The WYD became for me a reality today. To live these days and to feel the strength of young people who believe, is an experience of faith and helps us see a possibility of fraternal life in our world. It is difficult to put everything in writing; so I chose a few special moments which touched me during these days.
I started these days in Pamplona with the missionaries from that region.
Each year this diocese organizes meetings for them, and our Sister Maite presented a topic on “Young people and Mission”. It opened us to the universal dimension of the Church which is present everywhere in the world, but which needs to be encouraged. The various missionary experiences that were shared are a richness and they become a living source in the life of the men and women who discover God.
In a joyful spirit we made a mini-pilgrimage with the young people coming from various directions to Javier from where came Francis Xavier, a great saint of the Church.
To prepare us for this pilgrimage, a prayer vigil the evening of August 12th helped me sense the young people’s desire for recollection. Their attentive listening to the lessons that were given helped me to live this prayer in deep faith. Their attitude of openness to interior listening marked the meetings of catechesis all during these WYD.
The following day during the Eucharist celebrated by the Bishop, the Thanksgiving was a special moment for me. Five of us were chosen to carry the flags of the five continents: blue, green, yellow, red and white. With help from the wind, these flags waved to the rhythm of the songs and music, and were accompanied by joyful shouts of the young people with all the faithful joining in to celebrate the power of their life in Christ.
During the meal we witnessed the organization, the preparation and sharing of the “paella,” - special rice cooked in Spain… the presence of the young people was an encouragement for the cooks.
Madrid was a crossroads of cultures, races and people on a large scale. Young people and less young everywhere showed what I will call the visibility of the World Youth Day: the rucksack, the T-shirt, the hat, the cross, radiant and smiling faces. Each one in their group made a deep and personal experience, but the large gatherings enabled all of us to live a unity both diverse and yet ONE. The colored flags were raised around the one - of the Church of Christ (white and yellow), represented by his successor Pope Benedict XVI who discretely left the entire place to God.
The way of the cross on Friday, was a sign that Christ is alive and He is the one who gives us this joy of celebrating and giving thanks for our faith.
The evening before the closing Mass we were tested by a big storm. “The wind blew, the rain fell, but the house did not collapse because it was built on the rock”. I can say of this experience which joined the topic of the WYD: “Rooted in Christ, strengthened in the faith”.
At the time of one of the lessons a witness said, as of now each one of us has to ask ourselves: “How can I let Christ be rooted in me?” Because He is already here within us, it is up to us to recognize Him.
I finish with a special thank-you to all those who gave of their time to prepare these days. Mistakes were made of course. This is human, but everything is grace and must help us to be happy and vibrant witnesses of Christ. The Pope sends us out in His name. So let us go and bear fruit which remains. Let us be sowers of peace and love in our daily lives. “Long live the Pope’s young people.”
Jeanne d' Arc
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