Because we believe...my EYC'13 experience
I simply want to share the great experience I had at this year's YFL European Congress... let's start from a big point of difference from the past EYCs I have attended: this year I was in the service team, as the liturgy head, so I had the opportunity to witness the hard work of preparation behind the scenes, from the planning we had last February up to the chaotic and exhausting days before the Congress... I cannot hide the fact that at first I was kinda nervous and super conscious about my role, my moves inside the team, due also to my usual insecurity as a first timer in the crew, and for this reason I was constantly hoping to make a good impression among my peers... so I flew to Vienna with this mind setting: I am ready, I am prepared, I'll do my best and God will do the rest... And once again, God showed me His greatness through little things and simple actions... the experience I am going to share now is the proof that when we are giving our 100%, God is ready to bless us with His 100% support, making it a 1000% greater, far beyond our expectations...
It was the day before the YFL Congress, Thursday. My plan was to meet my delegates from northern Italy arriving in Vienna in the morning, then going to the Congress venue in the afternoon with the service team for the setting of the place. Before that I made sure that all the liturgical stuff for the Congress were clean and ready to be brought to the venue: so, together with Tito Mike, we went through the check-list and printed out the Adoration guide. Everything was ready except from one thing: I had to print out copies of the Mass guide for the priests, lectors and the liturgy crew. Since time was running faster, I decided to solve that problem later in the afternoon, hoping to find a copy shop near the venue. To be sure, I had bought a coupon band of hard paper the day before, in case I had to print them all by myself. At 2 o'clock me, ate Maureen and Via went to meet the Parish priest of the parish where the Congress venue was located, to ask if we could borrow some stuff for the Adoration and the Mass on Sunday. There we came to know Fr. Markus, a young and generous priest who was also fluently speaking italian! He literally opened the whole Sacristy of the church and offered to lend us all its treasures for the Mass: golden chalice and ciborium and silver processional candles stands... I was surprised by how he trusted us immediately with all those precious and historical items, I confess that if I were in his position I would not have lent those ones so easily to three youths presenting themselves to me for the first time and knocking at the door of my parish! He did not think twice upon our requests and gave us the best items that the parish could offer... by doing so I believe that Fr. Markus was fulfilling God's plan for this year's Congress: showing to the youths His greatness and majesty... and He was not yet done. Near to the Sacristy Fr. Markus led us to the Chapel of the Blessed Sacrament, while walking he told us that we could also use their monstrance... at first I was about to decline, knowing that we were already bringing one, but then I was so curious to see it so I said "Fr. let's see..." When he opened the tabernacle I immediately told myself: "Now I know Lord why you called us here... You want us to see You in all your glory, not only that, You want us to bring You as You are now, to our youths... You were just waiting for us, we searched for You.. now We have found You, and in You we have found ourselves, our purpose, our calling... stay with us oh Lord". I don't know why those words crossed my mind, but I guess that was Him talking to me. Around the monstrance I noticed a sentence written in latin: "Adoro te devote, latens deitas", " I devoutly adore You, oh unseen deity"... those are the first words of a hymn to the Blessed Sacrament written by St. Tomas Aquinas, and it is recited during adorations from the Missal... I strongly believe that it was not a mere coincidence that on the Year of Faith, when the theme chosen for the Congress is the latin word "Credo"- I believe, this hymn of St. Tomas providentially appears and reminds us that He is a hundred percent human and a hundred percent God, that's why He is considered a personal God: for all the struggles that we may encounter and all the pain that we may feel have been already carried on His cross, overcome and conquered by His resurrection... this is why we believe, this is why we have faith!
That is one of the reasons why this year's Congress will always have a special place in my heart... and after that face to face encounter with the Lord, everything fell in the right place and at the right time. While we were on our way out of the church... Ate Maureen went back to Fr. Markus asking info about the nearer copy shop in town... He asked my why and I said: "I have to print out copies of the Mass guides for the lectors"... he smiled at me and said "Come with me"... he led me to his office and showed me a big xerox copy machine: "How many copies?"- he asked me. Now the Mass guide I prepared was composed of 8 hard papers folded like a booklet, I was quite embarrassed in asking him if it was possible to make 20 copies of that booklet... He took the booklet from my hand, put it in the machine, typed 20 on the screen, pressed "print" and in 10 mins I was holding 20 Mass booklets in hard paper copies already folded... Before leaving his office I was about to leave an offer for the Church and for the cost of the xerox, he said "I can imagine how much it might cost the rental of the venue for the Congress... keep it for the youths".
Me, Ate Maureen and Via had been witnesses of a little miracle! The Congress broke all the expectations: the youths showed so much energy in the competitions and the worship... God was truly in control of the service team, and even my initial insecurity slowly disappeared and gave place to a lot of fun and "kulitan" moments with the crew backstage: all the laughters and the joyful moments I spent with them made me realize that I no longer have just new friends, but brothers and sisters in Christ.. not only just a team, but a family... Deo gratias! Thank you Lord!
P.S.: see you all: next year's EYC will be here in Italy =)
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