“Until Christ is formed in you” (Gal. 4:19)
Young Xaverian Missionaries - Ongoing Formation (ASIA)
Manila, 11-25 August, 2018
Manila, August 18-19, 2018 -
We suspended the meeting during the entire weekend to allow us to join the different parishes and Christian communities where the Xaverians in the Philippines work. For some of us, celebrating mass in the malls was completely an unbelievable new and exciting experience.
Manila, August 20, 2018 -
We resumed the meeting on Monday. All the confreres (priests) of the Xaverian Philippine Delegation joined us. During the entire morning session, we listened to the presentation from the Chinese Delegation. Fr. Luigino presented the Xaverian mission in China and a brief history of our presence in China. He reminded us that the three first confreres who made our Family international were "made in China", i.e. Frs. Aloysius Wang, Agustinus Yang, and Simon Liu.
The Xaverian superior delegate presented the five attitudes-values the Xaverians live by (community, contemplation, friendship, simplicity, and creativity), the five areas they are involved in (pastoral work, culture, social, inter-religious dialogue, and charismatic family); and what kind of people they are looking for (people "crazy" about the non-Christians, committed to "work" together, with a profound faith and a solid human formation and with an "expertise". The presentation was followed by a very alive session of questions and answers.
The afternoon was a time for sports with the theology students followed by the Holy Eucharist (presided over by the Delegate Superior of China) and supper together with the theology students and the novices.
Manila, August 21, 2018 -
Fr. Fabien gave us a talk about the journey of our Congregation today. He underlined mission ad gentes as seen by the Congregation, the priorities, the resistances and the conversion that all these require. The second part of his talk was on Ongoing Formation, the reason why we were gathered as young Xaverians assigned in Southeast Asia.
We then engaged in a discussion and sharing on how the different theological schools we attended affect our way of being and doing mission today. The afternoon session was consecrated for small group discussions, evaluation, and reflection on the final message to the confreres.
We concluded the day with the Holy Eucharistic presided over by Fr. Fabien. The three last days of our meeting will be a time for cultural trips to discover the beauty and richness of the Philippines and the Filipino people.
