World Mission Sunday 2017

Every year, on penultimate (the last but one) Sunday in the month of October, Catholics worldwide celebrate World Mission Sunday. I would like to wish my fellow Catholics and all Christians who may wish to celebrate with us, a happy and meaningful Mission Sunday.

For those who do not know or those who may have forgotten, World Mission Sunday is a day set aside for the Catholic Church throughout the world to publicly renew its commitment to its mission: i.e. proclaiming the gospel of the love of God the Father in the power of the Holy Spirit. We are reminded of what Vatican II document (‘Ad Gentes’ No. 2) states: “The pilgrim Church is missionary by her very nature, since it is from the mission of the Son and the mission of the Holy Spirit that she draws her origin, in accordance with the decree of God the Father”.

Today, as we celebrate who we are, namely missionaries, Pope Francis (in his message for World Mission Sunday 2017) has invited us to reflect on Mission being at the heart of  Christian faith.  We are reminded that we are one with the church around the world.  We are called upon to be committed to carrying on the mission of Christ, no matter what our situations may be.  This, the Pope tells us, challenges us “to go forth from our own comfort zone in order to reach all the peripheries in need of the light of the Gospel” (Evangelii Gaudium, 20). The Church’s mission impels us to undertake a constant pilgrimage across the various deserts of life, through the different experiences of hunger and thirst for truth and justice”. (Message of Pope Francis for World Mission Day 2017 No. 6).

Against this back drop, the Holy Father reminds us that the world still needs the gospel and that it is through the church (therefore through you and me) that the work of Christ as Good Samaritan and Good Shepherd is continued. To quote from his message: “Through the Church, Christ continues his mission as the Good Samaritan, caring for the bleeding wounds of humanity, and as Good Shepherd, constantly seeking out those who wander along winding paths that lead nowhere”. (No. 5)

To show how the world still needs the gospel and its transformative power he gives the following testimonies:

“….I think of the gesture of the Dinka student who, at the cost of his own life, protected a student from the enemy Nuer tribe who was about to be killed. I think of that Eucharistic celebration in Kitgum, in northern Uganda, where, after brutal massacres by a rebel group, a missionary made the people repeat the words of Jesus on the cross: ‘My God, My God, why have you abandoned me?’ as an expression of the desperate cry of the brothers and sisters of the crucified Lord. For the people, that celebration was an immense source of consolation and courage. We can think too of countless testimonies to how the Gospel helps to overcome narrowness, conflict, racism, tribalism, and to promote everywhere, and among all, reconciliation, fraternity, and sharing”.

In order to effect all this, we need to remember that if Mission is at the heart of our faith, and that faith without works is dead faith; then action must be taken by each one of us believers through the performance of acts that lead to the taking of the gospel “across the various deserts of life”. Three main acts come to mind, namely: prayer, celebration, and offerings.

Thus today we pray, that God may give His blessings to the Mission of the church. We pray for every member of the church, that they may continue to spread what Christ started. In addition, we celebrate the success of the Mission, an action that brings more awareness of God’s love towards his people to those who did not know it. Lastly we offer material support for the Mission, usually in the form of money which through the Society for the propagation of faith, is sent to various missionary regions.

Fellow Catholics, as we observe this years’ Mission Sunday, I would like to end with a quote from Pope Francis’ message: “…..in carrying out our mission, let us draw inspiration from Mary, Mother of Evangelization. Moved by the Spirit, she welcomed the Word of life in the depths of her humble faith. May the Virgin Mother help us to say our own “yes”, conscious of the urgent need to make the Good News of Jesus resound in our time. May she obtain for us renewed zeal in bringing to everyone the Good News of the life that is victorious over death. May she intercede for us so that we can acquire the holy audacity needed to discover new ways to bring the gift of salvation to every man and woman”.

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Mon 23, Oct 2017 13:10 pm