WYD Reflection: The Girl in Alcorcon

Day 8, Alcorcon & Madrid: 18 Aug 2011

- Catechesis at San Juan de Mata Parish
- Welcome Ceremony for the Pope at Plaza de Cibeles

Today was the second day for the Catechesis at the San Juan de Mata Parish in Alcorcon. Before the speaker arrived, animators were in charge of preparing the audience for the session. During the animation, from where we were seated, I could not see the person leading the songs & accompanying movements. I normally am shy about joining such activities but “getting into the groove of things” (betrays my being a “child of the 70s”) was easy as the energy and enthusiasm of the young people around me were infectious.

But there was a slight unease as I could not see the animators in the front of the church from where I was standing. So I turned to the hundred others who were imitating their movements. But it was a certain Caucasian girl in the middle of the church who drew my attention. Maybe because she was directly in the line of my astigmatic vision. Maybe because she looked more graceful than the others. Maybe because she seemed to be enjoying what she was doing, more than the rest. I don’t know what the reason was except that it was my belief at that moment that she was perfect in embodying the spirit of the song. And so she guided me unknowingly into a fun-filled experience which led me to appreciate more the catechesis that morning. The lethargy coming from sleep deprivation was dispelled and the morning was truly spiritually fruitful. 

In Plaza Cibeles, while waiting for the arrival of Pope Benedict XVI, I had these thoughts…

We worship a God who has no physical entity in that we cannot experience Him with our basic five senses. Christ, who was with us for only a while, is no longer visible, except in ways he chooses to manifest his presence to us. Thus for many today, he is just an abstraction, a mind-blowing idea merely handed down from generation to generation of believers. His reality is questioned by some because of a lack of a concrete proof of his existence. Even for many Christians, he remains only as an Icon - much like a glossy but distant superstar - until we earn the privilege of knowing him personally.

Initially wary of all the attention given to Pope Benedict XVI as it seemed to defocus us from the other reasons why we were in Madrid, I begun to understand why he received all the adulation and love he did from the pilgrims in WYD. He was the symbol of God’s love that they needed to see, hear, and feel. He smiled and waved at us! What other evidence did one need to know that he was real?! The pilgrims’ excitement of being there when the Popemobile passed by,  seeing him on the video screens knowing he was just a few meters away or hearing his voice on the radio spoke of  their need to have some kind of palpable connection with him.  In the days of celebration, the Holy Father was in the forefront but it did not mean that in the earnestness to see him live, our love for God was put in the background. Pope Benedict XVI embodied the love that God had for all of us and it was but fitting for us to demonstrate our affection for him in return.

For me, the Holy Father was much like the ”Girl in Alcorcon” whose movements I closely followed so that I could participate fully in that morning of singing, learning, and worship. As both had been instruments in helping us become closer to God and fortifying our faith, there is a challenge to become the same for others.  The bar is higher for those who were privileged to attend JMJ 2011. I am reminded of the saying, “for those who are given much, more is expected” and therefore know that when we’re back home, we should take extra care to become models of Christian love. While it is never easy, we should strive to make our lives a showcase of what our Catholic faith teaches and espouses.  The first step is to share our life-changing experiences of WYD which made a mark on our persons. Next is to try to continue to deepen our understanding of our faith and work on strengthening our spirituality. The end in sight is to become mirrors of Christian love in the light of how our Lord Jesus loves us. So much like the girl and the Holy Father, people can follow us & maybe through us, follow Jesus!

WYD 2011 Pilgrim