PANAMA CITY (SE): For anyone thinking of attending World Youth Day in 2019 in the Central American country of Panama and wondering what language they need to brush up on before arriving in January of that year the best one to pick would be Spanish.
 
Although many events are held within national groups at the worldwide Catholic youth gathering, the official language for the public events will be in the common Spanish tongue of the country, but if you don’t think you can conquer the language, a bit of work on Spanish pronunciation will help you join in the official song, which was released on July 3.
 
Presenting the theme of Let it be done to me according to your word, the song celebrates the acceptance of God’s will in her life by Our Lady when she accepted her challenge and vocation as the mother of God.
 
The theme song was released by Archbishop José Domingo Ulloa Mendieta in Panama City.
 
He said at the launch, “We are excited to make it available today to the young people of the world, so that when they sing, they prepare themselves joyfully and ready to let themselves be transformed by God.”
 
The song begins with the words, “We are pilgrims who come here today from continents and cities; we want to be missionaries of the Lord to carry his word and message.” The lyrics also include the line, “I am your servant. I am your daughter. I am your son.”
 
The catchy chorus goes, “Let it be done to me according to your word.”
 
World Youth Day 2019 will run from January 22 to 27, a break from the usual July or August timeframe, due to Panama’s soaking wet season and humid heat in the middle of the year.