JMJ-BRASIL, mda. Pope Francis entrusted the “life of the Latin American people” and World Youth Day, which is being held in Rio de Janeiro until this Sunday with around 2,000,000 young people participating, to the protection of Our Lady of Aparecida. And he exhorted pastors, parents and educators to help youths to build a united, “more just, and fraternal world. Upon celebrating the Mass in the Marian shrine, located 250 kilometers from Rio, the Pope said that to accomplish these goals, three “simple attitudes were needed: hopefulness, openness to being surprised by God and living in joy. He maintained that young people need non- material values that are the spiritual heart of a people, in this Shrine we can almost read those values: “spirituality, generosity, solidarity, perseverance, fraternity, joy; they are values whose deepest root is in the Christian faith.”
Because of the weather conditions, Francis traveled to Aparecida from Rio in a Brazilian Air Force airplane, which landed in the airport of San José dos Campos, and from there he was transported by a Super Puma helicopter along with the Vatican entourage in a helicopter to the Shrine, where he boarded the popemobile. The people greeted him singing and clapping in the rain…and Francis greeted his people.
Mother Aparecida, I place our youth in your hands, bring them to the Father
After he entered the church – greeting, blessing – the local archbishop and president of the National Council of Bishops of Brazil, Cardinal Raymundo Damasceno Assis welcomed him, and he gave the Pope a replica of the black Virgin.
He began his homily during the Mass in the shrine saying, “What joy I feel as I come to the house of the Mother of every Brazilian, the Shrine of our Lady of Aparecida! The day after my election as Bishop of Rome, I visited the Basilica of Saint Mary Major in Rome in order to entrust my ministry to Our Lady. Today I have come here to ask Mary our Mother for the success of World Youth Day, and to place at her feet, the life of the people of Latin America.
The Document of Aprecida was born of this interplay between the labours of the Bishops and the simple faith of the pilgrims, under Mary’s maternal protection
Recalling that he was here in 2007, within the framework of the Fifth General Conference of Bishops of Latin America and the Caribbean, he considered that Conference was a “great moment of the Church.”
He stressed that on that occasion, “I witnessed first hand, how the Bishps felt encouraged, supported and in some way inspired by the thousands of pilgrims who came here day after day to entrust their lives to Our Lady.”
“It can truly be said that the Aparecida Document was born of ths interplay between the labours of the Bishops and the simple faith of the pilgrims under Mary’s maternal protection,” he affirmed.
The bishops related that while they were discussing, they heard the prayers and songs of the pilgrims in the Shrine…and day by day, as they celebrated Mass in the Shrine, they were not alone but united with the pilgrims. A Church of the people…a Church of pilgrims, a pilgrim Church…covenant culture among bishops and pilgrims.
Speaking precisely about this experience of Aparecida, Father Alexandre Awi – who is presently accompanying the Holy Father to the place, where they worked together on the Document of Aparecida – said in his homily of Conference 2014: “Jesus transformed his disciples into missionaries! This was also what the Pope and our Latin American Bishops asked of us at Aparecida: that we be a Church of disciple-missionaries of the Lord! The Centennial also wants it to be a moment like this for Schoenstatt. It is not enough to be disciples, we have to be missionaries for the Lord and Our Lady!”
“It is always marvelous to see Father Alexandre, holding the chalice that Bergoglio gave to the Shrine of Aparecida!” commented a missionary from Argentina. “You know what I was thinking? That this is the return current of which Father spoke, or that he prophesized…”
Be protagonists in building a better world
The Pope encouraged “to never lose hope, despite the difficulties, and he warned that “ the “dragon”, evil, is present in our history, but it does not have the upper hand. The one with the upper hand is God, and God is our hope!” he emphasized. “Let us be lights of hope! Let us maintain a positive outlook on reality. Let us encourage the generosity which is typical of the young and help them to work actively in building a better world: they are a powerful engine for the Church and for society”, he added.
Pardon me. I am going to speak in Spanish
This Pope does not cease to surprise us. Despite the rain, despite weariness, and despite that it was not planned, Francis wanted to pause before the faithful – almost 300,000 – who waited for him in the esplanade of the Shrine of Aprecida. He asked for a microphone and without letting go of the image of the Virgin that had been given to him, he improvised in Spanish, he announced that he would return to the Shrine in 2017. It is the first time that a trip is announced so far in advance, and that it was done by the Pope himself. “Brothers and sisters I do not speak Brazilian, pardon me, I am going to speak in Spanish. Pardon. And with a slow and clear pronunciation so that he could be understood by the young people, who were present, he said: “Thank you very much,, for being here, thank you very much with all my heart and I ask the Virgin, Our Lady of Aprecida, to bless you, to bless your families, to bless your children, to bless your parents, to bless the entire nation.”
Then, doubtful that he was understood, he said: “Let’s see, now I will find out if I was understood. I will ask you a question: Does a mother forget her children?”
After a resounding and prolonged “NO!” as the reply of the multitude of young people, Francis finished: “She does not forget us, she loves us and takes care of us. And now we are going to ask her for a blessing.” And taking the black image of Our Lady of Aparecida in his hands, he blessed the multitude: “May the blessing of the Almighty God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit decend on you and remain with you forever.”
He almost left, but he paused. And he released the “bomb”: “I ask a favor of you: pray for me, pray for me. I need it. May God bless you, May Our Lady of Aparecia welcome you and until 2017, when I will return! Good-bye.” And he left, in the midst of the ovation, that did not seem to end. Everything ended with thunderous shouts of “Francis, Francis!”
“God saves the best for us.
But He asks that we allow ourselves to be surprised by his love,
and that we receive his surprises.”
Consecration to the Mother of Aparecida
Mother who appeared to us as you once stood before God, so here today I stand before you and God, who gives us a mission for this life. We do not know its contours and limits, and we can hardly penetrate your demands. Yet in your faith that “nothing is impossible for God” you, Mother, did not hesitate and so I can also not hesitate.
A. Behold the Handmaid of the Lord, let what you have said be done to me.
Just like you, Mother, I also embrace my mission. I place my life into your hands, and we – you my mother, and I your son – go forward together, we believe together, battle together, sing together, just as you were always one with your Son.
A. Woman, this is your son! Son, this is you mother!
Mother who appeared to us, you once brought your Son to the Temple to dedicate him to the Lord, so that he would be wholly and completely ready for God’s task. Present me today to the same Father, dedicate me to him with all that I am and have.
A. Here I am, send me!
Mother who appeared to us, take our and your young people by the hand and accompany them to the Father. Give the entire World Youth Day so much strength, so much life, so much dynamism, until it germinates and bursts out, and can stand at the service of life and humankind.
A. Father, accept our youth and sanctify them!
Finally, we ask you, Mother, remain with us, always support your pilgrim sons and daughters, but also be with us, help us always, and accompany us in our mission for the large family of the Faithful. Above all uphold our hope and our faith when the cross bears heavily upon us.
A. Be faithful until death and I will give you the crown of life! Amen
With material fromAICA, Religión Digital, Radio Vaticana, agencies
Translation: Celina Garza, San Antonio, USA
Sermon – Holy Mass in the Basilica of the Shrine of Our Lady of Aparecida (24 July 2013)
