Every occasion of World Youth Day is special. It is not only because it offers a platform for young people from different nations to meet and interact. But most importantly, it offers young people an opportunity to grow and appreciate the beauty of their Catholic faith. This includes participation in prayers and liturgies (the Eucharist), Catechesis, and the sacrament of reconciliation. Among the 1.5 million young who gathered in Lisbon for this year’s World Youth Day were Jack and Harry from our parish church of St. James’ Bootle. They were happy, overwhelmed, and inspired by what they experienced. Their testimony shows there is a glimpse of hope for the Church! According to Jack and Harry, this year’s World Youth Day in Lisbon was unique and special.
It was the most populated event in the Catholic Church since the pandemic. After its postponement from 2022 to 2023 due to the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic, it was an opportunity for young people to hear the word hope. Coincidentally, the theme “Mary arose with haste” encompassed the message of hope and courage. Pope Francis in all his addresses to the young people kept re-echoing the words, “Do not be afraid.” He invites the young people to imitate Mary who did not focus on herself and her own worries and fears about her new condition, but entrusted herself completely to God and even went with haste to help Elizabeth. In his homily on the Feast Day of the Transfiguration in Parque Tejo, Pope Francis concluded, “Dear young people… it is no longer I, but Jesus himself who is now looking at you. He knows each of your hearts, each of your lives; he knows your joys, your sorrows, your successes, and failures…today, he says to you, here in Lisbon, at this World Youth Day: “Have no fear, take heart, do not be afraid.” For the young people who are leaving the tough reality of today’s world; the effect of the pandemic, series of wars, forced migration, climate change, and poverty, these words became like an oasis in the desert. They become a source of hope and courage to face these tough times with their gaze on God.
It is also important to know that, providentially, this year’s World Youth Day countered the contemporary opinion that the Church is dying. The myriads of about 1.5 million young people gathering together in the name of God show that the Church is still alive or perhaps in the process of rejuvenation.
To conclude, while this occasion reflects a ray of hope that the Church is still alive, it also presents a challenge. The challenge is that this reality calls for more work from the Church and her leadership toward listening to these young people, accompanying them in the various places they can be found on the journey of faith and finding meaning in life.
