Theme: “The Mighty One has done great things for me, and holy is His Name” (Lk 1:49)
Moto: Young People, Faith and Vocation
The spiritual path indicated by Pope Francis to the young continues along the line of reflection begun at the last three World Youth Days (2014-16), which focused on the Beatitudes and culminated at last summer’s celebration in Krakow. For the next three years, this path wil
l lead up to the 2019 World Youth Day which will be held in Panama. The Holy Father wanted to present the Virgin Mary to young people as a model of an accomplished life. The Blessed Virgin Mary is at the heart of the themes for the upcoming WYDs, which are taken from the Gospel of Saint Luke:
32nd World Youth Day, 2017: “The Mighty One has done great things for me, and holy is His Name” (Lk 1:49)
33rd World Youth Day, 2018: “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favour with God” (Lk 1:30)
34th World Youth Day, 2019: “I am the servant of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word” (Lk 1:38)
As we know, the Mother of the Lord is the one whom all generations will call blessed (Lk 1:49). In the speech prepared for the meeting with the WYD volunteers in Krakow, Pope Francis highlighted the attitudes of Jesus’ Mother and described her as a model to be imitated. Then, speaking informally on that occasion, the Holy Father urged the young to recall the past, have courage for the present, and to have and be hope for the future.
