Alicante (Fides Service) - Since 1999 the monks of the Monastic Fraternity of Peace, while continuing to live their rule of life hidden for Christ in God in the monastery dedicated to their Trinity at Tangel, Alicante, Spain, have been involved in the missionary adventure of announcing Jesus Christ via television aerials. Armed with only prayer and trust in God the monks opened a television station CETELMON. “We had no money, no advertising, only trust in God and the awareness that we were doing something he wanted. And he sustains us every day”, Abbot General Alberto Maria, FMP told Fides.
“The result of our adventure - Father Alberto said - is that today, through, 8 television channels 24 hours a day we enter the homes of about 6 million people in 8 cities in Spain to share the bread of the Word of God and make known the teaching of the Church and share our experience of God. We receive many phone calls, letters, e-mail message asking for help, comfort, guidance. At weekends many come to our monastery to share our celebration of the Eucharist and we also invite them to share the simple meal God provides for us”.
Father Alberto told Fides how the monks reached the decision to undertake this adventure. Although it is important to paint icons, and to transmit the Word of God and share experience of life through writing, today “the best way to proclaim Christ from the roof tops - as the Pope has urged- are the new means of communications. With CETELMON we write new parchments using magnetic tape and modern technology”.
“Monks are called to take part in the evangelising mission of the Church, living for God and announcing God with whom they live intimate communion through continuous prayer”. The main challenge today “is to be consistent with our vocation, that is a simple life, fraternity and above all total trust in God and to be signs of the heavenly reality towards which we are all travelling”. For more info. see: http://www.fmdelapaz.org (R.Z.) (Agenzia Fides 24/2/2005; righe 27, parole 377)