austraLasia
1561
Telling the story
of Jesus in Asia - First Mission Congress in final stages of
preparation
CHIANG MAI: 15th May 2006
-- In fact, the first ever Asian Mission Congress will not be taking place
in the Thai city of Chiang Mai until October, but it has already been four years
in the making. Cardinal Crescenzo Sepe, Prefect of the Congregation for
the Evangelization of Peoples first addressed the question in 2001 at a meeting
of the Central Committee of the Federation of Asian Bishops' Conferences (FABC)
in Bangkok on 27 September 2002, pledging "the total cooperation and full
support of our missionary dicastery for this missionary
venture".
Several significant reasons emerge for holding
this first-ever Asian Mission Congress. It is to be an offshoot of the
year of the Eucharist, in fact a concrete Asian response to the late Pope's call
'Eucharist: The Principle and Plan of Mission'. To that one can add the
500the anniversary of the birth of St. Francis Xavier, a providential sign
focusing Asia's attention on a model of mission ad gentes and intra
gentes. This year is also the 300th anniversary of Asia's first
indigenous Society of Apostolic Life, which developed from the oratory of
Blessed Joseph Vaz.
The Gospel of Mark anchors the spirit
of the Asian Congress: "Go home to your people and tell them how much the
Lord has done for you and how He has had mercy on you" (Mk 5:19). The
biblical challenge to tell the story of Jesus becomes an Asian expression of
faith. No surprise, then, that the overall theme of the projected Congress
is "Telling the story of Jesus in Asia: A Celebration of Life and
Faith".
The proposed dynamic for the Congress is worth a
close look. Personal faith stories and reflections by ten faith sharers and four
missiologists will be central, around daily themes such as The Story of Jesus
in the Peoples of Asia, The Story of Jesus in the Religions of Asia, The Story
of Jesus in the Cultures of Asia, the Story of Jesus in the Life of the Church
in Asia. This last named will fall on Sunday 22nd October, also World
Mission Sunday.
The pedagogy of presentation too is
interesting - sharing joy and enthusiasm, celebrating Asian ways of mission in
the midst of daily reality, raising awareness in the Asian churches about
renewed understandings of mission in the Church since Vatican
II.
At this stage, the writer would not know if any
members of the Salesian Family are enrolled for the Congress, but with six
months good warning, and knowing that there is also a developing Salesian work
in Chiang Mai - the opportunity is there!
_________________________
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