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World Youth Day Rio de Janeiro. 2013World Youth Day (WYD), as the event was named in 1985, continues to be a global testimony of living and renewing faith. The event illustrates how the face of Christ is shown in each young person. At the 1984 meeting the Pope presented the WYD Cross to the 300 000 or so young people who had gathered in Saint Peter’s Square. This meeting sparked subsequent gatherings with Pope John Paul II and the WYD Cross: in 1986 (Rome – Diocesan), 1987 (Buenos Aires, Argentina), 1989 (Santiago de Compostela, Spain), 1991(Czestochowa, Poland), 1993 (Denver, USA), 1995 (Manila, Philippines), 1997 (Paris, France), 2000 (Rome, Italy), and 2002 (Toronto, Canada). Pope Benedict XVI has continued this tradition in 2005 (Cologne, Germany), 2008 (Sydney, Australia) and 2011 (Madrid, Spain). The host-cities of WYD have the opportunity to showcase themselves to the many pilgrims attending the event. They witness an event that unites hundreds of nationalities together in Christ. Difficulties, such as language and culture barriers may initially come across as problematic but then turn into bonding moments at WYD. At WYD young people come together in a meeting of love, dreams, and Christ. "The World Youth Day in Madrid renewed the call on youth to be the yeast that makes the dough rise, giving to the world the hope that borns with the faith. Be generous when giving a testimony of Christian life, especially having in consideration the next World Youth Day in Rio de Janeiro." This call was made by Pope Benedict XVI when proclaiming the theme of World Youth Day Rio2013: "Go and make disciples of all nations" (Mt 28, 19), during the general audience on August 24. At that time, the catechesis was dedicated to WYD 2011, which was over on the 21th of the same month. Benedict XVI recalled fondly the joy of participation of the about two million young people in Madrid, to what he called "a wonderful experience of brotherhood, encounter with the Lord, sharing and growth in faith: a veritable cascade of light." That’s why is so important that young people in Brazil and the world from now on assume that call to mission and participate in the World Youth Day as living witnesses of Christ. PFor the Father Gerardo Dondici Vieira, director of the Theology Department at PUC-Rio, this is a theme to be kept in the heart, reflected and meditated. "This theme, about making disciples, call other disciples to communion and fellowship with the Lord, is the theme dearest to the Gospel of Matthew. This mandate, this mission is already announced in the whole Gospel. And in fact, can only make disciples the one who is already a disciple, who lives with the Lord" said the priest. Father Dondici points out that this testimony and proclamation of Christ himself, are major challenges for youth, living in a pluralistic world, with thousands of information either through schools, recreation, internet, especially in the contact with social networks, like facebook, twitter: "With these thousand shares, he, young disciple, is called to plant in the hearts of those he meets, with whom it communicates, the desire to be a disciple of Jesus". "What does the disciple of Jesus wins? Wins the presence in the kingdom, wins the certainty of God's love, wins the certainty to be for the others a sign of mercy and love. Wins carrining and giving the peace of the Lord. Forgiveness, mercy, peace, these are the fruits and gifts that the world really needs. Violence, war, corruption, evil, everything that takes away the possibility of the young to grow up and put all its richness and vitality service of humanity, are the ones who will diminish in society."he said. In the final term of the text of Matthew - "Go and make disciples of all nations" - explained the priest, there is a great anthropological dream of us all, that the contact with the Lord, the friendship with Him, awaken the best that eachone has in himself. "We live in a world where there are many wastes, loss of human life, due to lack of chance. The fellowship with the Lord brings out our best. The announcement “Go and make disciples of all nations" is an announcement for a lifetime. At no time we can take a break from it, because it assumes that the one who is a friend of the Lord, by his life, by his way of being in the world, communicate to others the light, the beauty and joy of being a disciple of the Lord. That is the mission that our church needs. Many times we are paralyzed and stunned by a world that goes a little crazy, but in this world we have the presence of the Lord who has chosen us, who chose the youth to be a sign of His love and joy in the world" concluded. Contact Guidepost Tours for more details.
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