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Advent is the season when we prepare for the coming of Christ at Christmas. Christ comes in three ways. Christ did come in the past, Christ does come right now, and Christ will come in the future. Our Lord comes in history, mystery, and majesty.
Millions of children of all ages follow streamers on platforms like Twitch, where talented gamers show off their skills and engage with viewers through chat. While some might question the value of gaming communities, one streamer identified their enormous potential for evangelization.
The psychological need to be in groups, be it virtual or real, plays a strong motivating factor for young people to engage in online gaming. Nonetheless, virtual interaction with others oftentimes becomes more important than real-life relationships which can lead to gaming disorders.
COVID-19 has virtually brought the entire human race to a halt. Worldwide, regulations encouraging self-isolation and lockdowns have been implemented to counter this trend. And in the midst of it all, one unlikely player revealed that human perseverance prevails: online games.
Born in the Philippines, Pedro Calungsod eventually traveled to Guam, U.S. territory, as a young missionary. Calungsod is the patron saint of Filipino youth and a prime example of a catechist who was willing to risk it all to bring the message of Jesus Christ to the world.
Catechists are a hidden but essential face of the proclamation of the Gospel in Asia. Patrash Soren, 72, is an example of that. He goes from village to village, preaching and preparing children and adults for their baptism.
Catechesis comes from the Greek word meaning “to echo the teaching.” A young religious educator who is passionate about teaching the faith shares his journey of discernment.
Without the strong faith and generous service of lay catechists over many centuries, the Church in Asia would not be the living presence it is today in this vast continent of over four billion people.
In his long-serving ministry, Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew has unreservedly committed himself to the protection of the environment and the cause of peace, justice, and unity among all peoples, ceaselessly calling for effective solutions to the climate emergency.
In response to Pope Francis’ call on “Care for our Common Home” and aligning with Sustainable Development Goals, the SVD congregation in the Philippines Central Province is planting 100,000 seedlings of bamboo. We are looking forward to setting an ambitious goal for planting one billion bamboos by 2030, collaborating with the local churches of parishes and dioceses in the Philippines.
