SeptemberIssue


SeptemberIssue

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The official newsletter of the Salesian Mission Animation FIN Issue No.7 September – October 2007
By His Holiness Pope John Paul II*
Mary did not directly receive this apostolic mission. She was not among those
whom Jesus sent "to the whole world to teach all nations" (cf. Mt. 28:19) when he conferred
this mission on them. But she was in the Upper Room, where the Apostles were preparing to
take up this mission with the coming of the Spirit of Truth: she was present with them. In
their midst Mary was "devoted to prayer" as the "mother of
Jesus" (cf. Acts 1:13-14), of the Crucified and Risen Christ. And
that first group of those who in faith looked "upon Jesus as the
author of salvation,” (LG, 9) knew that Jesus was the Son of
Mary, and that she was his Mother, and that as such she was
from the moment of his conception and birth a unique witness to
the mystery of Jesus, that mystery which before their eyes had
been disclosed and confirmed in the Cross and Resurrection.
Thus, from the very first moment, the Church "looked at" Mary
through Jesus, just as she "looked at" Jesus through Mary. For
the Church of that time and of every time Mary is a singular
witness to the years of Jesus' infancy and hidden life at
Nazareth, when she "kept all these things, pondering them in her
heart" (Lk. 2:19; cf. Lk. 2:51).
But above all, in the Church of that time and of every
time Mary was and is the one who is "blessed because she
believed"; she was the first to believe. From the moment of the
Annunciation and conception, from the moment of his birth in the
stable at Bethlehem, Mary followed Jesus step by step in her
maternal pilgrimage of faith. She followed him during the years of
his hidden life at Nazareth; she followed him also during the time
after he left home, when he began "to do and to teach" (cf. Acts
1:1) in the midst of Israel. Above all she followed him in the tragic experience of Golgotha.
Now, while Mary was with the Apostles in the Upper Room in Jerusalem at the dawn of the
Church, her faith, born from the words of the Annunciation, found confirmation. The angel
had said to her then: "You will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his
name Jesus. He will be great...and he will reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his
kingdom there will be no end." The recent events on Calvary had shrouded that promise in
darkness, yet not even beneath the
Cross did Mary's faith fail. She had still
remained the one who, like Abraham,
"in hope believed against hope" (Rom.
4:18). But it is only
after
the
Resurrection that
hope had shown its
true face and the
promise had begun
to be transformed
into reality. For
Jesus,
before
returning to the
Father, had said to
the Apostles: "Go
therefore
and
make disciples of
all nations . . . lo, I
am with you
always, to the
close of the age"
(cf. Mt. 28:19-20).
Thus had spoken
the one who by his
Resurrection had
revealed himself as
the conqueror of death, as the one
who possessed the kingdom of which,
as the angel said, "there will be no
end."
*Excerpts from Redemptoris Mater, no. 26, the Pope’s Encyclical on the Blessed Virgin Mary in the life of the Pilgrim Church, Rome 25 March 1987
My Dear Friends,
September 1, 2007
The feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary is celebrated each year on the eighth of September. Usually it is the custom of
the church to celebrate the feast day of a saint on the date of their death as this is truly their "die natalis", which is the day
remembered as their birth into everlasting happiness. On the part of our Blessed Mother Mary, she entered this world sinless
through the privilege of the Immaculate Conception and is the firstborn of the redeemed. Her nativity is a cause for great joy as it is
considered the "dawn of our salvation." As such, Mary is the “Premier Christifier’ and herself as the first product of “Missionary
Christification”.
Let us celebrate with joyful hearts the birth of the Virgin Mary, of whom was born Christ our Lord. It is with these two themes of both
the approach of light and joy that we celebrate with great happiness and festive nature on this beautiful feast of Mary's birthday.
Fr. Augustin Miciano, SDB
Missions Animation Office

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SALESIAN MISSION TERRITORIES
It was in the year 1999, when Fr. Wong was
assigned at that time in Don Bosco Church in
Dili, East Timor. The country was still then
under the rule of Indonesia. Since there was a
clamor among the Timorese people to achieve
independence, a referendum was held in favor
of independence. Such result did not sit well
with the Indonesians and many clashes ensued
with the Timorese people. There were about
10,000 Timorese who sought refuge in Don
Bosco that was large enough to accommodate
them. Fortunately, before the crisis began, tons
of rice was already delivered in Don Bosco
Church which served as the distribution center
of rice to the Timorese.
In the event that they failed to negotiate and were
shot instead, the people would rush and climb the
walls at the back of the compound and run to the
hills beyond. There, the guerillas would keep
them safe. So, they set up ladders for the children
and woman to climb.
On the evening of September 6, 1999, an East
Timorese soldier belonging to the paramilitary
branch and a good friend of Fr. Wong warned
him of an impending attack by a group of
Indonesian soldiers who were going to attack
Don Bosco the next evening and kill everybody
inside.
The next day, September 7, the four Salesian
priests conferred on what measures to do. After
the meeting, they gathered the refugees in the
gymnasium and told them their plan. The four
priests would meet the soldiers outside the gate
when they came, and try to negotiate with them.
In the meantime, the people would stay 500
meters inside the steel gates.
.
That night, the priests took turns by pairs to stand
guard. All was quiet. Fr. Wong and another
Salesian priest took their turn at midnight. Around
2:00 am of September 8, the birthday of Our
Lady, they suddenly heard the roar of trucks
approaching. The priests peeped though the steel
gates and watched the truckloads of soldiers
approaching. As the soldiers, alighted from the
trucks, they began firing their guns and throwing
hand grenades. One landed right in front of Fr.
Wong, and he thought that was the end. He
prayed: “Lord, I don’t want to die like this, shot in
(Meily, Anita S. (2006). And Life Goes On: Mary our Mother in Heaven. Philippine Panorama: (October 15, 2006)
SALESIAN MISSIONARY IN FOCUS
a foreign land!” Wonder of wonders, the
grenade did not explode.
As the soldiers neared the gate, they heard
a female voice speaking in their language
which Fr. Wong understood. She said:
“Enough! Enough! Go home!” Immediately,
the soldiers turned back, climbed into their
trucks and left!
Next morning, Fr. Wong and the other
priests brought fruits and food to the
Ursuline Indonesian sisters who lived in the
convent just before the Don Bosco
Compound. They were sure it was the
Mother Superior whose voice they heard
telling the soldiers to depart.
Great was their surprise when Mother
Superior told them, “No, that was not I who
spoke those words. I was with the other
sisters hiding inside the convent. We heard
that the voice, too, and wondered who was
the woman?
At the end of that story, all of us had goose
pimples and were teary eyed. We knew it
was Our Blessed Mother who had
intervened and saved the people. Happy
Birthday Mama Mary
Missiology of Incarnation
Fr.Jesus Escala, SDB
(Taking advantage of the limited time for a business trip here in the
Philippines and likewise to visit his family, Fr. Jess Escala takes time out
and share with us his experiences and reflections as a missionary in Papua
New Guinea giving us a glimpse of his work and life in a light banter.)
I initially felt my missionary calling when I was still in my
secondary schooling in my teenage years. It was during
that the time after an invitation of Fr. Jess Tayag that I
joined a missionary club in Don Bosco Tondo to explore
my aspiration for the missions. I only realized how strong
the calling was when a week after I became a deacon
that I approached Fr. Francis Gustilo to share with him
my intention to become a missionary.
Everything can be compared like a whirlwind romance
because as soon as I was ordained a priest in December
8, 2000, I immediately transferred to my first assignment
after three months working as an Economer in Don
Bosco Gabutu on March 22 of the same year. My
administrative work was a result of the frequent
assignments given to me during my post novitiate in
Canlubang, Laguna.
I have always nurtured my missionary vocation despite
of the many challenges that it brings. One of my guiding
principles in life is my conviction to continually immerse
myself in the culture of the Papua New Guineans helping them in a level
that we can reach and understand each other. There are continuous trials
during my stay pertaining to visible and expected changes that are not
forthcoming among the people I look after but I just consider these
potential setbacks as part of work and part of life.
I believe that having this expectation is really difficult to handle inasmuch
as any shift of paradigm does not happen once. I only come to thank God
that I have been his unworthy instrument in his
work for the young people here in PNG. I would
not have lasted this long if not for God’s grace
and his constant prodding of giving me strength to
stay on. It is for this matter that people should
remember to pray for missionaries so that we
remain strong and faithful in our mission work.
The reality of mission life will not be complete
without the crises that also come our way. It is
important that missionaries are able to find a
support group to continue growing and likewise be
effective in one’s work in handling different
missionary problems.
Despite of these realities which are both positive
and negative, I am convinced that the missionary
vocation given me is a gift. I may find little support
but I firmly believe that it is God’s work and I am
only responding to his invitation.
I enjoin people who will pursue their missionary vocation to be convinced
that it is a primarily a call to grow deeper in one’s relationship with God.
This immersion with the people I came to meet and love, the youth of
Papua New Guinea, is what I sum up as the missiology of incarnation.