Pages

Friday, November 25, 2011

World Youth Day Saga-Part 2

(SPAIN)
This is a sequel to the first part of the series World Youth Day Saga(France)

She Woke Me Up Early

            After the Candle Procession in Lourdes, we took a last look around Grotto then we went back to the inn. I slept at about 1:30am after unpacking and re-packing my clothes inside my bag. I told one of my fellow delegates, her name is Joy, who was also one of my roommates to wake me up at 3:00 am because we had to leave at 4:00am. I was still dreaming when I felt someone pat me and call my name softly. I struggled to open my eyes and saw my friend in my blurry vision. I looked at the time and it was still 2:30am.
            “Haa? You woke me up 30 minutes early”, I said in my cute bedtime voice.
            “Oh no. I’m so sorry”, she said laughing.
            It’s funny how 30 minutes of sleep was so significant during that time.

The Bus was Late (Or so we thought)

            It was 4:00 in the morning and we were waiting outside the inn for our bus for Madrid to arrive. 30 minutes passed and we were still waiting. Some of my world youth day friends decided to look for it. And the rest of us decided to take our breakfast. The owner of the inn was kind enough to pack breakfast for us.
            We were asked to get our breakfast inside. But I saw one of my friends get a plastic and put bread in it, so I thought she was volunteering to distribute for us who were outside. So I waited for her to give us. But she didn’t, instead, she told us again to get our breakfast inside.
            “How about those breads you are holding?”
            She let out a deep sigh. She was clearly annoyed. Maybe I asked too many questions, which I cannot anymore remember. But she managed to speak calmly although irritation showed in her face.
            “They are for our friends who went to look for the bus.”
            “Okay.” I replied.
            Temperance. Temperance. The word echoed in my mind. She was trying to practice temperance. I tried too. I didn’t understand why she would get annoyed. I was only asking a question, wasn’t I? Now that I analyze it, perhaps, it was because she was tired. Perhaps, she didn’t also get enough sleep and I was there just sitting and waiting to be served. (Haha) Besides, she was so thoughtful to set aside bread for our friends.

How Many Angry People are There in the World?

            6:00 and the bus hasn’t arrived. Are you kidding? We could have had 2 more hours of sleep, well, at the most. But it turned out that the bus driver parked the bus in another area. There had been a misunderstanding. The driver also waited for us since 4:00 in that morning. It’s funny, but at that time, maybe because everyone was tired and sleepy, it seems like everyone was irritated – even the bus driver.

            He spoke in Spanish I couldn’t understand. (Again, I was stubborn enough not to take our Spanish lessons seriously. Spanish lessons was part of our 1-year preparation for the World Youth Day) But clearly he was angry. I can sense it in his voice. Everyone was listening as our group leaders conversed with him. The original plan was to take a detour to Torreciudad before going to Madrid but because we started late (and the bus driver was angry, hehe) we headed straight to Madrid. What I admire in our group leaders is their patience and kindness. They didn’t want to fight with the bus driver, considering one of them is choleric, a little hot tempered. (Her personality would be confirmed later on.)

Sleepy head, Sunflowers, and Sleepy Head

            It was a long bus ride, that’s for sure. I would sleep, wake up, admire the sunflowers in our way, sleep again, sleep some more. Okay, we did have some stopovers for lunch and snacks. And oh, an interesting note is that we were not allowed to eat inside the bus. It is very different here in the Philippines because when we take a long bus ride, we always eat along the way. I wonder if all buses in Europe are like that. It’s okay though. We just obeyed. We didn’t want to trigger his angry bones.
Sunflowers on the way
Photo by:  Joy Torculas



            We arrived in Madrid at about 3:00 in the afternoon. It might have been a blessing in disguise that we did not pass through Torreciudad because if we did, we might have missed the opening mass presided by none other than the Archbishop of Madrid himself. We were welcomed by a Filipino travel guide Mr. Exequiel(+). He held the microphone in his hands and began to entertain us with his stories. He told us stories of Filipinos in Madrid and some of his experiences in his years of stay in Madrid. He also showed us some historic sites in Madrid that we passed by. He spoke fluent Spanish and conversed with the bus driver. A little later, guess what? The driver was angry again. Haha! Mr. Exequiel(+) asked us “perhaps you have noticed that he was angry?” Then he went on to explain that many Spanish are like that. They become angry easily but after a while, it’s gone. They will talk and laugh with you again like nothing happened. Okay, that explains it.

The First Taste of World Youth Day Madrid

            We were the last to arrive at the school assigned to us. It was in Nazaret Oporto. There, we were welcomed by three friendly volunteers, Anghel, Sylvia, and Carlos. One classroom was assigned to us. The volunteers said that we could sleep outside if we wanted to. I guess I prefer outside. It was really hot inside the classroom. Anyway, we prepared to attend the opening mass in Plaza de Cibeles. We were escorted by the volunteers to the place. When we got there, wow, there really were many people. We squatted on the ground while we heard the mass in Spanish. After the mass, the people dismissed. There was a lot of cheering. The spirit of the youth was on. We tried to compose our own cheering, but well, I don’t know, it seemed that I was the only one cheering. I guess I was the only youth in our delegation. Haha!
After the Opening Mass at Plaza de Cibeles
Photo by: Joy Torculas



More Than Camping

            If there was a word that can be compared to the World Youth Day, it was more like a camping. We slept in our sleeping bags that night, with the moon overhead. It reminded me of my high school years when we went camping. But the World Youth Day was more than that. As I have mentioned in part I, it was a pilgrimage. It was a totally different experience for me. I don’t know, but remembering it now is so euphoric. I will never regret going there.


The delegation with the volunteers
Photo owne by: Joy Torculas

Lucky of All Lucky

            The next day, we met other delegates in the school. There were delegates from Chile and also from the Philippines, but they were from another Parish which is in Novaliches. (Our delegation came from Bel-air Center in Makati. Our leaders were lay persons.)
            Part of our group’s World Youth Day Agenda was to hear mass daily. Even if we did not understand it? Yes. Because the very purpose of the Mass is to meet Jesus in the Eucharist. So even if we did not understand the mass, we still heard it. But we were lucky. Why? Because the person heading the Novaliches delegation was a Priest. We requested if he could administer our mass for that day. He agreed. And for the first time in our trip, we heard a mass in a language that we could understand. It was a blessing, wasn’t it?
Inside Cathedral de Madrid
With the Saint that brought us together



            The breakfast, morning prayers and the mass took almost half of our day. But it’s okay because the sun sets in Europe late so we still have time to do what we had to do.
            First, we visited the Cathedral of Madrid. The tour guide of the Cathedral let us find a bear sculpture in the one of the columns of the crypt, which is below the Cathedral. The one who could find it would have a price, he said. One of us found it. It was true, she had a price – a magazine about the faith. But we had a share of her price because we also were given magazines. Haha. The guide went on to explain that the bear was an important symbol of Madrid. I didn’t quite get why. Can someone explain it to me again?
            By the way, each column of the crypt has a unique design. Isn’t that amazing?

A Special Get Together

            Did I tell you that our group was special? It is because we were invited to a Special Get-together with the Bishop Don Javier. Thousands of other young girls, who receive the same formation as we do, gather together in one of the stadiums in Madrid to hear what the Bishop has to say.
Get together with thousand other girls
Photo by: Joy Torculas



            The most vivid thing he said is that “Do not be afraid to follow God’s call for you”. It was perfect for me because sometimes, I am afraid. At that moment, I was afraid. Perhaps, I had many doubts. What if I fail? I am aware of my weaknesses. But the keywords are do not be afraid. Jesus said that a couple of times too. I recall Bo Sanchez say “your availability is more important than your ability.” Just make yourself available for God and do not be afraid because He will arm you with the necessary resources. Even if you are weak, He will make you strong.

Wasted Time in Transportation(?)

            The rest of our time was spent looking for a place to eat, eating, walking, and getting the train to get back to our “camp” (the school). Our camp was a bit far from the World Youth Day Activity Venues so it was not a surprise that we spent most of our time in transportation. Wasted Time you say? No. Every minute in our trip was not wasted because we prayed while we traveled and the favorite prayer was the Rosary. Sometimes, we did it ourselves, but most of the time, we had a partner/s. For me, a minute spent in prayer is never wasted.

            The next day was again a very meaningful day. We learned that the famous Jason Evert was going to give a talk that day at 3pm so we went to line up outside the Stadium even before 12:00 noon. It became a little difficult for us to enter the Stadium because of the volume of people and the tight Security. There was a rally in Spain that time that’s why there was a need for the extra security. Aside from the talk of Jason Evert, we were also looking forward to the Mass inside the Stadium. We were getting anxious and impatient. We asked ourselves, will we be able to hear mass? Our human nature started to show. We started to divide. One of our group leaders (the more choleric one mentioned earlier) really got impatient. We are not judging her. The circumstances surrounding us that time can really cause a person to be impatient and irritable. We were hungry, we waited in the line for more or less than two hours, the security is hard to deal with, there was the language barrier, and being one of the leaders of the group, she perhaps felt the weight of the responsibility of making a decision. She wanted to get out of there and do something. So she made us decide if we still wanted to stay or go and do something else.

            The group divided. One stayed. I stayed because I’m a huge fan of Jason Evert. My friend Nichole stayed because she was tired and she does not want to walk anymore. Actually, all of us were tired. The others who stayed were perhaps more patient and maybe they thought that the waiting would be a waste if they left. For us who stayed, we prayed to our Guardian Angels and to the Blessed Virgin so that the doors would open for us and maybe, one of the security people would take pity on us.

            The other group went to the plaza to wait for the Pope. The Pope was scheduled to be in Madrid that day. My friend Tina is a huge fan of the Pope, maybe that’s why she went. And the others perhaps were also very excited for the arrival of the Pope. As for me, I am also a huge fan of the Pope. But I opted to stay because I was hoping that I would still be able to see the Pope in the next days, and especially in the final day, the Vigil with the Pope.

Love and Life

            Thanks to Our Guardian Angels and Our Lady, one of the security people took pity on us after we almost begged, and after we forced smile on our faces despite our hungry stomachs. We were able to enter. We were a little late for the mass, but it was still considered a mass (Thank God). After the celebration of the mass, we did not go out anymore because we knew how hard it was to enter. We just sat down in front and waited for the talk to begin. We tamed our hungry stomachs with bread and biscuits and juices that were leftovers from our breakfast.

            The benefit was worth the wait. We had a clear view of Jason Evert and the other speakers. We were able to focus on the talks and were moved by the messages. (We were all emotional ladies in our delegation by the way.) One particular sentence that moved my friend Sha, (and made her cry, I think) was this: “My life is a question that only Love is the answer.” It was said by one of the speakers who is a nun.


I had a clear view on Jason Evert but my camera doesn't. Sorry :)



            Jason Evert talked about relationships, about his own marriage and how men should be proactive. He said, if you love her, give her the 24-K Ring. Marry her. (To all men out there, ahem…) He also said that there is a lot of inaction with the men while in the beginning, men are created to be proactive. I wish I could duplicate the whole talk here. But Jason Evert made marriage attractive to me. When we went out of the stadium, we felt in love. (I know, we are crazy.)


(More on Jason Evert on Life and Love, click here.)

            While the other group was looking at the Pope personally, we went to look for a restaurant because we have not eaten a decent food since morning. We contented ourselves at looking at the Pope in the TV monitor inside the restaurant.

A Celebration
            After dinner, we surprised our friends Chinky and Mae because it was both their birthday. I hope they felt important and loved by us.
Mae and Chinky celebrating their birthday


Different Tales

            We went home that day, again, exhausted but fulfilled. We knew that the day had been fruitful. We met with the other group and we told them how the talk went and how wonderful it was. They told us how they welcomed the Pope and how wonderful it was. We were joyful after all, both of the groups, even if we have taken different paths.

Another Celebration

             I woke up the next day expecting an adventure, but I really didn’t know what to expect. Anything can happen. The World Youth Day was full of Surprises. It is true. That morning, I witnessed a miracle.
            Do you remember the Priest in the Novaliches delegation? He was to celebrate his First Year Anniversary as a Priest. The date was August 19. We were invited to join the celebration with him with a solemn mass. We sang songs, we recited the Creed because it was a special day. But when he was about to read the Gospel for the day, he cried. Hi cried with tears of joy. After reading the Gospel with all his heart, he told us in his homily how he became a priest.


Father Rolan celebrating his first year of ordination as a priest

            As a child, he felt God calling him to be a priest. Even as he was growing up, he had inklings that God wanted him to be a Priest. But he didn’t want to. He said, “Sayang ang guwapo ko.” (My handsomeness would be put to waste.) He even bargained with God, “Lord gagawin ko ang lahat huwag mo lang akong gawing Pari.” (Lord, I will do anything, just don’t call me to be a priest.) Perhaps because God was insistent, he decided to try out for the Seminary. His first try was a failure. He was not accepted to the Seminary and he said it was the happiest day of his life. Yes! Little did he know that God has another plan. I don’t know how or why but he was assigned to the UST hospital and one day, he saw poor a poor elderly woman in a wheelchair. There, he was filled with compassion for the woman and he started to cry. He again heard God calling him to the Priesthood. And that moment, he saw that his vocation is to be with the poor, to help the poor. At the moment, he said “Yes” to God. “Fiat”.
            
              We all cried and were moved by now Fr. Rolan’s story.


To be Continued...

No comments:

Post a Comment

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...