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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   
      
   --- MPost/386 v1.21   
    * Origin: Sursum Corda! BBS =Meridian, MS= bbs.sursum-corda.com (1:396/45)