WYD Reminiscences
Recalling experiences at World Youth Day 2016 in Poland
Recalling experiences at World Youth Day 2016 in Poland
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He loves me and he wants me to tell you how much he loves you.<br />
He wants to speak to you, listen to him.<br />
If you want to love him too,<br />
Love the people in your life,<br />
Share their pain,<br />
Show kindness,<br />
Show mercy.<br />
For blessed are the merciful
Another World youth day has passed, even more youth have completed<br />
their pilgrimage.<br />
Has there been any change in my life? Has a new spark been ignited or has a fire broken<br />
out of the spark that was already there?<br />
Have eyes been opened? have any mysteries been unlocked? Have hearts been made<br />
new?<br />
Are we ready to love Him and the people in our lives? Are we prepared to share the pain<br />
of strangers? Are we willing to show kindness to the person who revolts us the most?<br />
Are our hearts open to forgive those that have hurt us the most and be Merciful like our<br />
heavenly father is?<br />
What are our answers to all these questions?<br />
The Holy father urges us to stop being "couch potatoes" and step out of our comfort<br />
zone into the world of pain and fear to make a difference. Have we decided to move out<br />
of our passive mindset and start being the Church we were meant to be? " I do not<br />
know how. I am too young." is what some of us might say. As the Lord said to Jeremiah,<br />
he says to us, "Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you."<br />
So where will we do our part? In the church as altar servers, ushers, catechists, lectors,<br />
Eucharistic ministers, deacons, sisters or even priests? at home, at play and at work by<br />
doing the will of God.<br />
Let our encounter with Jesus at World Youth Day not end in Krakow, but let it<br />
continue on in our hearts every single day and let the world know that we are His by<br />
our Love.
World Youth Day Pilgrims from Jebel Ali.<br />
Abraham George<br />
Johann Crasto<br />
Joyce Bernadette Diano<br />
Nikhil D'Mello<br />
Vanessa D'Souza<br />
Larina Melissa D'Souza<br />
Roselyn D'Souza<br />
Querina Fernandes<br />
Fr. Biju Panickaparambil<br />
Melissa Jayawickrema<br />
Joshua Fernandes<br />
Anthony Khadige<br />
Pearl Lobo<br />
Averell Menezes<br />
Curtis Miranda<br />
Viva Noronha<br />
Bianca Pereira<br />
Haiston Pereira<br />
Delison Pinto<br />
Jason Rodrigues<br />
Keegan Silveira<br />
Ilda Soares<br />
Sonia Soares<br />
Sharon Victor<br />
Arianne Laus<br />
The Team would like to thank the following for their support and prayers<br />
Bp. Paul Hinder<br />
Fr. Reinhold Sahner<br />
Fr. Biju George<br />
Fr. Stalin Varghese<br />
Mr. Roger Kottoor<br />
Ms. Arleen D’Souza<br />
Mr. Selwyn Macwan<br />
Mr. Darryl Fernandes<br />
Mr. Andrew Alvares
Homily of The Holy Father<br />
Campus Misericordiae - Kraków<br />
Dear young people, you have come to Krakow to meet Jesus. Today’s Gospel speaks<br />
to us of just such a meeting between Jesus and a man named Zacchaeus, in Jericho (cf. Lk 19:1-10).<br />
There Jesus does not simply preach or greet people; as the Evangelist tells us, he passed through the<br />
city (v. 1). In other words, Jesus wants to draw near to us personally, to accompany our journey to<br />
its end, so that his life and our life can truly meet.<br />
An amazing encounter then takes place, with Zacchaeus, the chief “publican” or tax collector.<br />
Zacchaeus was thus a wealthy collaborator of the hated Roman occupiers, someone who exploited<br />
his own people, someone who, because of his ill repute, could not even approach the Master. His<br />
encounter with Jesus changed his life, just as it has changed, and can daily still change, each of our<br />
lives. But Zacchaeus had to face a number of obstacles in order to meet Jesus. It was not easy for<br />
him; he had to face a number of obstacles. At least three of these can also say something to us.<br />
The first obstacle is smallness of stature. Zacchaeus couldn’t see the Master because he was little.<br />
Even today we can risk not getting close to Jesus because we don’t feel big enough, because we<br />
don’t think ourselves worthy. This is a great temptation; it has to do not only with self-esteem, but<br />
with faith itself. For faith tells us that we are “children of God… that is what we are” (1 Jn 3:1). We<br />
have been created in God’s own image; Jesus has taken upon himself our humanity and his heart<br />
will never be separated from us; the Holy Spirit wants to dwell within us. We have been called to<br />
be happy for ever with God!<br />
That is our real “stature”, our spiritual identity: we are God’s beloved children, always. So you can<br />
see that not to accept ourselves, to live glumly, to be negative, means not to recognize our deepest<br />
identity. It is like walking away when God wants to look at me, trying to spoil his dream for me.<br />
God loves us the way we are, and no sin, fault or mistake of ours makes him change his mind. As<br />
far as Jesus is concerned – as the Gospel shows – no one is unworthy of, or far from, his thoughts.<br />
No one is insignificant. He loves all of us with a special love; for him all of us are important: you are<br />
important! God counts on you for what you are, not for what you possess. In his eyes the clothes<br />
you wear or the kind of cell phone you use are of absolutely no concern. He doesn’t care whether<br />
you are stylish or not; he cares about you, just as you are! In his eyes, you are precious, and your<br />
value is inestimable.
At times in our lives, we aim lower rather than higher. At those times, it is good to realize that<br />
God remains faithful, even obstinate, in his love for us. The fact is, he loves us even more than<br />
we love ourselves. He believes in us even more than we believe in ourselves. He is always<br />
“cheering us on”; he is our biggest fan. He is there for us, waiting with patience and hope,<br />
even when we turn in on ourselves and brood over our troubles and past injuries. But such<br />
brooding is unworthy of our spiritual stature! It is a kind of virus infecting and blocking everything;<br />
it closes doors and prevents us from getting up and starting over. God, on the other<br />
hand, is hopelessly hopeful! He believes<br />
that we can always get up, and he hates to<br />
see us glum and gloomy. It is sad to see<br />
young people who are glum. Because we<br />
are always his beloved sons and daughters.<br />
Let us be mindful of this at the dawn<br />
of each new day. It will do us good to<br />
pray every morning: “Lord, I thank you<br />
for loving me; I am sure that you love me;<br />
help me to be in love with my own life!”<br />
Not with my faults, that need to be corrected,<br />
but with life itself, which is a great<br />
gift, for it is a time to love and to be loved.<br />
Zacchaeus faced a second obstacle in<br />
meeting Jesus: the paralysis of shame. We spoke a little about this yesterday. We can imagine<br />
what was going on in his heart before he climbed that sycamore. It must have been quite a<br />
struggle – on one hand, a healthy curiosity and desire to know Jesus; on the other, the risk of<br />
appearing completely ridiculous. Zacchaeus was public figure, a man of power, but deeply<br />
hated. He knew that, in trying to climb that tree, he would have become a laughingstock to<br />
all. Yet he mastered his shame, because the attraction of Jesus was more powerful. You know<br />
what happens when someone is so attractive that we fall in love with them: we end up ready<br />
to do things we would never have even thought of doing. Something similar took place in the<br />
heart of Zacchaeus, when he realized that Jesus was so important that he would do anything<br />
for him, since Jesus alone could pull him out of the mire of sin and discontent. The paralysis<br />
of shame did not have the upper hand. The Gospel tells us that Zacchaeus “ran ahead”,<br />
“climbed” the tree, and then, when Jesus called him, he “hurried down” (vv. 4, 6). He took a<br />
risk, he put his life on the line. For us too, this is the secret of joy: not to stifle a healthy curiosity,<br />
but to take a risk, because life is not meant to be tucked away. When it comes to Jesus, we<br />
cannot sit around waiting with arms folded; he offers us life – we can’t respond by thinking<br />
about it or “texting” a few words!
Dear young friends, don’t be ashamed to bring everything to the Lord in confession, especially<br />
your weaknesses, your struggles and your sins. He will surprise you with his forgiveness and<br />
his peace. Don’t be afraid to say “yes” to him with all your heart, to respond generously and to<br />
follow him! Don’t let your soul grow numb, but aim for the goal of a beautiful love which also<br />
demands sacrifice. Say a firm “no” to the narcotic of success at any cost and the sedative of<br />
worrying only about yourself and your own comfort.<br />
After his small stature, after the paralysis of shame, there was a third obstacle that Zacchaeus had<br />
to face. It was no longer an interior one, but was all around him. It was the grumbling of the<br />
crowd, who first blocked him and then criticized him: How could Jesus have entered his house,<br />
the house of a sinner! How truly hard it is to welcome Jesus, how hard it is to accept a “God who<br />
is rich in mercy” (Eph 2:4)! People will try to block you, to make you think that God is distant,<br />
rigid and insensitive, good to the good and bad to the bad. Instead, our heavenly Father “makes<br />
his sun rise on the evil and on the good” (Mt 5:45). He demands of us real courage: the courage<br />
to be more powerful than evil by loving everyone, even our enemies. People may laugh at you<br />
because you believe in the gentle and unassuming power of mercy. But do not be afraid. Think<br />
of the motto of these days: “Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy” (Mt 5:7).<br />
People may judge you to be dreamers, because you believe in a new humanity, one that rejects<br />
hatred between peoples, one that refuses to see borders as barriers and can cherish its own<br />
traditions without being self-centered or small-minded. Don’t be discouraged: with a smile and<br />
open arms, you proclaim hope and you are a blessing for our one human family, which here you<br />
represent so beautifully!<br />
That day the crowd judged Zacchaeus; they looked him over, up and down. But Jesus did<br />
otherwise: he gazed up at him (v. 5). Jesus looks beyond the faults and sees the person. He does<br />
not halt before bygone evil, but sees future good. His gaze remains constant, even when it is not<br />
met; it seeks the way of unity and communion. In no case does it halt at appearances, but looks<br />
to the heart. Jesus looks to our hearts, your heart, my heart. With this gaze of Jesus, you can<br />
help bring about another humanity, without looking for acknowledgement but seeking goodness<br />
for its own sake, content to maintain a pure heart and to fight peaceably for honesty and justice.<br />
Don’t stop at the surface of things; distrust the worldly cult of appearances, cosmetic attempts to<br />
improve our looks. Instead, “download” the best “link” of all, that of a heart which sees and<br />
transmits goodness without growing weary. The joy that you have freely received from God,<br />
please, freely give away (cf. Mt 10:8): so many people are waiting for it! So many are waiting for<br />
it from you.
Finally let us listen to the words that Jesus spoke to<br />
Zacchaeus, which to be seem meant for us today, for<br />
each one of us: “Come down, for I must stay at your<br />
house today” (v. 5). “Come down, for I must stay with<br />
you today. Open to me the door of your heart”. Jesus<br />
extends the same invitation to you: “I must stay at your<br />
house today”. We can say that World Youth Day begins today and continues tomorrow, in<br />
your homes, since that is where Jesus wants to meet you from now on. The Lord doesn’t want<br />
to remain in this beautiful city, or in cherished memories alone. He wants to enter your<br />
homes, to dwell in your daily lives: in your studies, your first years of work, your friendships<br />
and affections, your hopes and dreams. How greatly he desires that you bring all this to him<br />
in prayer! How much he hopes that, in all the “contacts” and “chats” of each day, pride of<br />
place be given to the golden thread of prayer! How much he wants his word to be able to<br />
speak to you day after day, so that you can make his Gospel your own, so that it can serve as a<br />
compass for you on the highways of life!<br />
In asking to come to your house, Jesus calls you, as he did Zacchaeus, by name. All of us,<br />
Jesus calls by name. Your name is precious to him. The name “Zacchaeus” would have made<br />
people back then think of the remembrance of God. Trust the memory of God: his memory is<br />
not a “hard disk” that “saves” and “archives” all our data, his memory is a heart filled with<br />
tender compassion, one that finds joy in “erasing” in us every trace of evil. May we too now<br />
try to imitate the faithful memory of God and treasure the good things we have received in<br />
these days. In silence, let us remember this encounter, let us preserve the memory of the<br />
presence of God and his word, and let<br />
us listen once more to the voice of Jesus<br />
as he calls us by name.<br />
So let us now pray silently,<br />
remembering and thanking the Lord<br />
who wanted us to be here and has<br />
come here to meet us.
“Once again young people answered the call: they came from the<br />
whole world to celebrate a festival of colors, different faces, languages,<br />
different histories. They came here also with their wounds,<br />
with their questions, but first of all with the joy of meeting. Once<br />
again they formed a mosaic of brotherhood.”<br />
- Pope Francis<br />
World Youth Day has become one of the most decorated<br />
events organized by the Catholic Church since its introduction by St. John Paul II in 1985.<br />
It’s a worldwide encounter with Pope and is held in a different city every 2 or 3 years with a<br />
different theme. This year, the city was Krakow, the capital of Poland and the theme was<br />
Mercy! This was especially significant as 2016 is the Jubilee Year of Mercy and St. John Paul<br />
II, who hails from Poland, was a big advocate for the Divine Mercy Chaplet! Everyone<br />
experiences World Youth Day in a different manner but one thing that is true all across the<br />
board is that the experience is undoubtedly unforgettable.<br />
This year, a few HSI youth members embarked on the pilgrimage of a lifetime, joining<br />
together with the St. Francis of Assisi Parish in Jebel Ali. Although the group consisted of<br />
only 25 members, everyone’s big personalities and even bigger hearts made the journey that<br />
much more enjoyable and memorable. One of the major factors of World Youth Day is the<br />
encountering of so many pilgrims from all corners of the world, who share almost nothing<br />
in common with you except for your unrequited love and desire to give glory and praise to<br />
God! The people you meet can very well change your life. On one beautiful occasion, we<br />
were waiting in a surging crowd to enter into St. Faustina’s chapel and to make the time go<br />
by quicker, we decided to recite the rosary. About a few minutes in, a couple of pilgrims<br />
from Iowa, USA, as we later found out, joined in and said the entire rosary with us! We later<br />
exchanged tokens and words about our World Youth Day experience. It’s amazing that<br />
complete strangers became acquainted in a matter of seconds through our shared love for<br />
Jesus and his mother. But those pilgrims were a drop in the ocean compared to the<br />
incredible number of people we encountered over the next few days from countries all over<br />
the world - Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, Australia, China, Canada, Guatemala, Ecuador,<br />
United Kingdom, Portugal - to name a few!
To say we were blessed beyond measure would be an understatement. Most people<br />
don’t ever get to hear the Pope speak in real time, whereas we had the opportunity to<br />
hear his amazing, inspired words on three separate occasions. In addition to Mercy, a<br />
recurring theme that the Pope touched on was the increasing tendency of the youth of<br />
today to get too comfortable. However, this comfort is not the good kind, it’s the kind<br />
that hinders us from exploring the world around us, hinders us from growing, creating,<br />
dreaming and gazing at new horizons that hold God’s will for our life. In his address to<br />
3 million pilgrims at Campus Misericordiae during the Vigil, he urges us to not be<br />
“couch potatoes”, but rather to step outside our comfort zone into the world of pain<br />
and fear in order to make a real difference as God intended for his children to do.<br />
World Youth Day serves as a fantastic opportunity for all of God’s children to congregate<br />
together and share their thoughts, ideas and opinions about our amazing faith and<br />
the Catholic Church. It also goes to show, that no matter the strife and struggle faced by<br />
Christians all over the world, the Church is stronger than ever and we will fight and<br />
charge to the ends of the Earth for God and his son, Jesus, who dies for us on the cross,<br />
for our salvation to spread the love and joy that encompasses our great Catholic faith!<br />
Viva Noronha
“One minute you’re strangers, the next thing<br />
you know you’re a family.”<br />
Evening of 19th July, I was filled with mixed emotions – weary, excitement, fear,<br />
joy. This night was the night we met the parish and the families that I didn’t know,<br />
would leave our hearts filled with overwhelming love.<br />
We arrived in the community late in the evening but as we got out of the bus, we<br />
were welcomed with big smiles, singing and warm hugs – its as if they’ve known<br />
us forever and they were just waiting for us to come home. We were served with<br />
authentic Polish delicacy (Pierogi) and everyone in the community were doing<br />
their best to quench our tiredness after a long trip. It was great start in our Days in<br />
the Diocese.<br />
I, together with two of my fellow pilgrims, became a daughter of a lovely couple<br />
who never had daughters, but had two sons whose names are Peter and Paul.<br />
They also had a cute puppy named Lily and they lived in a massive house! We<br />
were in awe and felt so blessed to be in there. I never felt homesick at all because I<br />
had so much fun being a part of this family. I am an only child so having siblings,<br />
even for just five days, was new to me. Also, I was raised by a single mom so having<br />
a foster father and knowing how it feels like to be cared and loved by him was<br />
such a wonderful feeling.
Every single day we were there, our foster mom didn’t fail to prepare breakfast and<br />
dinner for us. She even gave us a lot of biscuits, fruits and drinks for us to take in our<br />
day-trips because they don’t want us to get hungry. I had a bit of cough during the trip<br />
and when my family noticed it, I was full taken care of. They were so concerned that<br />
they gave me pack of medicines and even asked to take me to a doctor. They were so<br />
open and willing to share their lives to us even though they’ve only met us for a couple<br />
of days.<br />
It was a bittersweet feeling to be so attached to our family and to the community in<br />
Blizne and say our farewells. For just a short amount of time, we’ve shared joy, friendship,<br />
and the sense of belongingness. The walls were down and bridges were built. Our<br />
last day was flooded with tears, gratefulness, and appreciation. It was surely a moment<br />
we will never forget and we will always know that whenever we decide to visit Poland<br />
again, we have a family.<br />
Joyce Diano
“Auschwitz—Birkenau”<br />
It is scorching hot day when we visit the Nazi concentration camps of Auschwitz and<br />
Auschwitz -Birkenau. Due to the large number of visitors, we are only allowed to walk<br />
the perimeter of the camps, stopping at information boards along the way. Auschwitz<br />
Birkenau is the larger of the two camps and as we enter, the first thing that strikes you<br />
is an eerie calm and peacefulness. There’s a sense of order and sterility about the<br />
place, the earth is a vibrant green and it is hard to imagine the horrors that once took<br />
place here. Overhead, out of nowhere, storm clouds roll in – and it seems as though<br />
the weather wants to match our mood as we make this journey.<br />
At a clearing, plaques in several languages read, “Forever let this place be a cry of despair<br />
and a warning to humanity where the Nazis murdered about one and a half million<br />
men, women and children, mainly Jews from various countries of Europe Auschwitz<br />
Birkenau 1940-1945”<br />
I call our group together to say a prayer; we sit in three lines on stone steps overlooking<br />
the rail tracks and the buildings that housed gas chambers, but my mind is blank.<br />
Someone suggests, “Lets pray Psalm 91”. The first drops of rain fall and it is the perfect<br />
prayer. The words take on new meaning in Auschwitz and I start to think about<br />
God and man, good and evil, and being your brother’s keeper. I silently ask familiar<br />
questions, “ Where were you God? How could you have let this happen?”
As we walk, Anthony and I talk about the “why” and “how” of the holocaust. Like<br />
many before us we try to make sense of Auschwitz. I think of the countless ways that<br />
God was present even in the midst of such cruelty and sorrow. I think of Saints Maximillian<br />
Kolbe and Theresa Benedicta of the Cross, and the men and women who<br />
brought hope and faith into this darkness.<br />
As we near the exits, the rain drops get heavier, we pick up the pace, something has<br />
been growing heavy inside of me, almost as if my body was saying to my brain –<br />
enough, just leave. I think Anthony feels it too, because we quickly switch to talking<br />
about math and school- simple topics. Outside the gates, standing on the rail tracks I<br />
want to hug each and everyone in my group as if to say, we’re ok, we’re safe, I love you.<br />
Places like Auschwitz remind you of how precious life is and how much we have to be<br />
grateful for.<br />
Suffering and injustice still exists and everyday we turn a blind eye to it. How can ‘we’<br />
let this happen? Humans have a great darkness within us but we have a greater capacity<br />
for love. I saw this love every day during <strong>WYD</strong>, within my group, in the pilgrims we<br />
met and most of all in the people of Poland. I pray that we are able to bring this love for<br />
neighbour to our daily lives here in the UAE. I hope we are able to be polite on the metro,<br />
kind to servers at restaurants and smile while offering peace at mass. We need to feel<br />
the same love for the people we encounter everyday. Pope Francis asked us to build<br />
bridges and to live in diversity and dialogue. It’s through this love and it is by these<br />
bridges that we honour the memory of the people who lost their lives in Auschwitz.<br />
Places like Auschwitz remind<br />
you of how precious life is and<br />
how much we have to be<br />
grateful for.<br />
Melissa Jayawickrema
“Broken and Rebuilt”<br />
“Life changing!” is almost every pilgrim’s response when questioned about their experience<br />
at the World Youth Day. “Broken and rebuilt” would be my response because<br />
that was exactly how my first experience at the World Youth Day could be described.<br />
When we arrived for the Days of the Diocese at the little town of Blizne in Warsaw, we<br />
were welcomed with flags and cheering and excited faces even though we had arrived<br />
5 hours late – well past the bedtime of most of the people in the town! As we profusely<br />
apologised, the only reply we got from the residents was, “Don’t worry about being a<br />
few hours late! We’ve been waiting for you guys for two years!” And that’s when my<br />
walls started breaking down. I never thought that it would be easy for a different culture<br />
to mingle so easily with ours! They opened their hearts to us and welcomed us as<br />
their own children!<br />
On the last day of the Days of the Diocese, I fell sick with fever and diarrhea which<br />
continued for 5 days. Perhaps the food was too overwhelming for my stomach. It prevented<br />
me from visiting Auschwitz, was a real hurdle when we had to walk for miles<br />
together and forced me to live on bread and water. As part of the band ‘Ablaze’ that<br />
played for two events during World Youth Day, it was very difficult to stand for an<br />
hour on stage, but after our second concert, I knew in prayer that I was healed. In all<br />
my suffering, I realized that God was breaking me from within and getting rid of all<br />
that was bad in me. The diarrhea was just a symptom<br />
Although we stay in the same house, my sister and I hadn’t interacted much due to<br />
my busy schedule. During the <strong>WYD</strong> days, we stayed together while in hotels and it<br />
was during this time that we finally spoke, shared secrets, laughed, cried and rebuilt<br />
our relationship.<br />
I believe that my pilgrimage to the land of Mercy was not a coincidence. It was for<br />
God to rebuild my faith, deepen my love and give me hope for my future! (Jer 29:11)<br />
I am looking forward to the next World Youth Day to see what God does next!<br />
Lar ina Melissa D’Souza
A Walk in the Woods.<br />
“Step by step we will complete this journey…together.”<br />
This is exactly what I kept reassuring myself as I took every painful and difficult step<br />
towards our final destination in the middle of the forest we were then hiking through.<br />
However, it was not the pain I was concentrating on. It was rather the unity and the<br />
willpower of every person accompanying me on that 10km walk to the middle of<br />
Kampinoski National Park.<br />
Several minutes before embarking on this journey, I had a very humbling experience<br />
during my service period at Laski. When we were informed about our community service<br />
program at Laski, I really did not know what to expect. Friends with experiences<br />
from previous World Youth Days shared a lot about<br />
their services, and I was eagerly awaiting this day.<br />
From the moment we entered Laski, I experienced a<br />
deep sense of peace all around me. I just could not<br />
wait any longer to visit the school for blind children<br />
and help around in whatever way possible. We were<br />
divided into smaller groups and assigned different<br />
tasks. Within that same day, I had a chance to experience<br />
two different fields of work; first a gardener and<br />
then a cleaner. As a gardener, I had to pluck out<br />
weeds and as a cleaner, I helped clean windows and<br />
clear up garbage. Doing these tasks was a very humbling<br />
experience for me. It helped me value and look<br />
up to people who do these jobs daily, in order to earn<br />
a living. I would personally recommend everyone to<br />
undertake such jobs as part of community service every<br />
now and then.<br />
It broadens our perspective of what every person has to struggle through to earn a<br />
living and also helps us become more aware of our surroundings and more respectable<br />
towards every job.
Coming back to the walk through the woods, after the tiring though rewarding community<br />
service, I was not really ready for this long walk. I could feel my joints and bones<br />
beginning to ache. My shoulders were not being supportive either. For the first few<br />
kilometers of the walk, I kept concentrating only my pain and kept complaining silently<br />
in my mind. I was slightly displeased with the idea of a planned walk through the woods<br />
after all that work of service which had already tired me out. I silently continued on the<br />
trek wondering when it would end. We all started reciting the rosary. As I continued<br />
praying, I realized that I should perhaps concentrate on the beauty around me and the<br />
determination of every pilgrim walking with me. I began to also contemplate on Jesus’<br />
journey to Calvary and how he struggled with a heavy cross upon his shoulders and<br />
with pain constantly being inflicted upon him. This struggle that I was going through<br />
was indeed not even a tiny portion of what Jesus had been through. I slowly started<br />
offering up the pain that I felt in my body for different causes and petitions. I began looking<br />
around at the beauty of nature surrounding me, rather than just focusing on my feet.<br />
It was truly stunning and so peaceful and serene.<br />
At the end of the walk, we arrived at the cemetery where soldiers from the Second World<br />
War were buried. Seeing their graves brought me to tears as it brought thoughts of how<br />
much every soldier must have struggled and fought for their country. And there I was,<br />
complaining about a short walk through a forest. I suddenly felt so small in front of the<br />
amount of sacrifices that people all over the world do for the happiness of others. We<br />
paid our respects to the martyred soldiers and continued on our way to the middle of the<br />
forest where we had our much-awaited dinner. We took part in a traditional Polish dance<br />
and had lots and lots to eat. On my way back home, I could only thank God for this wonderful<br />
day that he had blessed me with. Although we all struggled through it, we all<br />
came back much humbler than before, and more appreciative of the gifts that we had in<br />
life.<br />
Jason Rodrigues
Experiencing Christ in all around- Matthew 25:31-40<br />
.<br />
I would describe my <strong>WYD</strong> pilgrimage journey in Poland as a Trip to Heaven. I will<br />
not forget the Love, Peace, Joy and Unity that I have experienced in Poland with so<br />
many different nationalities and cultures from all over the world. When incidents<br />
and disasters were happening around us in Germany, France and Turkey; here we<br />
were Children of God, Soldiers of Christ standing against the evil, and living the<br />
teachings of God, believing in His promises and gathered and united for the same<br />
purpose: Jesus Christ.<br />
The more I was looking around me, the more I saw Jesus. This Trip confirmed to<br />
me that Jesus is not in one place far away from all of us in Heaven but actually He<br />
is so close to us and we were so blind to see it! This pilgrimage opened my eyes to<br />
the reality and showed me that Jesus is in EVERYONE. From the families who<br />
greeted us with so much Love and Respect despite the fact that they had no clue<br />
who we were to the Love that all pilgrims were sharing amongst each other.<br />
I will not forget when, during our Days in Diocese, we were taken to the biggest<br />
Mass I have attended before the Mass led by the Pope. We were in Warsaw, not<br />
even in Krakow, and the place was packed with all nationalities around the world,<br />
flags held and waving for God. The Mass was led by the Archbishop of Warsaw<br />
and the purpose of that Mass was to prepare us for the <strong>WYD</strong> actual event. I felt at<br />
Peace, at awe seeing so many people gathered in one Name and for one Name.<br />
Everyone had a huge smile on their face, whether they understood mass or not,<br />
whether they understood the gospel songs or not, the smile was still there and everyone<br />
was singing despite the presence of the so many diverse languages present.<br />
Where Eternal, True Love and Peace is, Jesus is;<br />
Where Jesus is, Heaven is
I couldn’t stop smiling because I knew this was Heaven but yet I wasn’t quite<br />
sure till the moment of sharing the Peace of Christ came; here I saw more than<br />
50,000 people hugging each other despite the nationality, looks, smell, color…<br />
NO ONE CARED! Everyone saw Jesus in everyone and everyone hugged the<br />
Jesus in the other, and this is where I got the confirmation and the voice in my<br />
ear “Anthony, Welcome to Heaven”.<br />
In that moment and till now, I say<br />
that I don’t want to know what is<br />
Heaven anymore because I have<br />
experienced it and saw it in Poland.<br />
Where Eternal, True Love<br />
and Peace is, Jesus is; where Jesus<br />
is, Heaven is.<br />
Thank you God, Mama Mary, all<br />
the Saints and Angels of Heaven,<br />
especially St.JP2 and St. Faustina<br />
for your blessings and intercessions,<br />
for giving the pilgrims of<br />
the <strong>WYD</strong> a chance to “experience<br />
Christ in all around”.<br />
Anthony Khadige
The Vigil<br />
We started the day travelling by train, only to realise we had to get off the train several<br />
stations from the desired location. We then had to walk more than we thought we would.<br />
On the way to the Vigil Site, there were volunteers handing out snacks and drinks to all<br />
the pilgrims and water hydrants were busted open as it was too hot. We then started our<br />
long walk to the Vigil Site. We walked for more than 6 kilometers.<br />
When we reached the Vigil Site, the view was amazing. Flags from countries all around<br />
the world waving in the wind and everyone singing together were an amazing thing to<br />
see. We had to then make our way to the section that we were given to set camp.<br />
After reaching the section, the hardest and one of the fun things were to find a spot to set<br />
camp. We spent 20 to 25 mins searching for a spot. We then set up our sleeping bags and<br />
haversacks. The Vigil was to be between 8 to 9 and it was around 5 in the evening. So we<br />
sat, talked, slept and prayed till it started.<br />
The Vigil started and it was one of the most stunning things I have ever seen. Everyone<br />
were holding hands and singing and praying like one big family. Then candles were<br />
handed out for the Divine Mercy. You could see only candle lights everywhere you<br />
looked.
After all this was over, there was a concert. We all were so hungry after all this.<br />
We then decided that half of the group should go out and get food while the rest<br />
stay back. They came back after 2 hours. We all ate and then slept so we could get<br />
a fresh start in the morning for the Sunday Mass.<br />
The next morning, all of us went out in small groups to go meet other people<br />
from other countries. We met people from Australia, Kazakhstan, Serbia and<br />
many more. We exchanged gifts and contacts with each other. We then celebrated<br />
the Mass. It was said by Pope Francis.<br />
After the Mass, we started our journey back to the school we stayed in. The<br />
weather was one of the weirdest things we experienced. It was hot and humid for<br />
an hour and then it suddenly rained pretty heavily for another hour. It kept alternating.<br />
Overall these 2 weeks we spent in Poland were one of the most amazing things<br />
ever<br />
Cur tis Miranda
Love and Tears<br />
Any feedback given about the <strong>WYD</strong>’16 will never be complete without mentioning<br />
about the ‘HOST FAMILIES’.<br />
There is always a feeling about how and what to expect about a Strange land and to live<br />
with Strange people not knowing that even we are strangers to them!!! But as we just<br />
reached the Blizne Parish at around 10:00pm the view was much surprising to as anything.<br />
People were not tired even after waiting for as long about 6hrs… the Clapping<br />
and cheers and the shouts not only made us feel special but also gave the feeling of belongingness.<br />
Initially we felt there could be a communication barrier due to new language, but when<br />
you experience so much of love and care you understand things even without speaking.<br />
The welcome was as warm as ever and we were made as comfortable as at home. Trusted<br />
and given rights to everything in the house from the TV remote to the door keys.<br />
The bonding was such in the few days, they used to wait for us to come home after our<br />
day trip and then the long chats till late night. Out of their busy schedule the time shared<br />
with us was amazing. Feeling was great of helping them with the day to day activities<br />
with cooking, cleaning always made us feel at home.
The breakfast was as good as three meals and the parcel for the day was for almost<br />
15 days. Yes, some people really believe in giving love with all they have. I will<br />
always remember the early morning Breakfast and late night drinks ;)<br />
And as the time came for farewell we never realized we are already a part of their<br />
family, their life which indeed had a big impact.<br />
That was the most difficult thing ever, the week spent seems like years spent with<br />
them. Everything was pouring out from the heart and it was never easy to say the<br />
Good Bye without wetting the eyes. It was difficult, but had to move on with a<br />
promise of coming back again.<br />
We owe a lot to the families…….came happily as strangers and left being an important<br />
part of their life with tears in our eyes.<br />
Delison Pinto
Experiences<br />
You say we need, Faith? Hope? Love? Joy? Peace? Purpose? Mercy? Grace?<br />
Then we definitely need GOD. To experience God is to experience all these emotions<br />
together. BUT, to experience God with the Church is the ultimate joy for one’s restless<br />
soul.<br />
I knew my journey began right when I submitted the registration form for <strong>WYD</strong>.<br />
I was so amazed by the thought of being able to go to a different country, with<br />
people I didn’t know, to meet people of the same faith from all over the world! You<br />
would not imagine the amount of excitement running through me.<br />
And so, there I was! In the midst of so many faces, so many voices that sang the same<br />
song of praise, so many hands that were joined together praying the same prayer. As<br />
I write this for all of you, I can still feel that energy in me. Right from day 1, as we<br />
started off to visit the new city we had landed in, singing through the streets, bonding<br />
with one another while we travelled on the bus, the atmosphere we created<br />
around ourselves just showed everyone that we are children of God. Up until the day<br />
we met our host parish and the families we would stay with for a week. How were<br />
we going to manage? Would they be kind enough to accept us as a part of their parish?<br />
Were the families going to care much while we stayed with them? So much on<br />
our minds, so many questions.
I cannot forget the day before we left from Blizne, our host parish. Our hearts expressed<br />
gratitude and love for each other through our tears. That night when I closed my eyes to<br />
sleep, I saw every moment we lived with them. How kind they were to take us around<br />
the city, travelling with us, singing with us on every street, looking out for us so we<br />
won’t be left out in that new place, dancing on every song that played, teaching us their<br />
language and learning ours, feeding us their best dishes! And most importantly, praying<br />
with us. That day I knew what it meant to be bound in a faith that sees no boundaries. It<br />
was almost as if we had known them forever. Our families, who welcomed us with arms<br />
wide open, gave us the best food, the best company, so much care and support, just like<br />
any parent would, for their child. As a 17 year old who was brought up in a city like<br />
Dubai, protected and cared for, I wouldn’t have survived if it wasn’t for these kindhearted<br />
people. It pierced my heart to have departed from them so soon.<br />
Now when you go to church, look around you. Quite a few people who share the same<br />
faith, right? Now multiply that number by a million! Feels awesome, doesn’t it? I felt the<br />
same. For everywhere I looked, I saw my brothers and sisters in the same faith. And<br />
how did I know? By the LOVE they had in their eyes.<br />
We began our <strong>WYD</strong> activities with catechesis from one of our fellow parishes. You know<br />
where? Right in front of the house of, St. John Paul II. We knew we definitely had his<br />
blessings as we started off! We were addressed by Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle who<br />
spoke to us about the “Right Time” – NOW. Forgive, Now. Love, Now. Show Mercy,<br />
Now. Further, hearing testimonies of many young, brave and courageous hearts, to hear<br />
how they lifted all their pain up to the Lord, inspired each and every one of us to remember<br />
how loving and merciful our Creator is.
Experiences<br />
Above all, today, when I look back, I realize what really deepened my faith, what really<br />
brought me closer to my Lord. Celebrating the Mass and reflecting in peace- that<br />
the silence brought- during the Holy Hour of Adoration. We didn’t need to celebrate<br />
mass in languages we already knew, we didn’t even need to celebrate mass in a<br />
building or a chapel. We celebrated masses in Polish and Italian, just the same way as<br />
we do in English. We also celebrated mass on a bus while on the road. It’s much<br />
more amazing when you experience it. Praying with one another, praising God with<br />
people who love him as much as I do, believing that he made me just like he made<br />
the people around me, with the same love, giving us talents and gifts in abundance,<br />
and still making each and every single one of us unique. Incomprehensible!<br />
I experienced Faith, Hope, Love, Joy, Peace, Purpose, Mercy and Grace. I experienced<br />
God. I saw him, in every person I met, in every church I visited, in every corner of<br />
the places I visited.<br />
I had come back with memories that would never fade away. With a family so loving,<br />
just like my own. With inspiration from every person I met, the love they shared<br />
with warm hugs and kind words. With smiles, laughter, tears of joy, blessings from<br />
the Pope, his motivation, his guidance and most of all, the energy that the Catholic<br />
Church has, the intensity of all of us praying together, singing together, praising God<br />
together! What more could a teenager like me ask for? So many different experiences<br />
that I would never have, if I didn’t have this opportunity! I learned, that we will only<br />
bring change by BEING the Church.<br />
He loves me and he wants me to tell you how much he loves you.<br />
He wants to speak to you, listen to him.<br />
If you want to love him too,<br />
love the people in your life,<br />
share their pain,<br />
show kindness,<br />
show mercy.<br />
For blessed are the merciful<br />
Pearl Lobo
The Church Alive<br />
The experience at the World youth day, has so far been the best one I’ve ever<br />
witnessed. The thing I believe that makes it so superior, is how God intervenes<br />
in everything and sorts things out the way it should go, even when all<br />
our plans tend to fail.<br />
Every moment of it was so exceptional, from the time we arrived all the way<br />
through the days in the dioceses and over the actual World Youth day. It was<br />
purely astounding. It would be hard to describe all in all the experience, but I<br />
believe the one thing that really warmed my heart was seeing the Church<br />
Alive now more than ever!<br />
It was beyond me to imagine that so many youth from all over the world<br />
would come together to join in the celebration of our Glorious Faith! A lot of<br />
people seem very sceptical about youth being involved in church, that we<br />
could make a difference in our deteriorating World, that somehow we would<br />
rise and see our potential and work towards it. If only they would’ve seen the<br />
youth at World Youth Day! They would’ve been flabbergasted!<br />
It was so delightful to witness us hold hands during the Our father, hug or<br />
shake hands while giving peace, seeing the flags from different countries<br />
hoisted up, not in war, like how habitually it used to be, but in unity to witness<br />
our faith together! Everyone was so loving and compassionate! It’s like<br />
all the variation seemed like nothing, we were no longer under the banners of<br />
the countries we came from, we were under the banner of Jesus Christ our<br />
Risen King! We had all come together to witness our faith in great numbers,<br />
and no one could stop us or fright us away, not the threats, or the attacks, we<br />
were all united and tied to one thing and that was Jesus our Lord and Saviour.<br />
Seeing all of that made me realise that we are not the Church of tomorrow,<br />
but we are the Church of TODAY! And that we all have a mission to fulfil,<br />
that is to Love another and spread the Good news that is Jesus himself!<br />
Averell Menezes
Way of the Cross: Worshipping God with your Talents<br />
Sitting in the main square in the little town of Wadowice, the town renowned as the<br />
hometown of St. Pope John Paul 2, four of us watched the live screening of the Way of the<br />
Cross, as we were unable to make it to Blonia Park, in Krakow on that day. I’d heard that the<br />
way they do the ‘Stations of the Cross’ at World Youth Day was quite different, so I was<br />
quite excited to participate in this Way of the Cross.<br />
Pope Francis made his way past the crowds to the main stage and commenced the Way of<br />
the Cross with the Sign of the Cross. Pilgrims then began to carry the iconic Youth Cross to<br />
each station.<br />
A sand art painting commenced with a depiction of the Last Supper that went on to show<br />
how Jesus’ way to Calvary began, in the Garden of Gethsemane, with the cup of suffering,<br />
depicted by the face of Jesus, wearing a crown of thorns on his head and a drop of blood over<br />
the cup. The sand painting ends with Jesus illustrated to be imprisoned behind bars.<br />
The first station- ‘Jesus is condemned to death’ was a ballet act in front of an animated screen<br />
that showed silhouettes of people and guards accusing Jesus. Through this form of dance, it<br />
illustrated how Jesus accepted his crown of suffering.<br />
The second station- ‘Jesus carries His cross’ was a human formation of the World Youth Day<br />
logo. The logo symbolizes Jesus on the cross and the youth, with Jesus’ divine mercy connecting<br />
both of them.<br />
The third station- ‘Jesus falls the first time’ was depicted by a stunt act comprising of three<br />
people, wherein two of them formed the shape of the cross and the third person carried that<br />
cross. They walked a distance, and later fell to the floor, depicting the first fall of Christ.<br />
The fourth station- ‘Jesus meets his mother’ was a<br />
dramatic representation of Mother Mary, who turns<br />
around to see the face of her son, Jesus, on a screen<br />
behind her.
The fifth station- ‘Simon of Cyrene helps Jesus to carry<br />
his cross’ was a slow motion mime act depicting Simon<br />
being forced by a guard to help Jesus carry his cross.<br />
The sixth station- ‘Veronica wipes the face of Jesus’ was<br />
depicted through a contemporary dance where Veronica<br />
covers Jesus’ face with her scarf, and Jesus’ face appears<br />
on a banner behind her.<br />
The seventh station- ‘Jesus falls the second time’ was a rock climbing feat by two<br />
rock climbers. Once they reached the top, they formed a cross. There was a subsequent<br />
fall from that height, to depict Jesus’ second fall.<br />
The eight station- ‘Jesus meets the women of Jerusalem’ was depicted through the<br />
painting of a teardrop on an eye symbolizing the weeping women of Jerusalem.<br />
The ninth station- ‘Jesus falls a third time’ was depicted through the use of an iron<br />
cross prop. Jesus was shown struggling to carry his cross up a flight of stairs, and<br />
ultimately collapses on the stairs.
The tenth station- ‘Jesus’ clothes are taken away’ was an aerial act<br />
wherein Jesus’ garment was unwound as Jesus rotates mid air.<br />
The eleventh station- ‘Jesus is nailed to the cross’ was depicted<br />
through the hoisting of the cross, as Jesus hangs on it.<br />
The twelfth station goes on to depict how ‘Jesus dies on the cross’<br />
as he hangs his head and gives up His spirit, with His mother<br />
looking on.<br />
The thirteenth station- ‘The body of Jesus is taken down from the cross’. Mary awaits with<br />
arms outstretched to receive her son, as he is brought down from the cross.<br />
The fourteenth station- ‘Jesus is laid in the tomb’ was depicted by a sand art painting<br />
again showing how Jesus cross is confined to a coffin, and the sorrow of Mary on seeing<br />
her son’s body wrapped up in cloth.<br />
With that, the pilgrim cross made its way onto the stage, and Pope Francis concluded the<br />
Way of the Cross by giving the final blessing.<br />
I was amazed at how each station<br />
was represented in the Way of the<br />
Cross. I understood that day, how<br />
God gives us all different talents,<br />
and that we can all use them for<br />
his glory. Even the seemingly unconventional<br />
talents! Truly, this<br />
was one of the best experiences<br />
I’ve had at World Youth Day!<br />
Vanessa D’Souza
Happy. Excited. Nervous. Mixed emotions.<br />
I heard from my friends who have been to the previous <strong>WYD</strong>s that it can be a life<br />
changing event not until I landed in Poland and feeling it first hand, seeing it, living<br />
it, breathing it, and yes it is A-M-A-Z-I-N-G.<br />
I also heard people say that in <strong>WYD</strong> you will experience this and that.<br />
THAT experience was being on the land where the person who thought of <strong>WYD</strong> in<br />
1985 were born and raised, that St. JP2. THAT experience was living with your foster<br />
family for few days and would not expect of having a heavy heart when the day has<br />
come to leave them. THIS experience was being taking care of by your host parish<br />
volunteers and walk you around their town visiting old churches and places that are<br />
relevant to their culture and would not expect that you will feel attached to everyone<br />
and thought that your connection will continue to many years of friendship. THAT<br />
experience was singing and dancing on the airport, on the train station, on the train,<br />
on the bus, in the park, in a lawn, and even while walking. THIS experience was<br />
meeting people saying "hi, where are you from?" and as if you know that person<br />
from a long time back. THAT experience was giving a smile to a stranger and get a<br />
smile back. THIS experience was getting free hugs from everyone. THAT experience<br />
was forming a small circle while singing the <strong>WYD</strong> hymn and comes to a point that<br />
the circle gets bigger and bigger and bigger. THIS experience was being infected by<br />
happy mood of everyone. THAT experience was having a ten kilometer walk just to<br />
reach the vigil site, stay under the sun and overnight stay in the field with the people<br />
you don’t even know. THIS experience was celebrating the mass with Pope Francis<br />
and him giving us an on-point / bulls eyed message to the youth on how we can<br />
strengthen our faith and live in mercy.<br />
I’ve always believed that all things that is happening in our lives are planned since<br />
our day one in this world.<br />
Indeed, my faith and fate brought me to <strong>WYD</strong> 2016 with twenty four beautiful souls.<br />
Love. Peace.<br />
Ar ianne Laus
A surreal walk.<br />
Auschwitz , Poland.<br />
It was so surreal to walk through the concentration<br />
camps of Auschwitz. As I walked past the<br />
buildings which “housed” the inmates which included<br />
Jews, Poles, Romanians, Soviet prisoners<br />
of war and Jehovah’s Witnesses; it felt as though<br />
their tormented souls still roamed the grounds. Howls of the wind echoed their screams.<br />
What caught me off-guard was how normal the place looked. The indoor exhibition was<br />
closed, so we were only able to walk along the grounds and view the buildings from the<br />
outside. Barbed wire aside, it actually looked like a housing complex of some sort.<br />
No one really talked while we were there. I’m not sure if everyone maintained silence<br />
out of respect for the dead or because of the ominous atmosphere that seemed to surround<br />
us. Almost everyone pondered on the question, how could anyone in their right<br />
mind advocate the slaughter of fellow human beings? The easiest answer for our brains<br />
to process this genocide was simple, they weren’t in their right mind. I doubt the answer<br />
is as simple as that.<br />
Visiting this place was a reminder; sometimes we are so absorbed in our own lives we<br />
often forget to pray for things that do not directly influence our daily lives. We need to<br />
remember to pray for the dead, to pray for those whose lives were plagued with torture,<br />
torment and suffering. We also need to pray for those who can commit such atrocities. I<br />
prayed to Jesus, that all these souls may have found peace in their deaths and to know<br />
that He was and is the way, the truth and the life. All those murdered by the Nazis were<br />
murdered for who they were, just like Jesus was crucified for who He was. This also was<br />
a reminder to pray for those who suffer in the name of Christ, that they may never lose<br />
their faith in Him.<br />
I think visiting Auschwitz was a wake-up call, that we should not take our lives for<br />
granted and thank our Father in Heaven for the abundance of blessings He showers upon<br />
us every day .<br />
Ilda Soares
Nourishment for the body<br />
The first meal that we shared with our host families was welcoming dinner that we were<br />
late for, yet they greeted us with open arms cheerful smiles.<br />
After having a welcome from Fr Marcin we were assigned and met our host families. For<br />
dinner we had homemade pierogi which is like dumplings which were stuffed with potatoes,<br />
chicken, spinach and a sweet one which had berries. Overall for our first dinner<br />
with our parish and host families were amazing and a great bonding experience.<br />
For breakfast, lunch, dinner and all our snacks were provided by the host families we<br />
were staying with and they were delicious. Our last meal with our host families was dinner<br />
where the whole parish was invited for a barbeque where we sang and danced and<br />
said goodbye bye to our host families which was really sad.<br />
As we progressed on to the world youth day events we were given food coupons to be<br />
used at participating restaurants and stands. During the <strong>WYD</strong> events we were given accommodation<br />
at the school where John Paul the second went, over here we were provided<br />
breakfast which was great.<br />
On our way to the vigil mass we were given snack packs which had prepackaged food<br />
and drink from volunteers as for the families and adults who handed out water, juice,<br />
cakes, pastries and etc.<br />
After the vigil mass we had to walk for at least an hour to get food when we reached<br />
there the food was over so we had a filling of doner kebab.<br />
After the ending mass the weather was bipolar as we were sweating from the heat and<br />
drenched from the heavy rains. Overall the world youth day was amazing as we got to<br />
Joshua Fer nandes
Serving God , Serving Man<br />
When I was at the age of 8, which was my first year at the altar, I always<br />
asked myself, “Where will I be when all of this is done by confirmation?”<br />
This question kept running in my head till I stopped my service at the age<br />
of 14.<br />
Even after leaving the Altar Service, the sacristan had asked me to keep<br />
on serving, but in a different position. An M.C, Master of Ceremonies. As<br />
an M.C, my duty was to guide the younger altar servers towards the right<br />
way of serving on the Altar. But the thought still kept running in my head,<br />
“I’m here now, what should I do? Where to next? ”. This question was<br />
finally answered when I had signed up for the World Youth Day in Krakow,<br />
2016.<br />
We had a meeting one day about how each person had to contribute towards<br />
the pilgrimage once we were in Poland. Myself and Johann were<br />
asked to help our Parish Priest by Altar Serving! “Is this my answer? Is this<br />
why I was asked to serve God?” It was. I had finally found my answer.<br />
It was God who called me and made me wait for 6 years just to serve him<br />
and all the people from all over the world. When in Poland, I thought every<br />
church would be the same as ours in Jebel Ali. But boy was I wrong! Every<br />
church I entered into looked unimaginably beautiful. Each church had its<br />
uniqueness, one way or the other.
As I entered into these churches, I could only wonder how the sacristy of each of<br />
them would look. They were the most blessed places I had ever entered in my entire<br />
life.<br />
Every time we wore the different robes of Altar Servers in the churches in Poland,<br />
Johann would always tell me, “How much more blessed can we get?” I couldn’t<br />
utter a single word. God was speaking to me through a person who I barely knew.<br />
He knew we were in the right place at the right time.<br />
I have hope for more as God says, “‘For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares<br />
the Lord, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you<br />
hope and a future.’ ”, Jeremiah 29:11<br />
Abraham George
An Answer<br />
Why? Why did she have to suffer so much? How could something like<br />
this happen to her? Why so much torture before her death?<br />
My aunt ( who was like my second mother) had passed away due to<br />
cancer just a week before my travel. This had created a vacuum within. It's<br />
not that we hadn't seen it coming but seeing her deteriorating health and<br />
then her death like a skeleton, with no flesh made those questions haunt<br />
me all the time.<br />
Having buried all possible questions about suffering I took off for our<br />
journey for the World Youth Day a week later. We did have a 3 days side<br />
trip before we could start with the days in t he diocese and the <strong>WYD</strong><br />
festival.<br />
One of the trip organized for us was in Wadowice, the visit to St John<br />
Paul II's Family House - a museum dedicated to his life and work in the<br />
house where he grew up. It contained the history of him and his family ,<br />
information regarding his birth, schooling, photographs, sculpture, objects,<br />
replicas, his journey to being the Pope etc.<br />
We seek for an answer on the human level and<br />
we cannot help noticing that the one whom we<br />
put the question is himself suffering and<br />
wishes to answer us from the cross, from the<br />
heart of his own suffering.
There were also various passages encrypted from his papal visits, <strong>WYD</strong>s, apostolic<br />
letter, books etc.<br />
One such extract which penetrated into my heart and soul was from the Salvifici<br />
Doloris. This was on the Christian meaning of human suffering. The passage stated<br />
that whenever we enter suffering we ask the question "why". We seek for an answer<br />
on the human level and we cannot help noticing that the one whom we put the question<br />
is himself suffering and wishes to answer us from the cross, from the heart of his<br />
own suffering. Tears rolled down my eyes as I continued to read that every man has<br />
his own share in the redemption. And each man in his suffering, can also become a<br />
sharer in the redemptive suffering of Christ. These prominent words enlightened my<br />
spirit.<br />
Finally I had experienced the feeling of contentment and an answer to my question. I<br />
felt my aunt rejoicing in paradise.<br />
Quer ina Fer nandes
Angels among us<br />
Everything we do as Christians revolves around the simple truth that God wants to<br />
be with us. He wants to be with us here on earth, and to give us life after death in<br />
heaven. Mass is the place where God especially comes to us, because at every Mass<br />
Christ feeds us with His word as we listen to readings from the Bible, and with His<br />
Body and Blood in the Eucharist. Every Mass is a powerful moment when God steps<br />
down into our lives so that He can give us gifts and change us.
And so at <strong>WYD</strong> 2016, I had a glimpse of what heaven would look like, at masses we<br />
celebrated on the first two days of our trip. We visited churches that were so divine<br />
and beautiful. The atmosphere created by those walls themselves made so much<br />
difference to what we had to offer. How astounding it was to be able to celebrate<br />
mass in a place like that. As we sang the hymns during mass, I believe there were<br />
angels from heaven who sang with us, because everyone who sang, praised God<br />
from their hearts. One could feel the Holy Spirit among us, guiding us though every<br />
step of the way.<br />
Fr. Biju, who celebrated the mass, expressed how blessed each one of us are, to be<br />
able to travel so far, with strangers and still have a sense of unity that binds all of us<br />
to Christ. And we must respect the same, respect the people and the place for having<br />
welcomed us so wonderfully.<br />
I’m sure each one of us has taken back with them a beautiful memory, and so have<br />
I. A memory filled with love and blessings.<br />
“For where two or three gather in My Name, there am I with them." Matthew 18:20<br />
Roselyn D’Souza
Masses at the Parishes<br />
Between the excitement of being in a new country, the thrill of meeting new pilgrims and<br />
our seemingly never-ending bus journeys, it was the daily Masses that became our much<br />
needed time of reflection and quiet. These Masses were celebrated by Fr.Biju in various<br />
parishes and locations. With our first mass being held on the day we arrived, we were<br />
extremely fortunate to be able to hear this Mass in the church that housed the revered image<br />
of the Black Madonna.<br />
Despite arriving long after our expected time, the Parish was understanding enough to<br />
provide us with a chapel. It is incredible to think that 24 youths alone could successfully<br />
host a mass for themselves; there were altar servers, a talented choir and numerous lectors<br />
who wrote their own meaningful prayers (for prayers of the faithful).<br />
These masses not only became a reminder of why we had travelled to Poland for <strong>WYD</strong>,<br />
but also re-emphasised the idea that it is not the building that makes the church, but rather<br />
‘we’ who make the church. The latter point was perhaps best highlighted on our<br />
third day when our hectic travel schedule prevented us for stopping at a parish for mass.<br />
Rather than just give up, we got to experience, many for the first time and perhaps only<br />
time, Mass on a moving bus! Despite the idea at first being met with a little disbelief and<br />
concern, the makeshift altar and ever-willing congregation ensured it was a success.
The following few masses were held with our host families in Blizne and Izabelin.<br />
These masses were mainly celebrated in Polish with the sermon being translated<br />
into English by our fantastic translator Marta. The Parish was keen on involving us<br />
in the Masses by having the readings in English and asking our choir (Keegan and<br />
Larina) to sing the offertory and recessional hymns; it quickly began to feel like our<br />
parish too.<br />
I soon grew to have a favourite part of the mass in Poland: offering each other<br />
peace. Rather than just a bob of the head in two people’s general direction, in Poland<br />
peace was offered with a handshake and then gradually even a hug to as many<br />
people as possible. This moment began to symbolise not only our experience in<br />
Blizne was our <strong>WYD</strong> experience as a whole; we had started this trip journey as individuals<br />
but ended up a family. It has now become a time during mass that always<br />
manages to bring a smile to my face and fondly reminds me of our many masses in<br />
Poland.<br />
Bianca Pereira
Meeting pilgrims from around the world<br />
Representing the St. Francis of Assisi Parish in Dubai, we went with the intention of<br />
stumbling across pilgrims from around the world; we were a living testimony that<br />
Christianity is strengthened even in an Islamic country such as Dubai.<br />
Being surrounded by hundreds of nationalities who have gathered on this pilgrimage<br />
for the same purpose is definitely a unique experience; we were unified as one as<br />
we all shared the same spiritual welfare.<br />
As were exposed to people of different races, backgrounds, and cultures, we were<br />
eager to learn about different heritages and traditions from around the world; not<br />
only did this lead to a myriad of engaging discussions, but also resulted in numerous<br />
exchanges of adorable bracelets and national souvenirs.<br />
As our journey came to a halt, I was able to deduce a thought-provoking fact: on the<br />
outside, we come in different shapes, sizes, and colors; however, on the inside, we all<br />
share the same Christian beliefs.<br />
Nikhil D’Mello
St. Francis of Assisi, Jebel Ali, Dubai , U.A.E