For Christmas, Indonesian Catholics promote the apostolate instead of consumerism

(Dec. 19, 2012) In the run-up to Christmas, when merchants and businessmen of Indonesia think about money and business, Indonesian Catholics intend to revive the values ​​of "apostolate and brotherhood" not only among the faithful, but also the Muslim majority. Following the example of a parish in the province of West Java, Indonesia’s Catholics are seeking to boost the "spiritual" value of the holiday, in spite of growing commercialization. In Indonesia, catechists have a "crucial" role, helping priests and missionaries in the work of announcing the Gospel, particularly in agricultural areas and in the more far-flung parts of the archipelago. These Lay preachers work for free to demonstrate their love for the Church. They are flanked by the work of those who promote the evangelization on the Internet and with the use of the new media. The apostolate on the web and in the media is based on the "voluntary" assistance of the faithful, professional and non-professional IT operators, who do not receive any financial compensation for their work. However, it has manifested vigorous growth and shows the importance of the web for reaching a growing audience, including non-Christians.
Finally, Christmas has become an opportunity for encounter and exchange with the Muslim majority, so that the holiday may be not only a "Catholic" celebration. In the parish of St. Joseph, the priest Fr. Vidi Wahudi Pr intends to send an invitation to the moderate Muslim organizations Pemuda Ansor and Banser, asking them to participate in the celebrations, guaranteeing, along with the police, the security and peace of the entire community.