries, shopping malls, community noticeboards or media outlets bear any trace of the Good News? What ways do we personally, and as a community, invite those beyond the usual suspects into the life God offers to all people? The Australian Bishops recently launched two new resources: "Reconnect" and "Rewired". These programs offer us concrete ways of engaging with Catholics who have been away from active involvement. Similarly, the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults offers a beautiful process to draw seekers into the life of faith. How are we called to connect others to God's love?

Going beyond the usual suspects also includes our engagement in both ecumenical and interfaith circles. The writings of St Paul offer great opportunities for dialogue with Christians from other denominations. St Paul, himself, inspires us to engage in the search for meaning with people of other faiths, and share the Truth of Christ with them.

Connecting with God's Word
How do we stay connected to God's energy source? One sure way is to listen to the Word of God. The writings of St Paul may have been penned to faith communities some two millennia ago, yet they are also letters written to each of us. Try to imagine receiving an email or letter from St Paul, containing one of these epistles. Take the time this year to read one of St Paul's letters in a single sitting. What message can you take from St Paul? What encouragement or challenge do his letters present to you at this time? There are great study guides available - in both books and on websites. Do yourself a favour - unplug from a TV show and plug into the message of St Paul. He won't disappoint!

Connecting with our tradition
We sometimes hear the call that the church should return to its roots. There are some who romanticise the early church, suggesting that it was perfect and simple back then. Paul's writings help dispel that notion and put us in touch with some of the gritty realities and struggles which our communities still wrestle with today:

• arrogance and personality conflicts between church members;
• misunderstanding of basic Christian teachings;
• financial support for the Church communities, and for people who are poor and in need of basic necessities.

St Paul stresses the unity of all believers, who should think of themselves as people "in Christ" with a radical new identity (Eph 2:12-13).

In his Letter to Titus, Paul emphasises a faith in Christ that overcomes division and disharmony among believers (Tit 3:3-8).

The supremacy of Jesus Christ, and what that means for our everyday lives as we try to develop attitudes and actions to honour the Lord, is a strong theme in Paul's Letter to the Colossians.

Connecting with God
Paul's faith and hope in Jesus, together with his great love of Jesus "for me to live is Christ" (Phil 1:21) is a great model for each and every one of us.

To put it simply, we don't harness the energy of God's love, we cannot capture the lightning bolt of the Spirit's power, whether it be manifest in World Youth Day or any other aspect of our lives. St Paul reminds us, that God has to harness us. Our life our energy must become plugged into God, not the other way round.

St Paul reminds us that where we are weak, there we are strong. The best expression of this is in our life of prayer and our sacramental life. We pray because without God we are nothing. We come to Eucharist because we hunger for the Bread of Life. We come to Reconciliation because we need forgiveness. We gather with our brothers and sisters in community, as one Body in Christ.

Let us stay connected after World Youth Day and remain powered by the Holy Spirit so, like Paul, we become "live wires" or witnesses to the ends of the earth.

You know, faith is like electricity. You can't see it, but you can see the light it produces in the lives of those who believe!