The last word to Fr. Gustavo Agín, Regional Superior

How did you get through the WYD experience at the time of the 150th anniversary of the death of Saint Michael Garicoits?

We are going through a structural crisis, principally in Latin America; where there are divisions and individualism, you can feel the need for meetings. So from the point of view of the Church and society this experience was like a great oasis in the middle of a desert. The drought of routine had been bathed in fresh water. The youth were able to speak their joy and the older people recall their youth.

In the midst of the choral assembly of 3.500.000 participants (followed by hundreds of millions of the faithful thanks to the media) there was Pope Francis, his personality and his language; courage for the mission, care of those who are suffering (young or old) and the call for a meeting built on care for the poor.

A lot of the youth who no longer found their place in the Church have had their hopes revived. Used as they were to seeing through the media an image of a Church in its comfort zone, closed and fearful, many of them – whether believing or not – have discovered that force overcomes weakness and that God loves us through it. No philosophical approach, but a power animated by the Spirit of the Risen Christ who doesn’t leave us alone but sends us out to share the joy of the Good News. I imagine that during those days every young Betharramite will have identified with this expression of our charism in which the Heart of Jesus is “like the spouse leaves his room and rushes into the carrier with the joy of a hero.”

The youth needed to feel in the depths of their being the same experience as St Michael who full of the vigour of youth didn’t hesitate climbing the mountains of indifference and cold to overcome the obstacles of his day for his heart was on fire from the moment he had come to know the Love of Jesus, dissolved in gentleness and charity, a love which he extended to each of his brothers.

As I see it the WYD at Rio made possible the loving meeting between God and Man, which we call the Incarnation and which our Father Founder felt and enjoyed in his inner being. Eternal Love became Man in the womb of the Blessed Virgin Mary; she sang for joy just as the young pilgrims sang in the streets of Rio.

What are we to retain of such an experience for the VIBRA and the Region?

First of all let’s say how friendly the Brazilians are, how joyful and happy to form a People of God whose faith and devotion are very expressive. The Region can be happy to have been able to contemplate this faith at close range and propose it to everybody so that it may become Light of the world and Salt of the earth. I think that the ease with which so many people come into contact and were able to share precious moments is the result of that docility in the face of the call of Jesus inviting us to become like little children. In the smallest of God’s creatures shines the faith of the young. The Pope’s actions when dealing with children, the poor, the aged and the disabled, placed us face to face with the Gospel, in line with St Mathew’s assertion “whenever you did it to the least of my brethren, you did it to me”. (Matthew 25, 40)

The WYD showed the world that the ability to cooperate with the work of the Risen Christ, the on-going mission among the men and women of today is possible because the yeast is already in the dough.

The Region was able to show all the young Betharramites from all over the world that to belong to Christ and follow him is well worth it! Sharing with everyone the joy of being who we are without being ashamed of being so few.

Longing to learn again what it is to be a Church whose doors are wide open and who wants to leave nobody away from Christ.

In our viewing of the Kingdom, the WYD touched us to the very heart of our being and urged us forward to construct God’s Kingdom without delay, and without reserve, like the witnesses and prophets of a new world.
In the name of all our scj brothers and laity of Latin America, I want to thank all those who with joy and fraternal availability made such an unforgettable experience possible.

Gustavo Agín, scj