date: 08.08.2022.
On the fifth and the final day of this year's Youth Festival, attended by tens of thousands of young people from more than 70 countries around the world, Fr. Marinko Šakota wished the young people good time at the beginning of the morning program at 9 a.m., then the blessing was invoked with a prayer to the Holy Spirit. Fr. Renato Galić, former parish assistant priest in the parish of Medjugorje, then gave the morning catechesis to the young people. He recalled at the beginning how he also participated at the Youth Festival as a young man. The emphasis of his catechesis was based on the motto of the Youth Festival, "Learn from me and you will find peace", and he particularly focused on the word "learn". He said that learning implies one important figure, which is the teacher. He pointed out that one teacher has a special place for Christians, and that is Jesus Christ.
"Our Teacher is different from all other teachers. Jesus invites all of us to his school, without any special conditions. We are called to always be with the teacher and follow Him", said Fr. Renato, and asked: What does it mean to learn from Jesus?
"Learning from Jesus means clinging to Him, holding fast to Jesus, being permanently attached to Him in our daily life, following Him, following His steps and sharing His views on this world... Each of us can ask ourselves who I am learning from in my life, or when I need some professions, some skills, who will I go to? There are many teachers, not only direct ones. We see how the media, especially social networks, want to shape us and be our teachers in an indirect way,'' said Fr. Renato Galić, and he also emphasized the importance of openness to the Holy Spirit to guide us in every day and in life's situations.
Our teacher Christ says that He is gentle and humble of heart. He gives us an example of how we can love, how to treat others, how to pray according to his example. This will bring us back to peace and harmony with God. This is the true peace that Jesus wants to give us, to be in union with God," stressed Fr. Renato and added that "Jesus in His teaching calls us to come to Him, and when God calls, He does not force, He offers freedom, to choose freely and come to Him. While others place burdens, God is the one who removes those burdens.
After Fr. Renato's catechesis, the testimony of the members of Mary's Meals followed. Mary's Meals is the name of an international humanitarian organization and the goal of the organization is to provide nutrition in schools in some of the poorest countries in the world, and they have branches all over the world.
Danijel and Ana from the Jeunnese-Lumiere movement were also participants in the morning part of the Youth Festival program. They witnessed about the mission they do in life.
In the afternoon, a priest from France, P. Benjamnin Dewite, gave the testimony, followed by the Rosary and the Holy Mass, and at the beginning, the YouFra of Medjugorje brought a cloth one hundred meters long to the altar, on which the pilgrims wrote their prayers and thanks to the Queen of Peace over the past days.
The closing Holy Mass of the 33rd Youth Festival was presided over by the former parish priest of Medjugorje, Fr. Marinko Šakota, who in his sermon referred to the motto of this year's Youth Festival, 'Learn from me and you will find peace!'
In order to be able to learn from Jesus, he said, we first need to get to know Him from the outside and the inside, so he outlined the conditions for getting to know Jesus, and the main thing is to have an open heart in order to get to know Jesus. Fr. Marinko invited the young people to pray with their hearts, which is what Our Lady in Medjugorje teaches us.
"It teaches us that prayer becomes an encounter with a friend who loves us so immeasurably, but the pearl may not even be recognized. The famous theologian Hans Urs von Balthasar said that "there is only one danger for Medjugorje: that it is not recognized", said Fr. Marinko, noting that Medjugorje is that pearl.
He invited the young people to discover that pearl and to pray to the Holy Spirit to open their hearts, because when they have an open heart they will discover that pearl. He also told them that if they meet Jesus, they will meet a paradox. He told them to accept the cross, to accept what, at this moment, is incomprehensible because that is how they will discover the pearl.
"Blessed are you, young man and young woman, if you found that pearl here in Medjugorje in these days. Blessed are you if you decided to learn from Jesus because you will find true peace, true joy, and you will be blessed even more, if you decide to help others to find that pearl too,'' Fr. Marinko Šakota concluded.
At the end of the Holy Mass, at which 501 priests concelebrated together with him, Fr. Marinko thanked everyone who participated in the organization of this Youth Festival and invited everyone to support the new Međugorje parish priest, Fr. Zvonimir Pavičić, and the whole evening was especially emotional when the Apostolic Visitor for the parish of Medjugorje Msgr. Aldo Cavalli thanked Fr. Marinko Šakota for his service in these previous years.
"Our parish priest Fr. Marinko will soon leave the parish of Međugorje, in order to continue his mission in another parish. Fr. Marinko, on behalf of the Holy Father, whose ambassador I am and in the name of all of you, I thank you from the bottom of my heart for everything you have done here with your love, knowledge and wisdom. May the Lord Jesus always accompany you, the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of God, the Queen of Peace, always intercede for you. Thank you, Fr. Marinko, thank you. Thank you very much", Archbishop Cavalli said.
After the Holy Mass, the Adoration of Jesus in the Most Holy Sacrament of the Altar followed, and at the end, a mission in which the representatives of young people from all countries received a gift - a Rosary, meaning, the hand of Mary that she offers them to walk with Jesus and Mary through their lives and to learn from them. (PHOTO)
