The violence described in the gospel today is as horrific as what we see in our world. It is difficult, at best, to make any sense of it, and yet not nearly as foreign an experience as one would wish. In the face of this unjust violence, the disciples take a very simple action; they walk to Jesus to share the news with him.
Their care for him gave them purpose in a moment that should have led to despair. Their strength comes with going to Jesus to share news that is important to them (and him). They find their hope in him, as do the millions who have assembled in Krakow, Poland in his name.
The disciples took a pilgrimage to Jesus; World Youth Day has been a pilgrimage for Jesus; and each of our lives is a pilgrimage with Jesus. Today, as we walk along our individual journeys, we can pray the prayer of WYD 2016. A prayer of pilgrimage, for in Jesus we can find the strength to persevere no matter what hindrances may come.
—Juan Ruiz, S.J., a scholastic of the U.S. Central Southern Jesuit province, just completed philosophy studies at Loyola University, Chicago IL.