Safcam Communique #32 (English)

SAFCAM Communique #32          26/12/2020

Dear Subscribers

A blessed Christmas to you all as we move from Maranatha to Emmanuel!

So many events, gatherings, … were cancelled or postponed this year, but not Christmas.

Covid stopped a lot, but it could never stop the birth of our Saviour and its annual celebration.

In fact, this year, there is a heightened awareness of the reason for the season.

The festive season is less crowded with a schedule of visits, dinners, entertainments…

It leaves more time to spend in contemplation of this amazing mystery.

May the mystery of Christmas disturb and change us for the better.

Christmastide is a season of opening doors so that the divine presence within humanity shines through and offers a welcome to mystery. So many people have become poorer and been violated by injustices of all sorts, like the refugees from Tigray currently, but they are the access through which the divine presence continually seeks an entrance. There is a difference between a God for the poor, a God with the poor and a God of the poor. God is all three, but Christmas is especially the story of a God of the poor. May we find ourselves among the poor to better experience the greatest birthday ever recorded on earth.

We rejoice at the good news that Iraq has finally added the 25^th December to its list of public holidays in honour of Christmas! The pope is planning to visit Iraq in March. We pray that the pandemic will have been conquered by then. This year which has caused us so much frustration, has been exasperating not so much because of this virus which loves to travel far and wide, but because of the over-reaction of governments, organisations and individuals to coronaphobia.

Strenna 2021 – Launch at 18.00 Rome time tomorrow night (26/12)!

(ANS - Rome) - The first world screening of the Rector Major's 2021 Strenna:

"Moved by hope: See, I am making all things new (Rev 21.5)".

As has become tradition, the Rector Major will meet with the Mother General of the FMA and a small group of sisters at the FMA Generalate at 4.00 pm, Italian time. At the meeting Don Angel will preview the Strenna's contents. Then at 18:00 (UTC + 1) the worldwide screening of the Strenna video will take place, live streamed on the ANS Facebook page, with simultaneous translation in five languages. Immediately after the video screening, the Rector Major will make himself available for an interview. Online participants will be able to submit questions on themes relevant to the Strenna.

To participate, connect to: https://www.facebook.com/agenziaans

Useful website:

www.pluggedin.com – It is updated frequently and provides information on the most recently released movies, as well as any other film one intends to see, and gives recommendations about what is to be avoided and what is more edifying to watch!

Don’t forget to visit the www.safcam.org website for the latest postings.

God bless and have a wonderful final week of 2020!

Camiel and François