date: 03.08.2019.
The Apostolic Nuncio to Bosnia and Herzegovina, Archbishop Luigi Pezzuto, was the main celebrant on the second day of the Youth Festival, with 678 priests concelebrating and more than 1.996.700 live-stream viewers from all over the world.
At the beginning, Medjugorje parish priest Fr. Marinko Šakota thanked the Apostolic Nuncio “for all he does for Medjugorje”. Archbishop Pezzuto referred to the theme of this year’s Festival and said: “Imagine Jesus walking among you, passing by you and stopping in front of you, just like one day he stopped before Peter and the other apostles, before Matthew, the tax collector, he focuses his eyes on you and tells you: Follow me. Just like this invitation was given first to one person, to Mary, young virgin from Nazareth. When God, in Jesus, tells you – Follow me, this means that He, God, bends down over you, He falls in love with you. This means you have stolen His heart and He fills you with the light. This is what happened in Mary, God bent down to Her, loved her and filled her with His light and grace, His life.
Now when God says ‘Follow me’ to each one of us, we too enter this same journey of Mary and of all those to whom God spoke and continues to say ‘Follow me’.” At the end, Archbishop Pezzuto invited us to pray in the way that we do not seek only for Divine help in our needs, as we often tend to do.
“Instead, we should rather invoke grace to be able to help God, so He would bent down over our streets, homes in every aspect of our social, cultural and economical life. In a word, let us pray that God may grant us the same lifestyle Mary had, the one who was fervent and joyful servant, free and strong at the same time.”
After the Holy Mass, meditation with the candles followed and dozens of thousands of young people remained there in silent veneration of the cross. The catechesis today was given by Jose Rodriguez Carballo, Secretary of the Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life, who spoke about the Porziuncola plenary indulgence as well as on his impressions of Medjugorje and the Youth Festival.
It is a grace to be here in Medjugorje, I know this place and Franciscans here and I was coming often here to encourage all Franciscans who serve here. This is my second time to participate at the Youth Festival and I am so surprised as I know that this event began 30 years ago with a few young people, but in these days there are 80 000 people present here. Young people are seeking for the purpose of life, something that Christ gives us, and we can come to Him through Mary. Someone who comes to Medjugorje is seeking for the Christ and the purpose of life, more people seek for that each day. When they tell us how young people are lost, it is enough to come here and to see the reason for such a great hope. The prayer yesterday began at 6 pm and lasted until 10.15 pm, for more than 4 hours. People here seek for peace and reconciliation and that is why so many confessions are here. This is the place of prayer and reconciliation. Confession is not in crisis and I invite priests to seat down and give absolutions in the name of God. This is such a great mission priests have as we have representatives from 80 countries. Catholicism is lived here and I can see profound unity with the Holy Father here. When I quoted Holy Father this morning we had the biggest applause. These young people love the Church and I thank Holy Father for opening us the possibility of coming and praying here, said Archbishop Carballo.
The morning programme began with the Rosary on Apparition Hill at 6 am, prayer at the White Dome began at 9 am, followed by testimonies of Katarina and Pere Eranović, a couple who spoke about the pre-marital chastity and youth from Florida who wrote a song for this year’s Youth Festival, as well as the representatives of Totus Tuus community and representatives of the Youth Festival in Croatia and Belgium. (PHOTO)
