Madrid (Agenzia Fides) - At least 100,000 children will be on the streets in various towns and cities in Spain on 18 December for the start of the traditional Star Sowing Campaign when they give paper stars to passers-by to recall the joy of Christmas and thank people offerings made to the Missions. The Star Sowing campaign, promoted by the Spanish Office of the Pontifical Society for Holy Childhood will continue until 23 January. The slogan this year is “Open your eyes to Mission”. Holy Childhood society encourages boys and girls aged 9 to 14 to live a missionary Christmas, sowing starts on the streets to announce the joy and hope of Christmas because of the birth of Jesus Christ, the revelation of God’s love for humanity.
Before going on to the streets the children gather in parishes and schools for a prayer and to receive the missionary mandate to go and offer the Christmas Message of peace to all the people they meet. The children will be asked if they want to be missionaries and it they want to represent all the missionaries in the world thanking everyone on their behalf. The mandate is the following: “Go into the streets and squares. Jesus blesses you and he sends you. Take His light to all people. Tell everyone: ”.
The initiative was started in 1977 by Father Xavier Ilundain for two reasons: first to teach people to give expecting nothing in return: a gift however small is a great message of salvation, following the example of missionaries who give all without hoping for anything in return. Secondly to thank people on behalf of missionaries for offerings made for the Missions during World Mission Day.
The campaign has various goals: help children to share the Christmas message of joy with people in the dark world of today; teach children to say thank you on behalf of missionaries in a world which thinks it has a right to everything and often forgets to say thank you; teach children to give expecting nothing in return, in today’s competitive society bent only on profit. (RG) (Agenzia Fides 17/12/2004, righe 29, parole 396)