World Missionary Sunday

Growing up, the word Missionary for me, concerned those men and women who worked overseas in developing countries to support and encourage the life and faith of the local people.

As children we put aside small amounts of our pocket money for the Missions. I heard and read about great missionaries like St Francis Xavier and the early Marists including St Peter Chanel.

The Far East magazine of the Columban Missionary Society was a familiar publication at home that I would read and be inspired by. I remember collecting tea coupons and sending them off to the Columbans in Lower Hutt to support the missionary effort.

World Missionary Sunday and the resources raised still concerns men and women working and witnessing to the Gospel in other countries. Pope Leo himself was a missionary in Peru as we know and in his message for this Sunday acknowledges the support he received from the Church's Missionary Society and how valued it was.

There has been I believe for some time a reclaiming of the word Missionary to include all the baptized whether one travels overseas or not. We all have a mission to live and witness to the Gospel to the people of our place and time while also retaining the traditional understanding to support those who leave their homeland to work in other places for the sake of the Gospel.

Towards the end of his message for this 99th World Mission Day, Pope Leo XIV invites us to reflect together on our baptismal call to be ‘missionaries of hope among all peoples,’ as the theme chosen by Pope Francis for this year reminds us.  To conclude, our Holy Father Pope Leo XIV invites us all: ‘Let us commit ourselves anew to the sweet and joyful task of bringing Christ Jesus, our Hope, to the ends of the earth. Thank you for everything you will do to help me help missionaries throughout the world’.

At the conclusion of the Eucharist we pray various endings including the word, 'Go.' Go the Mass has ended, Go in peace glorifying the Lord by your life, Go and announce the Gospel. It sounds simple enough but is meant to be a powerful way of reminding us that we are sent on mission to live and proclaim the Gospel. The Mass has ended but the Mission has just begun.

You may like to listen to 'Go out, go now' track 10 from 'Making music to your name.'

Blessings on your week.