World Youth Day 2019 USA Leader Guides International Leader Guide | Page 31

7. Keep the fire burning… the end of and the salvation of the world. For World
World Youth Day is only the beginning. Youth Day pilgrims, the intense experience of
the international gathering should direct them
to mission as well.
WYD is but a stop on the journey to heaven
that began at Baptism. For some pilgrims, the
journey of faith has been a steady one; for Challenge pilgrims to see their journey to and
others, it is newly awakened by WYD. from Panamá and Central America in light of
the Transfiguration story. Encourage them to
Consider again the story of the Transfiguration reflect on what their “exodus” might be, where
from the Gospel of Luke (9:28-36). “And their “Jerusalem” could be, and what mission
behold, two men were conversing with him, God could be calling them to embark upon
Moses and Elijah, who appeared in glory and when they come down from the
spoke of his exodus that he was going to “mountaintop” of Panamá. Help pilgrims know
accomplish in Jerusalem” (9:30-31). Jesus is that they do not need to walk alone after WYD
looking ahead. Likewise, World Youth Day and that the mission they receive may take a
should help the pilgrims to look ahead, too. whole lifetime to complete.
After they descend from the mountain, Jesus
and the three disciples turn towards Jerusalem Before pilgrims embark on the trip to Panamá,
(9:51). Jesus makes plans to send his followers coordinate ways for them to serve and work for
ahead of him to prepare the way (9:52), justice in the community; this will help prepare
empowering seventy-two of them to go “in them for lives of mercy and compassion. Help
pairs” to every town and village the Lord was them to commit to praying regularly, to active
intending to visit (10:1-12). “Go on your way,” listening, and to grounding their decisions and
Jesus commissions them, adding a cautionary discernment in God and his Church. Give them
note: “Behold, I am sending you like lambs tools to help them to witness to thir faith.
among wolves” (10:3). Teach them the art of accompaniment, as
defined by Pope Francis in Evangelii Gaudium:
For Jesus and the disciples, the glorious
moment of the Transfiguration impels them “…this ‘art of accompaniment’ which
forward on mission: to the world, the Cross, teaches us to remove our sandals before the
sacred ground of another (cf. Ex. 3:5). The
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