LIMA, Peru.
We share an experience of the Youth Movement of the Teresian Association in Peru (TA Youth - Peru) during the last Easter, in Lima. It is written by the young people who participated. Even though liturgically we are in ordinary time, it is worth returning to this experience that has a projection into the future.
Beautiful proclamation of the Kingdom of God
In an effort to share a beautiful proclamation of the Kingdom of God, members of the Youth Movement of the Teresian Association in Peru (TA Youth – Peru) dared to dream of an authentic, joyful, and missionary Easter. We put all our energy into this event to attract young people, like us, to rediscover a Jesus who opens his arms and welcomes us with our differences and weaknesses. A shockingly human Jesus whose life leads us to believe that a better world is always possible.
Our context challenges us with painful realities: the culture of discarding, consumerism, immediacy and fatalism are undermining and tarnishing the figure of Jesus and, as a result, many young people feel a kind of fateful despair and disbelief. However, this is not an impediment to continue to believe that there are still ways to make known and share the love of God and the promise of His Kingdom. A Kingdom that is not alien to our lives, a kingdom that is printed on the face of those who are excluded and forgotten on daily. Aware, as Saint Teresa would say, that our world is burning, we became empowered by our Christian mission, and started to work convinced that truth is shown in actions and not just in words.
We asked ourselves: How can we present a renewed image of Jesus? How can we tell young people who are suffering for various reasons that Jesus loves them? What can we do so that young people may rediscover God in our world today? Motivated by these questions we ventured to organize an experience that would lead to a deep, real, and sincere encounter with Jesus.
En tanto, creíamos necesario aterrizar en los corazones de estos jóvenes a Jesús hecho hombre; sin rechazar su dimensión divina que nos llena de misticismo, pero que lamentablemente muchas veces su interpretación
We believed it was necessary to bring Jesus as a man to the hearts of these young people. This in no way denies his divine dimension but, unfortunately, many times we view Him away in a throne and detached from our reality. Our desire was that young people may be motivated to rediscover that human dimension that we share with Jesus. And that they may recognize Him in everyday gestures. Gestures of humility, service, generosity, self-giving, revolutionary gestures. Perhaps this is idealistic but Jesus shows us with his life that it is possible to change those structures that go against justice and love.
We designed a project for 2016, beginning at Easter, as a means to respond to great ideals:
One of the special moments was the Paschal Triduum. 38 young people, 14-18 years of age, participated. Those were days with meaningful activities, work in different communities, prayer workshops, special dynamics, songs, and celebrations. They were days dedicated totally to Jesus and our brethren. The organizing team had the opportunity to share and enjoy how the participants lived every dynamic and every moment of prayer and we also enjoyed the accompaniment we had to find meaning in the Paschal mystery.
Experiencing the freshness of Jesus as friend, traveling companion, and brother has been an experience that we have enjoyed during the Easter season. This spiritual adventure was fed by a common feeling among the young people who participated: hunger and thirst to meet Jesus and find in Him that horizon that gives meaning to our being and our being in the world.
Queremos terminar agradeciendo al Dios de la vida que siempre sale a nuestro encuentro; a nuestra Institución Teresiana - Perú por la confianza y apuesta por los jóvenes, por la cercanía, por el acompañamiento a través de cada correo de ánimo, fuerzas y aliento, y por sus constantes oraciones. Nos despedimos con la confianza de que Jesús está entre nosotros y que San Pedro Poveda sigue inspirando a más jóvenes.
The coordinating team was a group of five people and a priest who presided over the celebrations and accompanied our activities. Also, there were eight community coordinators and three people who facilitated workshops.
Nicolás Barrantes, Paulo Urbina, Pável Laban