Highlights at WYD

World Youth Day highlighted many situations that affect our young people. Some that seem important to me because of the personal impact it can have:

• One of them is the fear of the future, we live in a hopeless situation, we do not see any light at the end of the tunnel; we are afraid to look ahead, to make decisions. For this reason, the Pope reminds us of the many times that it is written in the Gospel “do not be afraid”, motivating us to trust in God.
• Another important point is mental health. Anxieties, depressions, lack of food, the feeling that we are a problem, the silent isolation that can lead to suicide… we cannot be indifferent to this situation. A young man – telling his testimony – invited us to welcome those who need the most. Like Maria, it is possible to overcome all isolation and look for those who are on the margins, to help them rise.
• Another situation that affects youth is dependencies. The fall of Jesus can be seen as the sign of Jesus’ love and empathy; We accuse those who fall again of being weak, of not resisting drugs, pornography, alcohol… we accuse them of taking refuge in the screens. In the fall of Jesus, his voice tells us: “I fall so that you can get up with me, get up! Keep going”.
• The atrocious individualism, turning on its own axis; Society has told us that the important thing is to take care of our self-image and this leads to egocentrism: wanting to be seen, to be the center of attention. Given this, we have been invited to see the happiness in being attracted by the face of the other.
• Our world is full of intolerance, of exclusions towards minorities. Many groups try to eliminate the one who thinks differently. In this sense, we have been invited to be bridge builders wherever we are, because Jesus did not let himself be carried away by hate, but by love.

What I can see is that the way of the cross is a way of victory of salvation, as a young religious I do not go alone on this walk, Jesus goes with me, if I fall he picks me up, he gets up with me and he does this with many young people in his walk. There are exits, there are alternatives: Yes, Jesus is the hope of life!

H. Melissa Vazquez