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Yasia
Fiesta! ... My AYD5 Highlights
 Some
kind of wonderful. That is how I would best describe
my experience last November 20-27, 2009 with over
1,500 Catholic youth delegates from different parts
of Asia. It was the 5th Asian Youth Day (AYD5), and
for the first time, the Philippines played host to
the biggest youth gathering of Asian Catholics.
Even
as the year comes to a close, God continues to show
great things in my life as a missionary, with this
opportunity to join the AYD5 delegation of CFC Singles
for Family and Life. Let me share with you here my
favorite Yasia (for youth of Asia) moments:
- Emmaus
Walk – Also called the “Yasia Walk”,
this was the most meaningful AYD activity for
me, where we celebrated the Holy Mass in a very
unique way: by re-living the Emmaus walk. We literally
walked around the AYD site, and took a stop at
specific stations to continue a part of the Holy
Mass while reflecting on the experience of the
two disciples as Jesus walked with them in Emmaus.
I realized that, indeed, every time I attend mass,
it is like talking a walk on that road to Emmaus,
where I will surely encounter Jesus in the breaking
of the bread and in the proclamation of the Word
that will undoubtedly leave a fire burning in
my heart.
- Clergy
– To see so many cardinals, bishops and
priests from the Philippines and from all over
Asia in Cavite for the AYD5 was an overwhelming
affirmation of their love and support for the
youth. The clergy has clearly shown that the youth
has a special place in the life of the Church.
The icing on the cake was the AYD message of the
Holy Father, read by the Papal Nuncio. Pope Benedict
exhorted the youth to remember a simple yet very
powerful statement of the Blessed Mother in the
gospel - “Do whatever He tells you.”
AYD has inspired me to have a greater love for
our priests and to intensify my prayers for them.
- Confession
– The opportunity to receive the sacrament
of reconciliation is always a “high”
experience for me, for it was a moment of grace.
It is said that heaven rejoices over one sinner
who repents. I cannot imagine the wild party that
happened in the heavens that night as hundreds
of youth went to confession. It must have been
a sight to behold. God is so good that there were
priests available to listen to the confession
of the delegates in their respective dialect or
language.
- Liturgy
– Everything that went right in the AYD
happened whenever we celebrated the Holy Mass.
There was daily Mass and each Mass was a beautiful
manifestation of the unity of the Church in Asia.
Coming together as youth of different skin colors,
language, culture and tradition, the Holy Eucharist
sealed our common faith in the one Lord. My experience
of the liturgy at the AYD with youth coming from
all over Asia made me witness so visibly that
we are one body sharing one bread and one cup
of blessing.
- Exposition
of the Blessed Sacrament – A quiet time
with God is the time most well-spent. The AYD
gave us this opportunity and guided us in our
reflection through the Taize meditative prayer.
To be in the presence of God in the Blessed Sacrament
(whether in the AYD or anywhere else) will always
be unforgettable.
- Sit
on the floor … forever! – It was “Yasia
Fiesta!” and “Yasia wa silya!”
for me. Thank you God for giving me a very good
reason to treat myself to a massage after the
AYD. When you have to sit on the floor for hours
without back rest (and you do that for five straight
days), either you say “Forgive them for
they do not know what they are doing”, or
you ask yourself if, perhaps, you are already
too old to be attending AYD (haha!)
- Interaction
with Catholic youth from over 25 countries –
Maria from Spain, Victor from Rwanda, Kimlyly
from Cambodia, Arun from Bangladesh, Jeff from
Hongkong, Adie from East Timor, Mary Ann from
Naga, Von from Valenzuela, Shaira from Palawan,
MJ from Lanao and so many other new friends, praise
God! It is especially inspiring to know so many
youth persevering in their Catholic faith despite
the challenge that they are in the minority religious
group in most of Asia. AYD is especially memorable
because it has given me the chance to encounter
the best Asian youth of all – Jesus (yes,
He is Asian!; and still part of the youth in His
30s!). He is in the Word proclaimed in different
dialects and languages, in the Body and Blood
we receive, in the Blessed Sacrament, and in the
hearts of everyone who was part of AYD. The whole
week of interacting with youth from different
provinces and countries has also given me a greater
appreciation for the huge blessing of being baptized
as a Catholic in the Philippines where I have
the freedom to openly express my faith - to carry
my Bible, to go to mass daily, to pray anywhere
at anytime, to talk about God to anyone. It is
not the same for many brothers and sisters in
Asia. This encourages me to pray for them too.
- AYD5
Theme Song – We have sang and danced to
this song a million times for one week. It just
had to be on this list.
You hear the first note and … ting! delegates
drop everything and start to sing-and-dance. The
AYD is over, but I can still hear the song in
my head…“Yasia Fiesta! Come together
and celebrate …”
- Lots
(and I mean lots) of AYD volunteers – I
would like to believe that these volunteers have
all given it their best. They said ‘yes’
when AYD organizers asked for help. For all that
may have gone wrong, I still praise God for people
who step up and say ‘yes’ when there
is a call to help for a good cause, especially
for the youth. AYD will surely not be
the same without them.
In
the end, it was simply that - ECCLESIAL (Emmaus-Clergy-Confession-Liturgy-Exposition-Sit-Interaction-AYD
song-Lots of volunteers). We are a community of Asian
Catholic youth coming together, sharing the Word and
living the Eucharist.
Bishop Tagle put it beautifully that the 5th Asian
Youth Day ended just as we are about to begin the
advent season. As the AYD delegates go back to their
respective youth ministries, provinces and countries,
the advent does bring a new season for the Catholic
Church in Asia. And so goes the ending of the AYD
theme song “Through us, the Bread of Life, brings
a new season of grace! Yasia Fiesta!"
Contributed
by:
Marie
Relucio
CFC-FFL Missionary
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