Rome (Italy). On 24 November 2024, the XXXIX World Youth Day is celebrated, with the theme: “Those who hope in the Lord will run and not be weary”(cf. Is 40:31).
This marvelous adventure began during the year 1983-1984, when the Holy Year of Redemption was celebrated. Among the various activities of the Jubilee year, Pope John Paul II arranged a youth gathering for Palm Sunday. In 1985, the UN proclaimed the International Year of Youth and the Pope, wishing to show the Church’s attention towards the new generations, again summoned young people to Rome for Palm Sunday.
Seeing the joyful response of young people, at the end of 1985 John Paul II announced the establishment of a World Youth Day to be celebrated every year in the dioceses.
The diocesan celebration was soon accompanied by a huge world meeting, which initially took place every two years and then every three years. The first WYD, celebrated in the dioceses in 1986, was followed by the first major international edition, which took place in 1987 in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Over the years, these meetings have favored the accompaniment of young people who know they are the hope of the Church and who walk, not without difficulty, towards goodness and truth.
Pope Francis wanted to relaunch the celebration of WYD in the local Churches and since 2021, this celebration, which traditionally took place on Palm Sunday, is celebrated on the Solemnity of Christ the King. As at the center of the two liturgical celebrations – Christ the King and Palm Sunday – “remains the Mystery of Jesus Christ the Redeemer of humanity.” On this day, the universal Church places young people at the center of her pastoral care, prays for them, and accomplishes gestures that make young people protagonists.
The Message of the Holy Father for this 39th World Youth Day is to walk in hope, not to be overwhelmed by the crises and setbacks that are inherent to life, but to learn from these experiences to witness that with Jesus everything is possible. “Walk in hope! Hope overcomes every fatigue, every crisis, and every anxiety, giving us a strong motivation to go forward, because this hope is a gift that we receive from God Himself. He fills all our time with meaning, enlightens us on the way, shows us the direction and goal of our life.”
In preparation for this Day, Sister Runita Borja, Councilor for Youth Ministry of the Institute of the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians, sent to all the Provinces her message that each FMA Community should dedicate a special moment of celebration with the young people. She reminds us that youth is a time of great beauty and challenges, a time also of many falls and one cannot leave aside so many young people who do not find the meaning of life. “Youth is a time full of hopes and dreams, stimulated by the many beautiful things that enrich our lives. The splendor of God’s creation, our relationships with others, our encounter with art and culture, science and technology, our efforts to work for peace, justice, and fraternity, and many other things. But we are living in a time when, for many, hope seems to be absent.”
Every person is invited to set out and let the Spirit kindle hope in every heart. “The flame of hope risks being extinguished by worries, fears, and pressures of daily life. A flame needs oxygen to keep burning, to grow and become a great bonfire of hope. The gentle breeze of the Holy Spirit nourishes our hope. We collaborate and allow the Spirit to work in us and through us, to keep alive the flame of hope.”
On the Youtube Channel of YM Videos can be found in Italian and English with subtitles in Spanish and Portuguese.
In the Youtube Channel of the Dicastery for Laity, Family, and Life, you can hear the testimony of five young people – Joohyun, Sara, Carlos, Beatrice, and Natanhael – from different parts of the world, who offer their reflection on the Pope’s Message for this day and weave these teachings with the experiences of their daily lives, encouraging them to set out to celebrate this Day as true pilgrims of hope.
There are many initiatives in the dioceses: the invitation is to make young people’s voices heard and spread their witness, as a response to a world that yearns for peace and hope.
