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from Robert Tyrała

Music is also a way of evangelising the modern world

2010-02-05

Pattaya, Bangkok (Thailand), 22-27 January
Colombo (Sri Lanka), 28-30 January
Mumbai (India), 31 January – 4 February
Kraków (Poland), 5 February 2010

Music is also a way of evangelising the modern world

Dear Pueri Cantores, Little Messengers of Beauty,
Dear Conductors and Presidents of all FIPC choirs,
Dear those responsible for our family in every country,

The first time in my life have I been privileged to arrive in the Asian land. The land so parched and dry yet the land so full of love and goodness shown towards another man. My experiencing a great care for faith as demonstrated by Catholics who are in minority here convinced me even more of the need of evangelising Asia through the Pueri Cantores activity. And I could see the Icon of the living Church. Everything I could experience right from the very beginning of my visit to Thailand and then during my stay in Sri Lanka and in India, that is, most lavish hospitality and a touch of God’s grace, is a tremendous gift of God’s Providence for me. And therefore I want to share this joy with you, wishing it to be the joy of our whole Pueri Cantores family.

I was happily scheduled to begin my visit with meeting religious movements. Thus I could experience the inner life of the Asian Church. During the meeting under the theme “The Church in Asia, the Role of Religious Movements”, organised in Pattaya by The Conference of The Asian Episcopate, I understood even more that our Federation is one of these communities which are charged with an enormous task of worldwide evangelisation. For there is one Gospel despite different God’s ways and there are different means by which God’s grace reaches man yet in this diversity there is beauty. This precious time of meeting with various movements in Pattaya was the time of genuine listening to a beating heart of the Church on the Asian land. In his e-mails which I received during my visit Josep Ma Torrents implied that “we Pueri Cantores should go and evangelise like the first Christians did”. Sacred music can reach every man and it can fulfil a special evangelical task. We should become like the first Christians, who through their prayer and presence proclaimed the Holy Gospel. And here, on the Asian land we can see even more clearly how this mission can be carried out by “Little Singers”. This Church needs us, little messengers of faith, so much. This world needs not only actions of mercy, so splendidly performed by various religious movements. This world needs turning its attention to a great role that culture plays in man’s life. Pope John Paul II asserted that what had saved national identity of the Polish country, the nation he originated from, was the culture living on in the Polish nation. Maybe this emphasis upon culture, upon the beauty of liturgy and the beauty of music coming from it, is the thing which is needed by the Asian Church. We should therefore pray as we were doing during the congress in Stockholm: “God, make us the instruments of Your evangelisation”. This is what I was praying for during the days of contemplation and meditation at the beginning of my stay in Asia. I was praying for the Pueri Cantores presence in all Asian countries. We already operate in Korea and Sri Lanka, we have our correspondents in Japan and India, but perhaps it is time to start our activity in other countries and set up new Federations wherever our correspondents work. “Lord, give strength to Your people. May little messengers of Your beauty become missionaries on this earth.” One Korean man, after my presentation of Pueri Cantores, came up to me saying that he had heard our music on the Internet. To finish my speech I presented the hymn „Misericordias Domini in aeternum cantabo” to have been performed by us. During this meeting he commented that „the most important thing is education and the fact who educates, perhaps is even more important than all actions of mercy.” And this is what our Federation does, it teaches and educates which is the most important matter. Everything we carry in ourselves can be viewed by others as truly living if we genuinely believe in it. We – adults who run choirs and federations in particular countries – should be witnesses of faith and only then should we be teachers to our children, to young boys and girls. Holy Father Paul VI said once that “modern man listens more willingly to witnesses than to teachers, and if he does listen to teachers, it is because they are witnesses.” This assertion is still relevant today. We should be witnesses of Beauty which God Himself is. The final day of the meeting of religious movements was the Feast of St. Timothy and St. Titus which is the day when the Church reminds us, in the Liturgy of the Word, of the charisma that needs to be rekindled and of the dispatch of disciples in the name of God. That day I was saying my prayers especially for the Pueri Cantores in Asia, for those who belong to our organisation and for those who will extend it in this part of the Church in the future. May we always recognise this charisma of Pueri Cantores and not be afraid of God sending us. He dispatches us so that we would show beauty for we are messengers of His Beauty wherever we are and wherever we act. Wherever God has put us so that we would testify to the veracity of faith in Him.

By far the greatest joy I felt during my visit to Asia was meeting the choirs in Sri Lanka and India. I was tremendously delighted to pay a visit to the Federation recently admitted to our international community (I mean the Federation of Sri Lanka). It was like seeing a newly born baby, who needs special care and love. I saw the heroic work of people, their utter devotion despite numerous external difficulties they face every day. They are authentic Christians, the missionaries proclaiming the Holy Gospel through the beauty of sacred music. I am truly not capable of describing my feelings during my visit to every college where Pueri Cantores are present. In each of these places I received the most cordial welcome and during short concerts I was deeply moved while listening to young singers who showed so much power of faith and hope. They are indeed the messengers of beauty and faith. God has truly chosen these wonderful cooperators in Sri Lanka so as to act through them. The evening concert at St. Josep College on Friday (26 Jan) and the Saturday morning Mass of all the choirs belonging to our Federation were the occasion to express gratitude for their splendid work. They have music in themselves. Through music they evangelise. Music is their life. It was there where during the general assembly of The Pueri Cantores Federation of Sri Lanka I realised and I wish you would realise as well that if our Federation lives one life, one spirit and one faith, we ought to help one another. Pueri Cantores in Asia need our genuine help, both spiritual and material. We should therefore open ourselves to their needs. When I stood on this beautiful island, I clearly realised that Christianity experiences its radiant time in this place. Those who believe in Jesus Christ here are very natural and indeed they can serve as a model for us. They live authentically like the first Christians did, who “met in their houses, prayed and had all things in common” (Ps 132, Acts). Asia is a continent which makes the future of the Church. We Christians, united in the Pueri Cantores community, feel entitled to talk about the future of the Federation in Asia. I am glad and I hope that my visit to Asia will bear fruits in the future which our Federation will enjoy. I am convinced this Federation should be present here in Asia. As I observed the situation in Mumbai is slightly different, though also here there are marvellous people who devote all their efforts for the benefit of the Church. A beautiful concert performed on Monday (1 Feb), which was a prayer for peace, allowed to authentically experience the faith of the Asian Church. I met “Cadenza Kantori” during our talks and prayers. These young people exude so much care for the Church. This experience of living, fresh and deed-proven faith many of us - including myself – should learn from. I am delighted that we raised the issue of setting up the Federation in India. I do hope that this country which produced such great man as Mahatma Ghandi was will open its door also for Pueri Cantores. I ask you all to pray for it. This ravishing country needs little messengers of faith and beauty. It is necessary that our choirs have their vast contribution to the evangelisational mission of the Church in India.

We all, my dear Pueri Cantores all over the world,
must believe more in evangelisational power of the music we sing. John Paul II, while speaking to us in 1999, called us “the messengers of beauty, faith and love”. This call is still relevant today. It is our missionary responsibility. We are supposed to preach Jesus’ Gospel through our lives, attitude of love towards people around us, through our diligent studying at school or university, and also through our choral rehearsals, concerts and both arranged and experienced liturgies.

They make the area of our mission. These are our missions. “Go into all the world and preach the Gospel” (Mk 15,16) refers also to us. I am so tremendously happy to share with you this experience of the Church in Asia. I ask that we all start to pray for the Pueri Cantores communities living there. Let us also ponder upon definite ways of helping them. Every family signifies the unity of joys and sorrows. Only in unity can we gather our strength. Beautiful music which carries an enormous influential power also possesses the power of evangelisation. Please, do not forget about it.

I assure you of my remembrance in my daily prayer of the Liturgy of the Hours. May God bless you all.

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