In the Mile High City of Denver,
Colorado, next to the majestic Rocky Mountains, an event that can be described
as a great phenomenon in the history of the Catholic Church in the United
States occurred: World Youth Day (WYD),
1993. What was so great about it and how
did it affect the Church? I, who was
looking at it from the eyes of a fifteen year old and very interested in living
the Catholic faith, was blessed to witness this event and it couldn’t have been more miraculous. From seeing all of the people from around the
US and the world, including so many bishops walking around the Colorado
Rockies’s baseball field before the first Mass at Mile High Stadium—a very
impressive sight, indeed—to seeing the Bishop of Rome himself, the now Blessed
John Paul II, arrive at the stadium for the papal welcome, it was a
particularly remarkable occasion.
Looking back at it as an adult, I
can remember the hot sun, the colorful traditional clothing of a group from
Poland, seeing many groups of religious sisters, the music, the food, the many
churches--Catholic and otherwise—that volunteered to help in the event. I also remember how welcoming most of the
people in Denver were, as they had done such things as providing water for very
thirsty pilgrims. I even remember trying
to speak German to someone from Italy (and yet it worked, but that’s another
story). Also, the message that came from
the Holy Father to us, the youth, is something that will always be a part of my
life.
There was the speech that he gave
at Mile High Stadium, which can be read here:
http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/john_paul_ii/speeches/1993/august/documents/hf_jp-ii_spe_19930812_saluto-denver-gmg_en.html. In it, the Holy Father says that “Jesus
Christ, the true Life who gives hope and purpose to our earthly existence…in a
love that goes beyond all limits of time and space, to eternal unassailable
happiness” (“Papal Welcoming Ceremony”).
This is certainly something for someone who is young to contemplate—that
Christ is the reason for us to live and that His love is absolutely timeless
and eternal.
Well, that might seem to be a lot
for a teenager to think about, but we can consider the many plights that young
people have, such as all of the pressures around them to live contrary to how
our Lord commands us to. But to be told
the reason for existence at a time when one is questioning this and to be told
that they are loved when they may not feel as such is a powerful comfort to
receive—and not just a comfort, but an inspiration as well. Also, to know that we have the source of
“eternal unassailable happiness” is a comfort to those who have been through
many difficult things in which could cause the loss of hope and happiness.
He goes on to say, “Young people of
America and of the world, listen to what Christ the Redeemer is saying to you!
‘To all who received him, who believed in his name, he gave power to become
children of God’. The ‘World Youth Day’ challenges you to be fully conscious of
who you are as God’s dearly beloved sons and daughters” (“Papal Welcoming
Ceremony”). This is so important for
someone who is young to learn of this identity and to be given the courage to
live their lives accordingly. As many
youths are challenged by those around them to find their identity through many
different means, many of which is harmful to the soul, so too does the Pope
challenge those present at WYD to find their identity as God’s children. This impression on the mind and soul of young
people is so essential at this stage in their lives, where one can very easily
go astray.
Pope John Paul II’s challenges and
encouragements really come down to the theme of WYD ’93, and this is that Jesus
came that we might have life and have it more abundantly (John 10:10). This doesn’t pertain to living life to the
fullest in a way that the world would suggest, that is, giving into any
temptations that would give us such temporary pleasures. But rather than that, he says, “go in search
of God, because he can also be found in the heart of a modern city; recognize
him in so many young people full of hope and noble ideals; feel the breath of
the Holy Spirit among so many different races and cultures, all united in
acknowledging Christ as the way, the truth and the life of every human being.” In doing so, we are living our lives as we
ought, recognizing the dignity of all persons who are also on this pilgrimage
through life, so that we all may be united with God at the end of our
lives.
From this visit to the United
States as well as his entire papacy, Pope John Paul II helped to awaken a new
sense of a mission in the lives of the youth.
At least I know that he did this in my life as well as many people
around me. Also, he proved to anyone who
might have doubted, the Catholic Church is very much alive in the US and around
the world among the youth. Through this,
it is proven once again that the Church will remain strong and will always be
there because God will always be with us.
This was one of the things that inspired us to have “the courage to go
and spread the Good News among the people of the last part of the twentieth
century, in particular among young people of your own age, who will take the
Church and society into the next century” (“Papal Welcoming Ceremony”). Now that we are in that next century, let all
of the youth of Blessed John Paul II continue on this mission.
Work
Cited
“Papal Welcoming Ceremony at the Mile High Stadium of Denver:
Address of His Holiness Pope John Paul
II.” 1993. Web.
Accessed 5 December 2012.
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