I think I only just realised my good fortune when I caught a glimpse of His Holiness and, as I looked at his smile, found myself at a loss for words.

Seeing how the Pope welcomed us and was genuinely interested in wanting to get to know us better helped me realise that we are in fact very important for God, each and every one of us in all that we do. It brought to mind how God wishes to be by our side in our every moment and wants to share our joy and sorrows. I felt tremendously proud that the Maltese youth showed so fervently their love towards that which is for us a representation of God himself. The joy that I witnessed on His Holiness’s face as we approached the Waterfront, where thousands of youth were awaiting his arrival, fills me with the conviction that God puts his trust in us as his intimate friends who are ready to serve him and rejoice with him.