Rio de Janeiro, July 14th, 2013
Yesterday I arrived in Rio de Janeiro. When I was still in the airport
boarding I looked people around me. Outside they seemed to be identical. each
of them waiting for passing through the metal detector lost in their minds,
thoughts, some of them near or far. Some of them sad, some not. I don't know. I
felt different and at the same time not. I was boarding to work as a volunteer
in World Youth Day. In this conference, Catholic leaders and youth of the
whole world gather together to meet the pope to reflect on a particular
theme in such a way to stimulate the involvement in their cities. Aparently it
seems common to see 2 million of people gathering with an old man that may
speech beautiful words and later everybody come back home to live their lives
as if that moment was only touristic or cultural. To some people maybe its
truth. To others, not. Maybe somebody ask: What make someone leave a far
country with finnancial difficulties, political and ideological persecutions, dictatorships,
making efforts to sell snacks and save money to be present in a moment like
this to see an old man? What words the old man white dressed would say to catch
the attention of these people? What expectations these people bring with them
to stare to the horizon of people that seems not to finish to listen to the old
man's voice, since they could listen to him in their countries without any
finnancial effort? What makes somebody volunteering in a event like this
offering their habilities? What if the volunteer comes from a far country and
devotes months of his/her life to it? What are these people looking for? Would
the question be: Who are they looking for? Are they looking for the old white
dressed man? Or are they looking for someone to whom the old man wish to
introduce ou reintroduce? What an instigating questions...
I would ask myself: Sanclayver, what's your motivation to be at WYD? I
have to confess that year and half ago I didn't want to be here. I thought I
was supposed to enter the PhD courseby this time and that I had to focus
exclusively on that. As if without balance I understood I have given everything
in my 13 years in the church, and that was the moment to think of me. Its fair
thinking this way apparently. However, I wasn't happy. When invited by my
brother from Catholic Charismatic renewal, I translated the programe of some
pilgrims who came to Brazil to the World Youth Conference in Foz do Iguaçu, and
had a pre-activity in my city. The joy they felt to see the people of the locals
they've visited was enormous. The bright in their eyes was evident seeing the
open hearts to God. They said that they wanted that for their communities.
These comments were warming my heart and dissolving my selfishness and through
them, God convinced me that that same joy they were feeling he wanted people of
WYD also felt. My friend Cesar soon invited me to be a volunteer. Initially i
thought: I've never participated of a WYD. Is it fruitful participate as a
volunteer now? SO I thought it again and realized that Althouhg WYD were taking
place in Rio, it was responsibility of the whole Brazil, and not of Rio alone.
It would be necessary that everyone who would help did that.I also remembered
that i would plan myself and go to other WYD while most of people of
razil wouldn't have the same opportunity, and this WYD would be the only one of
their lives. Analyzing of of this, and peacefully, I discerned tobe a
volunteer, and here I am...
We can try to answer the questions above: I can conclude that these people
are sure that the share and contact with million of people from all over the
world in diverse situations, diverse social, economical, political, cultural
contexts, will see hopefull people as they long to be. That they wish to
correspond to the voice of someone and that this someone is not the old white
dressed man, but he whom the old white dressed man wants to show: Jesus Christ.
Even more. These people want to show who is He and what He has done in their
lives, the enthusiastic wave that He generates and what it can make. That's why
they make enormous efforts to travel from a far country. This person Pope wants
to show is the only one who can show everybody, but specially show youth they
can be protagonists in the church and in the world. That They must lead the
cross and the hope in this hopeless world. I also believe it. Thats why I came
to contribute a little bit. What would these young people do in their
communities? Parishes? Cities? In their social lives? What practical
consequences this experience with Jesus Christ may bring in a community, in a
city, in a state, in a country? Only who try will know.
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