Asia-Claretian (ASCLA) East Youth Gathering 2019& Claretian Family (AEYG 2019 + CF) “The Solidarity of Christ Impels Us: Go, Sell, Share and Follow!”

oleh | Jul 29, 2019 | AEYG 2019 + CF

I. BACKGROUND

The Asia-Claretian (ASCLA) East Youth Gatheringg (AEYG) was introduced and initiated by a Claretian Priest, Fr. John Louie Guades III, under CMF of the Philippine Province in 2013. The superiors and representatives of the different branches of the Claretian Family adopted it after the approval of the Major Superiors of ASCLA East in 2013. The first AEYG + Claretian Family (CF) was celebrated in Quezon City, Philippines in August 2015. It was the first time that the different branches of the Claretian Family in Asia (CMF, RMI, MC Sisters, Lay and Youth Claretians) gathered together and worked as a team to journey with the young ASCLA EAST (AE) and two Organisms from ASCLA West, India and Srilanka also joined the said gathering.

The main idea of AEYG + CF gathering is to come together like that of the World Youth Day (WYD)and re-echo that which transpired during the World Youth Day, since not all can participate in such international religious event. Moreover, it is also a venue for formation, encounter, sharing of faith and culture for the youth of Asia and for the Claretian Family of different countries to meet together, adopting the style of the WYD and an opportunity to re-echo the experiences in the recently concluded WYD.

The first program of AEYG + CF has been successfully implemented on August 3-8, 2015in Quezon City, Philippines, with a theme “Meet Him in the Cloud”. It was attended by 200participants of the Asia-Claretian East Youth from the following countries: Hongkong(PRC), India, Indonesia, Japan, Philippines, South Korea, Taipe (PRC) and Vietnam.

On August 8, 2015 the Coordinator of Youth Apostolate as ASCLA agreed that Indonesia would host the second AEYG 2017 + CF. Then on July 15, 2016 in a meeting with the Prefect Council, the Commission and the Secretary (Indonesian-Timor-Leste Delegation reaffirmed that AEYG 2017 + CF will be held in the city of Yogyakarta. Finally, the AEYG 2017 + CF was held from August 1 to 7, 2017with the theme “Be Witnesses and Messengers of the Joy of the Gospel in Diversity. “The appointment of Indonesia as the organizer of AYD and AEYG is a clear manifestation of the Youth Ministry of the Claretian Family who wants to walk along and participate actively with the Ecclesiastical Youth Ministry of Asia. The trust tthat was given to Indonesia as the host of the event is also graced with the Asian Youth Day (AYD), that was held in Yogyakarta, Indonesia in 2017. It was indeed a great moment of joy and blessing in which the ecclesial and congregational event celebrated in the same time and country.

On August 6, 2017 the Coordinator of Youth Apostolate of ASCLA and the Claretian Family in Yogyakarta agreed that Timor-Leste would be the host of the AEYG 2019 + CF. And the ASCLA Superior’s Meeting in Myanmar has decided that the AEYG 2019 + CF will be held in Dili, Timor-Leste on August 5-11, 2019. This is a good opportunity to recognize the Claretian Community of the Catholic family and countries in Asia. After some meetings of the Coordinators of Youth Apostolate and the Committee for the preparation, then on the 30th of January 2019, they finally decided and adopted the theme of the AEYG 2019 + CF as “The Solidarity of Christ Impels Us: Go, Sell[1],Share and Follow! …based on Gospel of Mt 19:16-26 and Lk 10: 25-37

II.TIME

AEYG 2019 + CF will be held from August 5-11, 2019. The main objectives for selecting these dates are: 1). August is the traditional month for the AEYG since it was started; 2). to coincide with school holidays so young participants can join; 3). The weather is very conducive and environmentally friendly.

III. THEME

The proposed theme for AEYG 2019 + CF is “The Solidarity of Christ Impels Us: Go, Sell, Share and Follow.” There are several reasons why we are interested to this theme:

  1. Ecclesial Reason: A theme that is strongly associated with the call of the universal Church to be a church that is going forward. The youth are called to go to the periphery to be in solidarity with our brothers and sisters who are suffering.
  2. After the Personal Encounter with Him in the Cloud (Manila, 2015) and joyfully in being and living as Witnesses and Messengers of the Joy of the Gospel (Yogyakarta, 2017), now they are in solidarity with the co-travelers.
  3. This theme is matched with the actual context of the Youth in Asia, namely:
  • Comparing with the other continents, the number of Catholic Youth in Asia is very significant. Some social realities like poverty, unemployment, migration, human trafficking, drug addiction, intolerance between religions, terrorism, pollution, climate change and so onare very much alarming in the context of Asia.
  • Pope Francis at the World Youth Day of the 2019 in Panama said, “You are not the tomorrow, you are not for the meantime, but you are THE NOW OF GOD!”Itis an invitation to all the youth, to be in solidarity with the present realities and to become an icon of the HOPE-OF-NOW!
  • Timor Lesteis a young country. Since the Catholics are majority in this small country, the youth should be inspired and encouraged to growin holiness andmoving forward. The presence of the Claretian Youth (A.M.C.[2]) has an important role to be an inspiration and role-model for them.
    1. This theme is also a continuation of the AEYG 2015: “Meet Him in the Cloud” and “Be Witnesses and Messengers of the Joy of the Gospel in Diversity”(AEYG 2017). The theme of AEYG2019+ CF, “The Solidarity of Christ Impels Us: Go, Sell, Share and Follow,”enlightensand encourages the youth to be the protagonist of solidarity in the concrete life activities for the joy of the Gospel.

IV. THE GOAL

There are several goals to be achieved through AEYG 2019:

  • To form the youth to be the messengers of the joy of the Gospel by being in solidarity with our brothers and sisters, who are affected by the realities of life;
  • To leadyoung people to detach themselves from the materialistic worldwhich often offersfalsehood, sluggishness and superficiality of life;
  • To help the Youth to become more mature in their spirituality through prayers, intellectually through formations, in solidarity through sharing the beauty and value of life, in order to achieve unity in diversity;
  • To encourage and motivate young people to Go, sell, share and follow Jesus Christ as he is our great role model of solidarity;
  • A moment of grace for the Claretian Family to foster the Claretian Spirit and the missionary passion by going forth, selling, sharing and following Christ, as envisioned by Saint Anthony Mary Claret.

V. LOGO

The meaning of the Logo

  1. The Cross: Symbolizes Jesus Christ the master of Solidarity. The Solidarity of the Crucified Christ impels us. To be in solidarity is to share our life as Jesus has done on the Cross for our sake. To be in solidarity is to suffer for our brothers and sisters.
  2. 13 People arm in arm in circle :
  3. The Young people from different culture and race are called together to be in solidarity (doing solidarity). This is the calling of the young people today to be sent, sold and shared to follow Jesus Christ.
  4. The 13 people symbolize the 13 countries invited for the AEYG 2019+CF. The Claretian Youth from different countries in Asia are called to be in solidarity with our brothers and sisters, who are affected by the realities of life as a real way joy of living the Gospel in Asia.
  5. It symbolizes the 13 Municipalities in Timor Leste. The AEYG 2019+CF is an event to inspire and encourage the young people of Timor Leste-who are called from different regions and cultures- to be the agent of solidarity for the growing of this young and tiny Catholic Country.
  6. The 13 people symbolizes the community of Jesus and 12 Apostles as the main model of unity for Solidarity.
  7. Mat (biti) is a main traditional and cultural symbol for unity in Timor Leste. Calling to sit together on a big mat (nahe biti) is a gradual call for renewing the unity, peace and harmony. This is a meaningful symbol of being in solidarity, that it is not only a matter of sharing of goods or doing charity but a spiritual, charismatic and mission movement for a new society, new people of God.
  8. The 13th of May is the Feast of Our Lady of Fatima- a Popular Devotion in Timor Leste.

VI. PARTICIPANTS

There are two types of participants: actual and virtual.

The gathering is open to the actual participants between the ages of 15-35 years old, who are under the guidance of the Prefecture of Youth and Vocation Ministry of the Claretian Family: CMF, RMI, MC Sisters and the Lay Claretians.

The virtual participants are those who will not have the opportunity to be physically present, but follow and participate via the official website of AEYG 2019 + CF:

We thank the General Chairman, Fr. Emanuel Lelo Talok, CMF who coordinates the event and all the committees who work hard and wholeheartedly for the preparation and the success of this international gathering. We assure our prayers for this fraternal encounter.

[1]Sell means promote or advertise

[2]A.M.C. means abbreviation of St. Anthony Mary Claret, likewise in Indonesia and in Timor-Leste AMC is the name of the group of Youth Ministry, that is “AnakMuda Claretian” (Young Men/Women Claretian) and “Alin-Maun Claretiano” (Young & Old Claretian Brotherhood) since 2014.