World Youth Day USA Guides International Pilgrimage Leaders Guide | Page 41

The questions for pilgrims and for ministry 7. The end of World Youth Day leaders that should result from those is only the beginning. unanticipated moments on the trip include:  Where is God now leading me (or us)?  Why might God be pointing me (or us) in So much effort is put in preparing young pilgrims for traveling to World Youth Day and keeping them safe and focused at the events this new direction?  themselves. This is important. Yet too often, What could God be calling me (or us) to very little is done in the days, weeks, months, do, to be, or to move towards by this and years following the return home to assist sudden turn of events? the explicit appropriation of the World Youth  Whom is God pointing me (or us) towards?  What needs to change within me (or us) to down in the United States and the luggage is better accept and understand this situation? collected, aside from a reunion event or two, How can I (or we) respond and react in a the journey seems to be done. However, the calm, patient, and mature manner? end of the World Youth Day activities is just  Day experience. Once the airplane touches the beginning, in a sense, of the next part of the These questions apply to both the simple pilgrim’s story. World Youth Day is a accidents and the life-altering moments that continuation of a voyage begun at Baptism that, God offers pilgrims and leaders along their for some, has been steadily growing prior to journey. Help pilgrims to keep these questions their international journey, and for others, has on hand when the situation changes or when a been reawakened by the World Youth Day new insight is given to them during the events encounters. Before embarking on the of World Youth Day. international portion of their pilgrimage, though, young people and their leaders should At any of those times, it is important to remind be fully aware of this trajectory of faith. pilgrims how the Holy Spirit is now in control. When they (and we) accept and love that truth, Consider again the story of the Transfiguration personally challenging as that might be, from the Gospel of Luke (9:28-36). Moses and amazing things can happen. It is at those Elijah appear with Christ who “appeared in moments when the true goal of pilgrimage glory and spoke of his exodus that he was going begins to take shape – transformation and to accomplish in Jerusalem” (9:31). In the midst conversion of heart towards God’s will. of this phenomenal experience, Jesus is looking 39