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WYD 1995 Manila – Pope John Paul II’s homily at the final Mass

11 Jun

“Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

We are celebrating the Mass of the Santo Niño of Cebu, the Child Jesus whose birth at Bethlehem the Church has just commemorated at Christmas. Bethlehem signifies the beginning on earth of the mission which the Son received from the Father, the mission which is at the heart of our reflections during this Tenth World Youth Day. In today’s liturgy we find a magnificent commentary on the theme of the World Youth Day: “As the Father sent me, so am I sending you”….

Dear brothers and sisters of the Church in the Philippines, dear young people of the 10th World Youth Day all gathered here from different peoples, and languages, and cultures, and continents, and local Churches: What is the deepest joy of our common joy? The deepest source of our joy is the fact that the Father sent the Son to save the world. The Son takes upon himself the weight of the sins of humanity, and in this way redeems us and guides us on the path that leads to union with the Most Blessed Trinity with God. This is the deepest source of our joy, of the joy of all of us, and also the joy of myself. It is my joy and it is your joy….”

The final Mass was on Sunday, 15th January 1995, at Rizal Park, Manila.  If you were there with JPII, please join Xt3’s WYD 1995 group & share your memories!

The link below is for the English translation.  You can also read Pope John Paul’s homily in Italian & Spanish.

Keywords: pope john paul, world youth day, manila, homily