Neither the rain and the wind could oversteal the light of the Young Passover that more than two hundred young people lived the night, dawn and dawn of this Friday and Saturday, May 11 and 12, in the National Shrine of San Lázaro in the village of Rincón.
Uncertainty over participation and a program restructured by the inclement weather joined, at the moment before the beginning, all the animators together with his advisor, Fr. Jorge Luis Pérez Soto, in a prayer for this meeting and for the young people of the archdiocese.
Monsignor Juan García, who remained throughout the morning with the young people, praying, encouraging and accompanying them, exhorted everyone to have faith and trust in the action of the Holy Spirit.
Gradually came the young people, who flooded this place with joy, so accustomed to seeing the tears of pilgrims. After a similar entry challenge continued the animation and division in teams, not without first popping the voices in unono announcing the motto of Easter, “Don’t be afraid, in Christ you have found grace”.
A very entertaining rally kept those present on the move, between games, dynamics and challenges. The temple without benches was transformed on this occasion into a space of encounter and knowledge. The interpretations of biblical passages, which were recorded by cell phones and subsequently presented on screen by a projector, prepared the spirits for the special moment of reflection and prayer that came.
A reflection on Pope Francis’ message for the XXXIII World Youth Day introduced the dynamics about the fears and uncertainties that young Cubans experience today. Questions and questions about who they are and want to be were presented to them in the darkness that constituted the temple completely off, blindfolded and some indirect lights. An uns undoubtedly sample of what at some times our lives may seem like.
One last invitation to find the light made them uncover their eyes and find the sacrament exposed at the altar even with the lights off and only with candles around discovering their presence. The words knew at the time by the archbishop and the diocesan adviser gave encouragement, gave reasons for meaning and hope, offered a path by which, in the words of the bishop himself “no one has ever been lost”.
A brief moment of rest and snack to take strength. And again more than two hundred souls walk, when the sun seems to begin to awaken, towards the lit campfire that will burn all the fears and doubts written by each of those present on a piece of paper during the night.
Holy Mass at dawn cleared doubts and filled many young people who experienced an une no equal experience with joy. That’s not how Armando tells them, a 17-year-old who first attended a young Easter and confesses: it’s a unique, different experience, I was very impressed by the dynamics of fears.
All, after Mass returned exhausted but cheerful, for many an unprecedented young Easter. This was confessed to the New Word by the diocesan animator of Havana’s youth ministry, Liz Adela Cruz Bergón, who after five years cheering and at 30 years gives way to other young people, “has been the best Easter I have ever lived in these years… there have been many desires to do, to live, to share.” Faced with the question of what he had left to do, he told us: “When I started there were no vicarial teams and I leave without them existing or working well in some cases. we need to do more training projects… young people need follow-up, accompaniment and training.”
For his part, Pérez Soto pointed out to us: “of the greatest achievements of this Easter,” he noted, “is the work of the diocesan team and the support of so many people who have supported us.” Asked about things to do two years after this service for youth ministry, and Liz’s farewell said, “There are several things left to do, but we have a good team to think about how to solve all that we lack. Liz helped us a lot and gave part of her life to the service of youth ministry, now she goes for other personal interests, but she will continue to support us, albeit in a different way.” Soto aims to enliven pastoral work with young people by creating new projects to make them more multipliers of Jesus Christ’s message and to experience the joy of the Risen One at the next Easter, this time without fear, because in Christ they have found grace.
Be the first to comment