JAKARTA (UCAN) -- In connection with National Bible Month, Jakarta archdiocese has launched Bible-based competitions for children and teenagers with the aim of encouraging and preparing them to take part in liturgy.
The Indonesian Catholic Church has celebrated September as National Bible Month since 1977, with every diocese free to choose its own theme. This year, Jakarta archdiocese chose God is Merciful (Luke 6:36).
"These competitions aim to encourage children and teenagers to take part in liturgy," Father Dharmawan said, noting that the Bishops' Conference of Indonesia has suggested dioceses involve children and teenagers more in Church activities.
The competitions also aim to make young Catholics more familiar with the Bible, thereby increasing their love for Jesus, he continued.
The priest reported that his commission distributed pamphlets explaining the competitions and their requirements to all 57 parishes of the archdiocese in early May. Contestants must be Catholics aged 12-16.
The Bible-reading and psalm-singing competitions will take place on Oct. 19 at St. Ursula School in Central Jakarta. The poster-making competition began when it was announced in May and ended on July 5, with 10 posters being submitted. The winners of that competition will also be announced on Oct. 19.
The commission will award competition winners certificates and 1 million rupiah (US$110) for first prize, 750,000 rupiah for second prize and 500,000 for third prize.
According to Father Dharmawan, the competition events were scheduled before and after September because the local Church should focus on scriptural reflection during the Bible Month.
A reflection program for the month asks Catholics to meet weekly in neighborhood groups to read a biblical passage and then reflect on it based on their daily life. The biblical commission has prepared materials to guide these four weekly meetings, each with a subtheme.
The subthemes are: "Empowering the family to be merciful," "Empowering the neighborhood to be merciful," "Being merciful within society," and "Realizing the new habitus as originating in God's mercy."
"New habitus," a phrase coined during the 2005 Grand Synod of the Indonesian Catholic Church, refers to a set of assumptions based on goodness, love and justice that can guide individuals and groups in acting, approaching, seeing, sensing, thinking, understanding and relating to other individuals or groups.
Referring to the Bible month's theme, Father Dharmawan said it was chosen because the archdiocese is trying to strengthen the spiritual life of its families and basic communities. Catholics might face difficulties and problems in their life, "but we are called to keep our faith in God and resolve these difficulties and problems based on God's mercy," he elaborated.
"May their spiritual encounter with God strengthen their faith, help them find their calling among the society and finally encourage them to help those who are poor and helpless," the priest said.
From : www.ucanews.com
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