After countless days of waiting, the month of August has finally begun and with it the expected World Youth Day (WYD). The capital of Portugal was ‘invaded’ by young people from all corners of the world, filling the city with joviality and joy, each in their own way, language and personality.
Every space of the park was filled with pilgrims, flags and a lot of excitement to the sound of concerts and testimonies that preceded the Opening Mass. Américo Aguiar, president of the WYD Lisbon 2023 Foundation, addressed all the pilgrims with a message of welcome. “You are all welcome,” he said cheerfully.
“We have our arms open to welcome you, to bear witness to the Living Christ who dwells in our hearts. We want to receive the witness, the joy of your hearts, where the Living Christ also resides”, he added.
After four years of preparing “our hearts, our streets, our villages, our cities, we are ready to welcome young people from all over the world”, says Bishop Américo Aguiar.
Music, joy and cultural experience
While the Pope’s Youth waited for the start of Holy Mass, the WYD hymn was sung in a number of languages and the young people fraternized with each other in the various groups present. The entire liturgy was performed in several languages and broadcast on channels around the world.
The Shalom Youth arrived from various regions of the world to live this moment of great joy, they brought joy, disposition, courage and hearts full of joy, they were present at the Halleluya Festival that also began today and then hurried to Holy Mass of opening.
>> Check out the Halleluya Music Festival Lisbon program
During the Holy Mass, the liturgy was based on the theme of this year’s WYD “Mary rose and left in haste” (Lk 1:39), a biblical quotation chosen by Pope Francis. The homily, delivered by the Cardinal-Patriarch of Lisbon, Bishop Manuel Clemente, compared the path of the Visitation of Our Lady with the path that each pilgrim took to get to WYD. He emphasized that it was not easy, marked by distance, various demands, costs, among other efforts to arrive in Lisbon.
He also spoke about the importance of setting out on a journey, stage by stage, as Mary did when she went to meet Elizabeth. To set out on a journey, he said, “is to share what you have”, what you have.
Here are some reflections from the homily
“You too set out on your journey. For many, it was a difficult journey due to the distance, the connections and the costs involved. We had to pool resources, develop activities to obtain them and rely on solidarity, which, thank God, was not lacking.”
“Dear young people, you know very well that when the heart is full, it quickly overflows. How impossible it is to suffocate what is in your soul, when it is really strong and mobilizing.”
“Lisbon welcomes you wholeheartedly, and so do the other lands where you have been or will be in this Portugal, also yours. The families and institutions that have made their spaces and services available welcome you. Thanking them all, I see in each one the house of Elizabeth, who welcomed Mary and the Jesus she brought to her!”
“It has been worth the journey you have made to get here and to find yourselves in these days, in the variety of what you are and the quality you bring, each and every one, from every land, language and culture. Nothing can replace this personal and group journey to meet the journey of all.”
“We have learned from Mary to greet each and every one. Let us practice it intensely during the days of this World Youth Day. The new world begins in the newness of each encounter and in the sincerity of the greeting we exchange. So that we may be people among people, in mutual and constant visitation!”
He concluded: “I wish you all a happy and stimulating World Youth Day!”
Service
Halleluya Festival at WYD
When: August 1st to 4th, 2pm to 11pm
Where: Alameda Dom Afonso Henriques, Lisbon – Portugal
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