Aims for this year
In his message on World Mission Day, the Pope insists that this day is not some type of anniversary celebration or a tradition associated with the month of October. At the start of last Advent, even our bishops released a pastoral letter inviting us to seriously reflect on our traditions, even those linked with religious and parish activities. We certainly have to cherish and take care of our good traditions. An established practice takes years to enter and thrive in the life of a community, and it’s a pity when it loses the spirit which had once been its cause of flourishing. When this happens, it stops rubbing of its good influence on personal lives and the community as a whole. In this sense, Christian life should never surrender to having a series of its good practices becoming sterile and somewhat artificial. Christian life is one of work and commitment. It needs to be built on a certainty of what is believed and what is not, and it should continually push one to recognize who he really is, how he should lead his life and which paths he should take. We have a new year ahead of us. The Missions Office – like the Maltese diocese, both on a diocesan level and as a parrochial community, wants to be creative this year. It aims to continue taking on challenges and reaching its objectives through evangelisation to all nations, as well as show solidarity to man stricken by poverty on every corner of the earth.
Apart from the yearly work which is always renewed, this year we aspire to increase our efforts so that:
• We expand our subscribers in both our Malta Missjunarja and Tfal Missjunarji magazines.
• We continue the research we started last year, on missionary work done by our fellow Maltese and Gozitans, until we reach our aim publishing a book on the missions in Malta.
• We further promote the missionary message to children in school, in churches, and especially in fields of doctrine(museum and doctrine centres).
• We organise a TV Marathon next April, raising money for specific projects taken on by Maltese missionaries and others that merit our immediate aid. In this we need the help and cooperation of television stations.
• We continue our visits to Maltese missionaries and other locations in the missions where the Missions Office sponsors projects.
• We send a number of young poeple to missionary experiences for a few weeks, through our scheme ‘Youth for Mission’.
• We strive to make our wish, of having an oratory ‘In Aid of Maltese Missionaries’ in October of November, come true. This might prove beneficial in the launch of the Year of Faith.
• We spread our initiative of Star Singers, as Children Helping Children, during Christmas time and the Epiphany, in churches around Malta.
In order to perform all of this we need a great number of volunteers who can help us in any field. We are hoping that a satisfactory number of people will answer our plea, because, after all, the Missions is You Too.