October 24, 2021; World Mission Sunday

 

World Mission Sunday: 

"We Cannot but Speak About What We Have Seen and Heard."

1.       Today is World Mission Sunday. In 1926 Pope Pius Xl inaugurated World Mission Sunday so that the whole Church may participate in the work of the Church, to make Christ known in all parts of the world. This is what the Lord Jesus mandates us to do when He told his apostles: "You will receive power when the holy spirit comes upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, throughout Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth." (Acts 1:8). This year the theme for the World Mission Sunday is "We cannot but speak about what we have seen and heard."

•        We speak about 19,000 young men who are preparing for the priesthood in Africa.

•        We speak about six million children who receive an education from Religious Sisters in more than 15,000 Church-run elementary schools in Asia. 

•        We speak about Latin America, where catechists travel to remote areas to bring the Good News of God's great love to families.

•        We speak about the Pacific Islands, where 3,500 religious bring the Lord's mercy and peace to those in need.

•        And we speak about Europe where new churches are being built to welcome faith communities renewed after years of persecution.

2.       Every parish in the world can participate, united in this special Eucharistic celebration. Every parishioner is a missionary. We must share our love for Christ's Gospel with one another, supporting the Church most in need. The first worldwide Mission Sunday collection was taken in October 1927. Since then, the Mission Sunday collection is always taken on the next to the last Sunday during the month of October. This year also, we are invited to make a financial contribution in support of mission work.

3.       I am a member of the Missionary Society of St. Paul of Nigeria. We were founded by Dominic Cardinal Ekandem, in consultation with the Episcopal Conferences of Nigeria, in 1977, for missions. This was in response to the call of the Second Vatican Council and Pope Paul Vl in Uganda in 1969 to Africans to participate in the mission mandate of the universal Church. Christ calls us to "Go into the whole world and proclaim the Gospel to all creatures." (Mk. 16:15). Since the Nigerian Church benefited from the faith brought by European missionaries, it only fitted that Nigerians, too, should share in the mandate to bring the Gospel of Christ to the ends of the earth.  Today, the Missionaries of St. Paul have also answered the call to bring the Gospel of Christ to God's people as missionaries in America, Canada, Sweden, Ireland, Italy, Germany, England, France, Grenada, Bahamas, South Africa, South Sudan, Botswana, Central African Republic, Chad, Malawi, Cameroon, the Gambia, Kenya, and Libera.

4.       Every baptized catholic must see themselves as a missionary. In fact, we only exist as Church because we are a missionary Church, sent on a mission by God in Jesus, who commands us to go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, of the Son and of the Holy Spirit (Matt. 28:19-20). Some of us must necessarily go on a mission as missionaries, but then others must also go on a mission by giving to support the mission. Pope Benedict XV, in his Apostolic letter, Maximum Illud, stressed, "There are three general ways in which a Catholic can assist the missionary effort, and missionaries themselves must constantly remind us of them. This is within everyone's capacity."

•        Prayer: Pray that God may grant the missions His merciful aid. "This kind of prayer cannot fail, especially in this cause. For no cause is dearer or more pleasing to God than this one. While the Israelites fought their battle with Amalek, Moses took his stand on a great hill and, lifting up his hands, implored God's aid for his people. The teachers of the Gospel are manfully at work in the Lord's vineyard, and it is the duty of all the faithful to follow the example of Moses and grant them the support of their prayers."

•        Fostering vocations: Everyone must pray for an increase of vocation in the Church. Jesus reminds us: "The harvest is large, but there are few workers to gather it in. Pray to the owner of the harvest that he will send out workers to gather in his harvest" (Matt. 9:37-38).

•        Economic Help: Every Catholic must give to support the mission.

I am grateful to all who have supported the work of the mission. May God bless and reward you abundantly. Amen.

 

Rev. Augustine Etemma Inwang, MSP