REFLECTIONS | LUMEN
25 experience as I had never participated in a Mass being celebrated in over 30 languages simultaneously . In his homily , Cardinal Dziwisz reminded us to keep the end in mind by pondering these questions : Where would we go after the few days spent in Poland ? How would we change the way we lived such that we show mercy ? He also encouraged us to reflect on the lives of two great Polish , Krakówian saints - Saint Faustina , the patron saint of the Divine Mercy , and Saint Pope John Paul II , one of the patron saints for World Youth Day . Upon the announcement that Pope Francis was already en route to Kraków , while we were celebrating Mass , the gathered pilgrims roared unceasingly and sang the theme song , Błogosławieni miłosierni , albowiem oni miłosierdzia dost pi ! (“ Blessed are the Merciful , for they shall obtain mercy !”).
The day we had so eagerly anticipated finally arrived . The crowd welcomed the 266th Bishop of Rome in the very same place , Błonia Park that his canonized predecessor and the founder of the World Youth Day , St Pope John Paul II , had celebrated Mass . From the moment Pope Francis arrived on stage , his mere presence was enough to rouse the crowd into praise and worship . The ceremony was simple yet profound . Representatives from every nation gathered before the Pope as he delivered his apostolic blessings to us . He also reminded us that “ a merciful heart is able to be a place of refuge for the homeless , sharing bread with the hungry and welcoming refugees and migrants .” It was clear the Pope wanted the next few days to be filled with holiness , sanctity and joy for all gathered .
The following days consisted of teaching by the various Bishops of the world . The Singapore- Philippines Lasallian contingent was invited to talks by three American Bishops . The main theme
... the Pope also reminded us that “ a merciful heart is able to be a place of refuge for the homeless , sharing bread with the hungry and welcoming refugees and migrants ”.
of all three talks was that of mercy , which was aligned with the Church being in her Extraordinary Jubilee Year of Mercy . As a Lasallian , I found myself asking how I could translate the rich mercy of God into actions in my life and how I could bring it to SJI . Being fully human and fully God , Jesus ’ s teaching disturbed many people as He encouraged His followers to accept and show compassion to those deemed unworthy . How could we as Lasallians live out a life filled with mercy ?
The last major event of the World Youth Day was the Overnight Vigil and closing mass with the Pope in Campus Misericordiae , a large field that would accommodate two million people . Having to trek to the location with heavy bags and constantly being delayed by the hundreds of thousands of people was a humbling experience . The circumstance was unfamiliar and uncomfortable yet we were encouraged to learn how to love one ’ s neighbour , no matter how they increased the burden of the journey . The vigil began with veneration to the Divine Mercy and ended with praise and worship . Many Polish hymns were sung and even though many non- Polish speakers like me did not understand what was being sung , the passion and faith of the Poles were displayed . It was then that I realized that this nation plagued with a dark history has had to frequently turn to Divine Providence in complete trust . Despite the better conditions that Poland now enjoys , it was moving to see that its people did not abandon God but rather gave thanks for the blessings He has granted them . At the closing mass , the Pope spoke about the various struggles Catholic youths faced . Encouraging us to have faith , he said that every youth has the potential to live saintly lives if only they confided completely in God , for Jesus calls each of us by name as we are special to him .
This World Youth Day was special for me as a Lasallian . It is so easy to be caught up with work and our own lives that we forget that we do have an impact on those around us . Many times , we are given the opportunity to exercise mercy . For those who are educators , are we merciful to those charged under our care and show compassion in nurturing them ? For students , do we accept that our teachers and friends are only human and do make mistakes ? Are we selective in showing mercy , choosing to be merciful to only a specific group of people ? Finally , as Lasallians , how is the mercy of God reflected in our work with the last , lost and least ? Our time in SJI will come to an end eventually , so what do we want to reap from it ? I hope “ Błogosławieni miłosierni , albowiem oni miłosierdzia dost pi !” resonates in each of our lives .
Facing page : Meditating during the Night Vigil
This page ( top ): Myriad of colours and nationalities at the camp site
This page ( centre ): Noah representing Singapore
This page ( bottom ): ( 4th from bottom left , in blue raincoat ): Noah with other Catholic youth from around the world