World Youth Day 2019 USA Leader Guides International Leader Guide | Page 32

pace of this accompaniment must be steady will return). Taking a serious look at the
and reassuring, reflecting our closeness and struggles that their peers and others in their
our compassionate gaze which also heals, area face every day will help them understand
liberates and encourages growth in the how to bring healing and love to those in pain.
Christian life” (EG, no. 169). Pilgrims should be trained to see the needs of
those in their families, their parish or
“Only through such respectful and diocese/eparchy, their school or workplace, and
compassionate listening can we enter on the the civic life of their communities. They can
paths of true growth and awaken a yearning consider how those areas could be addressed or
for the Christian ideal: the desire to respond responded to. Knowing the “mission field”
fully to God’s love and to bring to fruition before World Youth Day gives the pilgrims a
what he has sown in our lives.” frame of reference and knowledge of what
(EG, no. 171) people at home may need from them.
Unpacking Evangelii Gaudium, the Holy Father’s When pilgrims have the needs of their
apostolic exhortation on evangelization, is a communities in mind, WYD can be even more
great step in teaching young people how to enriching. It can equip them as missionary
evangelize and share the Gospel with others, disciples. When pilgrims see that ultimate
especially their peers. As Pope Francis notes, destination is the Kingdom of God, then WYD
evangelization requires them to listen more becomes an exciting stop on the way that helps
than speak, and to act with reassurance, them hear God’s voice.
compassion, healing, and encouragement.
The end of World Youth Day, then,
Before going to WYD, a pilgrim should have a
is only the beginning.
solid understanding of the community from
which they are being sent (and to which they
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