For a country, it is always an event of great importance to receive a Pope. His presence has an incalculable effect of unity and fruitfulness for the Church of the place that welcomes him. Many of us remember with emotion the last trip of a Roman Pontiff to Spain: World Youth Day of 2011. The prayer vigil in Cuatro Vientos, the imposing Stations of the Cross in the Castellana or the confessionals in the Retiro Park are images that remain vivid when thinking about those days.
I also keep in my memory a very personal moment that I had the good fortune to experience during those days when I participated in the “little Swiss Guard”. This initiative consisted in forming a group of young people to wait for the Holy Father at the airport dressed in the uniform of his personal guard. The mission was to make the Pope feel at home as soon as he landed, seeing the colorful costumes that accompany him on a daily basis.
That moment was prepared for months, during which the costumes were made and the members gathered to form up and pray for the fruits of the trip. Finally, lined up on the runway under the scorching sun of Madrid in August, we saw the plane land and the Pope descend the stairs, waving joyfully. Shortly afterwards we were able to greet him individually in an emotional moment that we will always cherish with special affection.
On the Pope's next visit, only a few will have the privilege of greeting him on the runway. However, we can all be part of that peculiar guard of honor. With our prayer and inner preparation, we can help prepare the ground so that the successor of Peter will feel truly “at home” among us.
