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                               VIS-Press releases

MEDIA WORKERS: A NEW AWARENESS OF BEING CHRIST'S DISCIPLES

VATICAN CITY, 14 DEC 2010 (VIS) - On 12 December Archbishop Claudio Maria
Celli, president of the Pontifical Council for Social Communications, sent a
message for the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe to media workers in Latin
America.

"The continental mission which is taking place in Latin America",
Archbishop
Celli writes, "is leading many people to a new awareness of what it means of be
disciples of Jesus. The local churches enthusiastically encourage this
undertaking, reminding people that being Christ's disciples means having
experienced an authentic encounter with Him. ... This experience permanently
marks and transforms life, and for this reason we wish to communicate it to
others, thus becoming missionaries ourselves".

The meeting with the Lord, the prelate continues his message, "has many
aspects. It is a personal but also a community experience; it comes about in
solitude and silence, but also and especially in liturgical celebrations and
family life. It draws nourishment from dialogue and community prayer, ... and
culminates in activity and service".

The archbishop then goes on to invite people "to enjoy moments of silence
during these days of Advent, so as to listen to the voice of Jesus which speaks
to our hearts. ... Let us stem the flood of daily cares and noises which so
often overwhelms us. Silence is like a white screen upon which we can project
the film of our daily life so as to see it more clearly. If we projected it on
a wall full of pictures, books and other objects, and with a background noise,
we would perceive little. Only in silence can we make our choices with greater
awareness. In silence we hear the voice of God, and thus become genuine bearers
of His Word".

"This is, perhaps, difficult advice to follow at a time in which we are
constantly bombarded with information, a time of pastoral needs and of hard
work in our families, communications media and parishes. Yet, ... should we not
also prepare the contents of what we are to communicate via radio, newspapers,
television programmes and websites? What satisfying message can we give if our
lives are full only of repeated words, with little substance and scarce
content. Let us dedicate time to the Lord Whom we await in this period of
Advent".

Archbishop Celli concludes his message by asking Our Lady of Guadalupe, who is
also patron of RIIAL (The Information Network of the Church in Latin America)
that "to obtain for us the gift of inner silence from God, ... that He may make
our words, texts, images and music fruitful vehicles of the Good News".
CON-CS/VIS 20101214 (450)

SUMMARY

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