World Mission Sunday

YESTERDAY was the Catholic Church’s observance of World Mission Sunday. The month of October is dedicated to remembering the missionary work of the Church while the fourth Sunday is World Mission Sunday. On this Sunday, Christians throughout the world are invited to become aware of their common responsibility for the evangelization of the world and to pray and support all Christian missionaries through prayer and other means of assistance.

The theme for World Mission Sunday, chosen by Pope Francis, was “Rediscovering Mission at the Heart of Christian Faith.” The Holy Father invites Christians to understand more than ever that mission constitutes an essential aspect of the Christian faith; all Christians are sent to other peoples and communities in order to bear witness of their faith in Christ and proclaim His gospel. Since the Second Vatican Council, the Church has worked to restore the essential importance of every baptized person’s missionary dimension. Pope Francis exhorts Catholics repeatedly to go out of the church’s walls and to make sure that the Church becomes a missioncentered Church.

In his message on the occasion of World Mission Sunday 2017, Pope Francis said the Church exists to proclaim the gospel. It is the person of Jesus Christ that the Church proclaims. It is His teachings and mandate that the Church would like to uphold at all times and in all places.

The Church remains a humble instrument of Christ’s proclamation of the Kingdom of God. Members of the Church should actively take part in this missionary work in whatever way they can. Being a missionary does not entail going to a faraway place to introduce Christ to those who still do not know Him. Being a missionary, in the words of Pope Francis, means “going forth from our own comfort zone in order to reach all the peripheries in need of the light of the Gospel.” It means proclaiming the gospel even in our own contexts but with boldness and courage. It means not being afraid to talk about Christ to your friends, family, and co-worker. It means having the guts to live the teachings of Christ even if everybody else is going against it.

May the Spirit of God inspire us to become missionary disciples of Christ in today’s world.