ASIA/INDONESIA - Year of Reflection for the Local Church of Jakarta

Tuesday, 19 January 2021 pandemic   faith   christianity   charity   mercy  

Jakarta (Agenzia Fides) - "Reflection is the spiritual tool to strengthen personal integrity and faith, in a time marked by suffering and difficulties": with these words Cardinal Ignatius Suharyo, Archbishop of Jakarta, officially proclaimed the year 2021 as the "Year of reflection" for the faithful of the Archdiocese. As Agenzia Fides learned, the aim is to encourage the faithful and Catholic movements to "dedicate themselves to reflection as a traditional practice of contact with God, to rediscover and revive our authentic identity as Christians". "By exercising reflection, both individually and in community, we are called to renew our commitment as good Christians and by recognizing our true identity as disciples of Christ, we strengthen our personal integrity", said the Cardinal. Speaking to hundreds of faithful live on the Internet, the Archbishop of Jakarta and President of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of Indonesia, urged the faithful to "take the annus horribilis 2020, marked by the pandemic, as a good basis to start a deep reflection of a spiritual nature", to discern God's will. "Let us ask ourselves what God wants to tell us and what He expects us to do to make our life an instrument of good for others", said Father Edy Mulyono SJ, Vicar General of the Archdiocese of Jakarta to representatives of Catholic organizations and movements of the Local church present online.
The Archdiocese has created a sort of "special envoy" in the person of the Vicar General, whose mission is to remain in close contact and to encourage members of Catholic organizations, communities, movements, parishes, so that they remain "anchored to the true identity of being Christians". "This means that every baptized person is called, as the purpose of his life, to be compassionate towards others and to show, through the works of his life, the loving and merciful face of God", said the priest.
"The source of this spiritual energy - concluded Cardinal Suharyo - is the daily Eucharist. The grace of God who gives the daily Eucharist changes our course of life and gives us a better life, in relationship with God and in love towards our neighbor". (MH-PA) (Agenzia Fides, 19/1/2021)


Share: