PHNOM PENH: August 5, 2014 --Here is the
Regional's 'goodnight' for August ...
For
EAO Salesians, August 2014 is full of many
meaningful events: the worldwide Salesian community starts
celebrations for the 200th Birthday of Don Bosco on August
16 and after 15 years, and now in the 21st century, we
finally welcome the Holy Father to the Asian continent.
Following the WYD visit of Pope Benedict XVI to Australia
(2008, July), Pope Francis is coming to our Region, this
time too for another Youth Day event.
The five days of his visit to Korea (Aug 14-18) for the
6th Asian Youth Day and for the Beatification of 124
Korean Martyrs are inter-connected through the slogan of
the 6th AYD: Asian Youth, wake up! The glory of the
martyrs shines on you!’
This occasion might be, for us Salesians, a strong
invitation to walk the GC27 path of ‘Witnessing to the
radical approach to the
Gospel’.
If we really wake up with our youth to give thanks for the
many thousands of martyrs in almost each particular
Church, our life changes!
With admiration, deep gratitude and prayer through the
intercession of the Martyrs we discover the roots and
great gift of our faith in Jesus Christ. There are only a
few hundred Martyrs in our region officially recognized by
the Universal Church (China – 120 Saints, Vietnam 117
Saints, Japan 26 Saints and 388 Blesseds, Korea – 103
Saints and 124 Blesseds, Laos – soon to be 17 Blesseds,
Thailand – 7 Blesseds, Oceania – 1 Saints and 5 Blesseds,
Philippines – 2 Saints, Myanmar – 2 Blesseds). Yes, there
are also ‘Martyrs without blood’ who witnessed to Christ
in very difficult ecclesial situations, like the first
Australian Saint – Mary McKillop (Feast on August 8) or
the SVD missionary in China, Saint Joseph Freinandemetz
etc.
They are just the tip of the iceberg – a few hundred of
many thousands who over the past 500 years have shed their
blood and witnessed to God's great love! Who witnesses to
the Gospel of Jesus more radically than the Martyrs?
Let’s take a look together with Asia's young people at the
rich faith witness of our martyrs! Let’s take advantage of
the commencement to Don Bosco's Bicentenary celebrations
to focus on our daily witnessing to Jesus amongst the
young!
Yours in Don Bosco,
Fr. Václav Klement
Regional councillor EAO
