World Youth Day USA Guides Retreat Manual | Page 16

First Retreat Experience: Meeting Jesus, Who Encounters Others
The focus of the first formation experience

The second theme looks at how one encounters

for World Youth Day is “Meeting Jesus, Who

Jesus through the Church. World Youth Day is

Encounters Others.” The retreat looks at

both a journey to a holy place and a means of

the notion of pilgrimage, and on Jesus, who

interacting with the entire universal Church. In

accompanies us on this journey. The experience

the Creed, Catholics profess a belief in “one,

of being on pilgrimage is essentially one

holy, catholic, and apostolic Church.” This

of encounter – encountering God in prayer,

guide will look at each of the four marks of the

learning new things about ourselves, and

Church, and consider how they draw the WYD

interacting with others along the way.

pilgrims into greater unity and solidarity with
one another as Catholics.

This first retreat experience prepares pilgrims
to recognize the presence of Christ in their

As pilgrims come to know and experience the

midst and to be aware that they are the

presence of Christ, they will be sent forth to be

presence of Christ to one another.

the presence of Christ to others. Pilgrims will
be asked to reflect on how they have

Throughout the day, two major themes will be

experienced Jesus’ forgiveness, healing,

covered: The first theme looks at how Jesus

teaching, and ministry and how they are called

encounters people in Scripture. Jesus is the

to share those gifts with others in return.

model for what it means to be a pilgrim – from
the moment of his birth, to the temptation in

A suggested outline for this retreat experience,

the desert, throughout his years of ministry in

with anticipated timeframes for each section,

Galilee, and on his final journey on the way of

may include the following elements, found on

the cross. Through shared prayer, reflection,

the next page. (NOTE: this outline does not

and catechesis, the pilgrims will consider the

include breaks; however, these are advisable to

second theme: that is, how Jesus encountered

add, but can be done at the discretion of the

ordinary people in the daily events of their lives

retreat organizers based on the needs of the

and how we can come to know Jesus through

participants and other circumstances such as

Sacred Scripture, the living word of God.

space and schedule.)

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