AMERICA/PARAGUAY - Missionary Childhood Day: growing in holiness through daily experiences

Saturday, 1 August 2020 pontifical mission societies missionary animation children youth coronavirus

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Asuncion (Agenzia Fides) – On Sunday 2 August the Day of Missionary Childhood and Adolescence, JONIAM2020, is celebrated in Paraguay, on the theme "May it be done to me according to your Word" ("Hágase en mi según tu Palabra"). As explained by Laura Román, National Secretary of Missionary Childhood and Adolescence (IAM) in Paraguay, in a note sent to Fides, this year's motto urges us to be in communion with the Bishops of Paraguay, who declared 2020 "Year of the Word of God", and motivates us to spread the Word of God, announced by the Blessed Virgin Mary, the first missionary, an example of dedication and holiness.
"We will thus live the year dedicated to Holiness, as a way to achieve the gift received in Baptism, following Jesus - continues the note -. As Pope Francis says, holiness does not consist in expecting to have other people’s qualities, but in rejoicing in the qualities we have and in giving glory to God. We can forge ourselves in holiness through daily experiences, like refraining from gossip, listening to a family member who needs help or assist and speak with a needy person on the street, help with household chores ... This theme will also help us to recover the dimension of holiness present in the name of the Society from the moment of its foundation: Bishop Charles de Forbin Janson in fact placed the Society under the protection of the Holy Childhood of Jesus, Son of God, and following his example, children and adolescents can become missionary disciples. Today we are called to live holiness at home. If the missionary is accustomed to going out to preach, those who need our actions most are at home: mother, father, grandparents, uncles and aunts, cousins and brothers and sisters".
In preparation for the National Day of August 2nd, IAM proposed a Week of Prayer, from July 27th to August 1st, dedicated in particular to prayer for children and adolescents who suffer most all over the world, especially those who lost a loved one due to coronavirus. The guide prepared for the occasion invites to hold meetings with parents in one’s own home, and contains the intention for each day, a testimony of the children on mission in the continent for which they pray or a testimony of the holiness of the children taken from the Bulletins of POSI, therefore a short prayer and a commitment that children and adolescents can carry out to live their daily holiness at home.
For the celebration of the Day, on August 2, the Animators have organized a "Caravan of vehicles" to pass in front of the homes of the missionary children, who are called to prepare a small altar on the sidewalk of their homes, so that the Animator can make a short prayer with the child and his parents, since meetings are not possible due to health regulations. In the liturgical celebrations it will be the Animators of IAM who participate in animating prayer and material sacrifice. (SL) (Agenzia Fides, 1/8/2020)