"What attracts me to the World Youth Day are the hundreds of young believers I will meet there. I hope to be inspired by the immensity of the crowd gathered to listen to the Pope, worship Our Lord and share their faith," Marija tells Omnes.
"To prepare the inside," adds the 20-year-old Lithuanian, "I pray for the Pope, for all the organizers, for each participant, for my group and for myself, so that we can all get the maximum spiritual benefit from this experience, as well as having a lot of fun."
On a personal level, "I hope to grow in my faith, and listen to the Pope's message, to receive it as if it were personal". In addition, Marija also delves into the history of the Church and the Christian roots. "We are counted on to evangelize our closest circles of friends and family, so that the Catholic faith remains attractive to our generation. In addition, we are expected to cherish the more than two thousand year heritage of the Church's Tradition, so that we never forget the roots of our faith. Above all, we just need to love Jesus with our whole life."
For his part, Austeja emphasizes that "at the World Youth Day I am going above all to strengthen ties with the people in the group I am traveling with and to establish new connections with young people from all over the world, for whom religion and God are important values. Of course, meeting the Pope is also one of the main objectives of this trip."
This young woman prepares herself above all with prayer. "In my inner self, I am preparing, above all, by praying for my fellow travelers and for the people organizing the whole event, and meditating on what aspects of my life I should improve and how this trip could help me to do so."
Austeja also offers his perspective on what the Pope and the Church expect from today's youth: "That we accept each other no matter how different we may be at times and that we are able to listen, try to understand and connect together. With these connections, I believe the Pope and the Church expect us to share and spread God's messages and love."
