Radio Maria in the Asian continent (Joseph Nassar

Radio Maria’s Identity The Mariathon: a concrete symbol of lived Providence

From the day it was born, Radio Maria lives thanks to the generosity of our listeners.

Father Richard Kocher Radio Horeb Director

Relying on God’s Providence for our humility and the right attitude for our is always a risk that can clash ministry. with our need for security and reliable planning. Nowadays, no As a long-time program director, I know one would be sent on mission from my own experience that the amount of who received them! This is the way Jesus did his disciples as recounted in donations we receive depends on the actual Matthew 10: 5–15: status of the population’s wealth. At the same time, we have another certainty: if the quality “Do not take gold or silver or copper for your of our programming is right, we will always belts; no sack for the journey, or a second tunic, have the income we need. When income needs or sandals, or walking stick.” (Mt 10: 9–10) are not being met, critical questions arise: Is What were they to live on if the station’s pastor and is he they were not even allowed to Every year, the willing to accept his listeners’ take a loaf of bread, a bag, or any money (see also Mark Mariathon, is a great requests? Are the programs oriented toward the real 6:8)? They were to rely on challenge for each needs of the people? Do they the generosity of the people station. have the right quality? the priest being heard live as exhausting but also healthy The Mariathon is a great

challenge every year because the donations that are usually directed toward the station are allocated to the Mariathon itself. On the one hand, listeners should be constantly invited to consider their Mariathon donation as a special exercise and not to deduct it from their usual donations for the station. On the other hand, we at Radio Maria have to live on what we expect from our listeners: their generosity and goodness of heart. From the moment, in 2016, when we here at Radio Horeb did everything we could to make the Mariathon a true success, great blessings have accompanied our work. We have found many competent collaborators and have managed to improve our internal structures as well as launch new initiatives. We attribute this success to our commitment to African countries. Also, and not unimportantly, visits by African Church dignitaries to Balderschwang have been a great blessing and have broadened the horizon of our whole team. The days of the Mariathon are exhausting, but there is a great awareness that we can do good for many people in Africa. Again, the rule is that what we give often comes back to us.