first years of work , your friendships and affections , your hopes and dreams . How greatly he desires that you bring all this to him in prayer ! How much he hopes that , in all the ‘ contacts ’ and ‘ chats ’ of each day , pride of place be given to the golden thread of prayer ! How much he wants his word to be able to speak to you day after day , so that you can make his Gospel your own , so that it can serve as a compass for you on the highways of life !” 13 that open up new horizons capable of spreading joy .” 15 The theme of WYD 2019 is “ I am the servant of the Lord . May it be done to me according to your word .” 16 Leaders can prepare pilgrims to be more sensitive to the voice of the Lord in their lives by encouraging them to remain close to the Sacraments , providing them resources for vocational discernment , and creating communities from which they can draw strength and courage .
The role of the leader continues after the events of WYD come to an end . All pilgrims are sent forth and called to live as missionary disciples . You assist , equip , and accompany your pilgrims so that they might come to a deeper understanding of their experiences . In so doing , they can more fully live out the WYD encounter with Jesus every day .
Continuing the Pilgrim Journey At WYD , the Church puts its trust in the young . WYD pilgrims need to be trusted to “ leave a mark on history ,” as Pope Francis said at the final gathering in Kraków . 14 He challenged young people to courageously “ set out on new and uncharted paths . To blaze trails
The pilgrim journey is a lifelong one that might include additional WYDs , possibly even leading a pilgrimage in the future . WYD leaders have been called by God for this service , often through the invitation of another .
The lifelong pilgrim lives the encounter with Jesus Christ in his or her daily life . Gathering those stateside pilgrims along with the international pilgrims after WYD can help the young people share and integrate their experiences and , ultimately , build upon them . For example , many WYD pilgrims are also discerning their vocation in life . The leader assists in this discernment process by witnessing to their own discernment process or
13 Homily for Closing Mass on the Occasion of the XXXI World Youth Day , Kraków , July 31 , 2016 , 10 . 14 Pope Francis , Prayer Vigil with the Young People , XXXI
World Youth Day , July 30 , 2016 .
14
15 Ibid . 16 Lk 1:38 .