World Youth Day -- Sunday Mass

We survived our night on puddled tarps in brutal heat-turned-unpleasant-cold, passing from Saturday night into Sunday morning. Our wake-up call was not as jarring as an alarm clock, but it was a bit more disturbing: "Good morning, pilgrims! During the night, 26 children went missing. Please, if you find them, bring them to Section C-1." And this was quickly followed by, "During the night, the storm and heavy winds collapsed some of our chapels. Therefore, we do not have hosts for everyone to receive Communion. Only the concelebrants will receive at Mass today. Please offer up this sacrifice and make a spiritual communion instead."

We all wiped our eyes and attempted to remember where we were, simultaneously asking if the two announcements had been a dream or reality. They were repeated often, so their reality was confirmed.

But this is what was awesome -- Everyone prayed for the missing children, and since the announcements eventually stopped, it can be presumed that they were all found. And no one complained about not being able to receive the Eucharist. Certainly it's not because people did not want to receive Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament. But there was an understanding, and a patience and a surrender that was a rare sight for such a large group.

Mass was beautiful! Only God could have timed it so that the regular Sunday reading was Matthew 16 -- "You are Peter, and upon this rock I build my church." And there was Peter's successor to address us. We couldn't really understand the Spanish, but there before us was the witness of a man who loves the Lord without limit, and, consequently, loves His bride, the Church, without limit too.

Once again, there was perfect silence during Communion, even though we were unable to receive.

There was incredible joy and enthusiasm when Brazil could officially celebrate that they will host the 2013 World Youth Day.

There was a mad scramble to gather all religious articles for a papal blessing at the end of the Angelus.

And there was a relief, joy and contentment when World Youth Day was officially over, and we could all begin trekking back to our accommodations for a bit of sleep before the next day's flight.

Madrid's radio stations reported that 2.5 million people were present for the papal Mass. It's a number that the U.S. media apparently found uneventful, but for anyone who spent nearly 24 hours in a field with the other 2,499,999 pilgrims, it was an event that one cannot ignore, should not forget and must not downplay.