World Youth Day USA Guides International Pilgrimage Leaders Guide | Page 20

prepared to leave Rio de Janeiro in 2013, Jesus

him. St. John Paul II, the father and patron

“not only sends us, he accompanies us, he is

saint of World Youth Day, explained this

always beside us in our mission of love.”20

dynamic very well when he said, “our personal
encounter with Christ bathes life in new light,

The pilgrims have followed the leader on

sets us on the right path, and sends us out to

pilgrimage and, hopefully, encountered Jesus

be his witnesses.”22

Christ who accompanied them on the journey.
This is the life of the disciple, the one who is

The response to the personal encounter as a

sent. When Jesus sent out the seventy-two, he

witness sent by Jesus Christ into the world is

had them take little on the journey, beyond

called living as a “missionary disciple.” This

trust in him (cf. Lk 10:1-12). They returned to

term captures a reality which is central to the

him joyfully telling stories of all that was done

work of the New Evangelization as the

in his name (cf. Lk 10:17-20). Jesus Christ

Church moves more fully from maintenance

continues to do the same today. Both the

to mission.23 Pope Francis uses the term very

leader and the pilgrims are not only disciples,

often in his preaching and catechesis and

but they are sent on mission – they are

explains it clearly in his apostolic exhortation,

“missionary disciples.”

Evangelii Gaudium.

Living as Missionary Disciples

In virtue of their baptism, all the members

When he spoke to the volunteers at the end of

of the People of God have become

World Youth Day in Rio de Janeiro, Pope

missionary disciples (cf. Mt 28:19). All the

Francis said “the most beautiful service we

baptized, whatever their position in the

can give as missionary disciples” is “to

Church or their level of instruction in the

prepare the way so that all people may know,

faith, are agents of evangelization, and

meet and love the Lord.”21

it would be insufficient to envisage a plan

Just as the leader and the pilgrims have

of evangelization to be carried out by

encountered Jesus Christ, so they have a

professionals while the rest of the faithful

mission to assist others in having such an

would simply be passive recipients. The

encounter or deepening their relationship with

new evangelization calls for personal

Homily for Closing Mass on the Occasion of the XXVIII
World Youth Day, Rio de Janeiro, July 28, 2013, 1.
21 Pope Francis, Meeting with Volunteers of the XXVIII
World Youth Day, July 28, 2013.

Pope John Paull II, Message of the Holy Father on the
Occasion of the XVII World Youth Day, July 25, 2001.
23 See XII Ordinary Synod of Bishops (2012), Proposition 22.

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