Before heading off to the World Youth Day Opening Mass at Błonia Park, our group made a Mercy Pilgrimage. We visited the Saint John Paul II Sanctuary and the image of the Divine Mercy. World Youth Day and the city of Kraków is hosting about 1.2 million pilgrims, so you can only imagine how large the crowds at any tourist spot will be, let alone a religious site.
Because of the many crowds, my sister and I opted out of seeing the image of Divine Mercy. We also didn’t go through the Doors of Mercy or go to confession. We also weren’t able to get any rosaries or prayer cards, the one thing we actually attempted to do. Instead we opted to stay and wait with our group leaders. Despite missing out on seeing one of the most holy sites of which this country is known for, we were content. We believed that God let us see what we needed to see. For me, it was this beautiful mosaic of Pentecost.
I believed that this new lesson learned only applied to what is literal, but it also applied to my life figuratively. I saw a part of myself that made me realize the role I function in a group and/or community. I like to take care of people and I believe I do it well. I realized that I don’t necessarily need a family of my own to take of people, that there are many family, friends, colleagues, acquaintances, & strangers, who would welcome my kindness and generosity. I was a young woman willing to help people and lead people. One of those ways is not only through dance but just in everyday living. Perhaps this is why I was so drawn to Mary, a strong woman at the heart of the early Church, who no doubt took care of her Son’s many followers. Maybe this was something God wanted me to see.
The Moving Prayer 