The 30 young people from Messina who are taking part in the 38th World Youth Day from today to 6 August in the Portuguese capital arrived at their destination in Lisbon late at night, but the tiredness of the journey hasn’t dampened the enthusiasm with which they are preparing for this first stage. At “Casa Italia” you breathe a beautiful atmosphere as well as in the streets of Lisbon. Let’s see what the program of the event foresees, which will welcome hundreds of thousands of young pilgrims. Tonight at 7 pm there will be the opening mass presided over by the cardinal patriarch of Lisbon, Manuel Clemente. In the first three days, between 2 and 4 August, there will be “Rise Up” meetings in the morning, organized in churches and in other spaces close to the places of welcome for pilgrims to reflect on the topics addressed during the pontificate of Pope Francis, between such as Integral Ecology, Social Friendship and Mercy. The first meeting between the pontiff and the young people is scheduled for 5.45 pm on Thursday 3 August at Parque Eduardo VII and will take the name of “Welcome”, the following day, Friday 4 August, with the Via Crucis scheduled for 6 pm again with Pope Francis at the Parque Edward VII. On the other hand, Saturday 5 August will be the day of the Vigil: in the afternoon the pilgrimage of young people to Parque Tejo is planned, with the adoration of the Blessed Sacrament which will begin at 20.45 together with the Holy Father. Even the closing Mass of World Youth Day, scheduled for 9 am on Sunday 6 August at Parque Tejo, will also be presided over by Bergoglio who at 4.30 pm has scheduled a moment of meeting with the Day’s volunteers at the “Passeio marítimo” in Algés . In addition to the official program there is also the Youth Festival, which includes a series of cultural, religious and sporting events and the City of Joy, a space for forgiveness and reflection for all young people organized in the Belém area from 1 to August 4th. The pope will also confess some young people in Jardim Vasco da Gama at 9 am on Friday 4 August. Lisbon calls and Sicily answers. A group of the Salesian Youth Movement has also landed in Lisbon which brings together young people from various capitals (including Messina), led by religious Daughters of Mary Help of Christians and religious of Don Bosco. The hymn, inspired by the theme of WYD Lisbon 2023 “Mary got up and went with haste (Lk 1:39)”, speaks of Mary’s “yes” and of her rush to meet her cousin Elizabeth, just as she tells us the Bible. The title of the hymn is “Há Pressa no Ar”, the text was written by the priest João Paulo Vaz and the music by Pedro Ferreira, teacher and musician, both from the diocese of Coimbra in the central region of Portugal; the arrangements instead were made by the musician Carlos Garcia. The anthem was recorded in Portuguese and in an international version that brings together five languages (Portuguese, English, Spanish, French and Italian). Below is the text:
“From all over the world, to this city by land, by sky we are now here. With Maria we repeat her “Yes”. We want to serve, following God’s plan for us. We want to give our life to Jesus. We belong to him! All of him! Open to her “Yes”, the Mother is with us! And our voice will run! Let’s raise our arms, quickly we go. With Jesus we are never alone. We will never stop loving again. You trying to figure out who you are
unfurl the sail and set sail from here! Let’s be together and let’s go beyond any barrier that extinguishes the smile and the love between us. Don’t cry, come on! Get up and go! If you have faith, you too will be a messenger of Truth. And our voice will run! Let’s raise our arms, quickly we go. With Jesus we are never alone. We will never stop loving again. It was Mary who first embraced the Life of heaven who descended among us. She confident she wanted to welcome in herself the great mystery of a God who is present for you and for me. I will not be silent, I will not stop, but I will say: Behold, God, for you I live! I will never leave you! And our voice will run! Let’s raise our arms, quickly we go. With Jesus we are never alone. We will never stop loving again. Without a doubt she knows where she will go, Mary, a girl, in a hurry now leaves the house and runs to the southern mountains. She brings Jesus to Elizabeth: Holiness, Unity. You are Blessed, God dwells in you! I hope it is said to me “Because you believed, happy you will be!”. And our voice will run! Let’s raise our arms, quickly we go. With Jesus we are never alone. We will never stop loving again.”