1. WHAT IS THE BREVIARIAN BIG TENT FESTIVAL?

    The Breviarian Big Tent Festival is a week-long gathering of vibrant young people eager to deepen their faith in God especially their love for the Eucharistic Jesus and worshipping Him through the beauty of the Liturgy.

2. WHY BREVIARIAN?

    Aside from being the host, the term Breviarian connotes that the Big Tent Festival is a gathering of the Youth-at-Prayer. It is based on the name Breviary or the Liturgy of the Hours, the highest form of prayer for Catholics, next to the Holy Mass, where a carefully prepared biblical text and prayer are said or sung, either individually or communally at certain canonical hours of the day.

3. WHY BIG TENT?

    Tents are reminders of no-permanency. Going back to the Old Testament times where the Jews wandered in the desert for forty years after being released from Egyptian captivity, their faith in God were tested time and again until it was ripe for them to enter the Promised Land. We will literally recall these timeless messages by setting-up big tents for general activities and small tents for rest and sleep, and a very special tent for the exposition of the Blessed Sacrament during the whole course of the Festival. These tents then will serve as visual aids reminding us that our earthly life is temporary but its goal Eternity.

4. WHY FESTIVAL?

    Life is a celebration. The Resurrection of the Lord tells us this. Why should we not celebrate the victory of the Risen Christ over Satan, sin, and death? (Be not afraid... I have overcome the world...”) No wonder Easter is the greatest feast of the Church, and its essence the basis of our faith. And with the words of St. Paul: “If Christ did not rise from the dead, we are the most pitiable of men...”

5. WHAT ARE THE OBJECTIVES OF THE BREVIARIAN BIG TENT FESTIVAL?

    Our primary goal is for us to fall in love with Holy Mother Church - the Mystical Body of Christ, and to be one with Jesus, the Head... That in order for us to keep the Eucharistic life alive and growing, we should nurture it by our deep appreciation of the active participation in the Liturgy... And with all these integrated in our life, we are moved to mission to charity, to love, to lay down our lives for our friends... “for to live is Christ and to die is gain...”

6. WHAT WILL WE TALK OF?

    Truly the Big Tent Festival is not just a matter of talking about but also more a matter of talking to... God. Most young people are lost when it comes to identity. We label our generations as Generation X or Generation Next, or Generation Text... But come to think of it... Do we really belong to any of these generations? Peter tells us, “We are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation. Once we are no people but now we are God’s people proclaiming His marvelous light...” And since God said, “Let us make man in our image and likeness...” talking of God is nothing more than talking to Him. Knowing God is knowing ourselves. To the proportion too, that we love ourselves as we love God.

7. MAY I KNOW THE TOPICS TO BE COVERED?

    Sure! It is with big reason that we adopted this year’s theme from Acts 18:9 “Do not be afraid; Keep on speaking, do not be silent.”  because we will be discovering the truth, learning and understanding the Eucharist and the Youth.

    The topics will be based on how to be aware of the works or power of and our perception toward the Eucharist and the Youth to our society today. Here’s a sample line-up as follows:

 The Church after Vatican II: Where DO We Go From Here?
The Mass: Calvary Made Present
The Mass II: Liturgy of the Word: Liturgy of the Eucharist
The Real Presence: Jesus in the Eucharist
The Eucharist as a Celebration
The Eucharist as a Contemplation
The Eucharist as Mission
Dignity of the Priesthood
Mary: Queen and Model
The Youth: Still the Highest Priority of the Church?

8. AND THE WORKSHOPS?

    Workshops will equip each bigtenter with knowledge and skills on the following:

Altar Server: What to be and what to do
Lectors and Readers: Being vocal about it
The Breviary: Praying the Common Prayer
Music: Silencing the Enemy
Bibliarasal: Biblia, Aral at Dasal

9. WILL THE 9TH BREVIARIAN BIG TENT FESTIVAL BE JUST A SERIES OF TALKS AND WORKSHOPS?

    While we have designed the talks and workshops to be as dynamic and lively as possible, there will still be a big room for fellowships, songs, games, and animations. Don’t worry; you will have more than enough of everything. Just give the best of yourself and God will do the rest, for He cannot be outdone in generosity.

10. DO I HAVE TO PAY SOMETHING OR WHAT?

    Of course... Free lunches are hard to come by these days, so we tried to squeeze the budget without choking. Registration fee is Php 395.00. Cheap right? And that will include your meals and kit. Other expenses will be subsidized. Thanks to some generous benefactors.

11. WHAT AM I TO BRING?

    First, bring yourself, along with a sunny disposition and a ready set mind. Others? Lest we offend the others without really trying, let’s try bringing our own personal effects like a toothbrush, toothpaste, hairbrush, towel, extra clothing (might be pretty cold out there), your personal Bible, a diary or a daily journal, rosary, a Breviary (if you have one), don’t forget to bring medicines, and beddings (remember this is a Tent Festival). You may bring any musical instruments and other effects to showcase your talent come Talent Galore. Big NO-NO’s are: cell phones, jewelry, and other worldly possessions. Still, the best advice we can give in this journey: TRAVEL LIGHT!