WelCom October 2018:
Ko te Rātapu Mīhana o te Ao
21 October 2018 | 21 o Oketopa 2018
World Mission Sunday is a day set aside for the Catholic Church throughout the world to publicly renew its commitment to the missionary movement. Instituted by Pope Pius XI in 1926 as the day of prayer for missions, World Mission Day is celebrated on the second-to-last Sunday of October every year. The day encourages prayers, cooperation and help for missions as well as reminding us about the fundamental missionary charter of the Church and of every baptised person. This year World Mission Day falls on Sunday 21 October.
Pope’s Message for World Mission Sunday 2018
“Together with young people, let us bring the Gospel to all”
Pope Francis, on 19 May 2018, released his message for World Mission Sunday 2018, to be held on 21 October. The theme: ‘Together with young people, let us bring the Gospel to all’, echoes the upcoming synod of bishops, 3‒28 October in the Vatican, whose theme is ‘Young People, the Faith and Vocational Discernment’.
In his message Pope Francis urges young people to join the Church in bringing the Gospel to all.
‘What leads me to speak to everyone through this conversation with you is the certainty that the Christian faith remains ever young when it is open to the mission that Christ entrusts to us,’ the Pope said. ‘The Synod to be held in Rome this October, the month of the missions, offers us an opportunity to understand more fully, in the light of faith, what the Lord Jesus wants to say to you young people, and, through you, to all Christian communities.’
The Holy Father stressed each person has a mission in life and the Church proclaims Christ’s message and shares with young people ‘the way and truth which give meaning to our life on this earth’.
‘This transmission of the faith, the heart of the Church’s mission, comes about by the infectiousness of love, where joy and enthusiasm become the expression of a newfound meaning and fulfilment in life,’ the Pope said. ‘The Pontifical Mission Societies were born of young hearts as a means of supporting the preaching of the Gospel to every nation and thus contributing to the human and cultural growth of all those who thirst for knowledge of the truth.’
World Mission Sunday raises funds for more than 1000 mission projects around the world.
Vatican News
Pope Francis’ message for World Mission Day 2018 in full is on the Vatican website at: w2.vatican.va/content/francesco/en/messages/missions/documents/papa-francesco_20180520_giornata-missionaria2018.html
[Shorter link: tinyurl.com/World-Mission-Day-2018]
With the Youth We Proclaim the Gospel to ALL!
Fr Bernard Espiritu svd
With the youth we proclaim the Gospel to all. Image: Supplied
World Mission Sunday 2018 picks up its theme from the Bishops’ Synod in Rome this October. ‘Young people, the faith and Vocational Discernment’ will be the focus of the reflections and discussions among the young and the old, clergy, religious and the lay delegates of the Synod.
Pope Francis started his WMS 2018 Message stating, ‘Every man and woman is a mission’.
It was not our choice to be born in this world; our faith, however, prompts us to proclaim that God has chosen us. But why? As I discover what gives meaning and purpose to my life, I see more clearly my mission in life. It is not a solitary journey. Mission is accomplished with others and with God himself. This is why in every Sunday Mass I celebrate, I always remind the faithful that every time each one prays ‘I believe in God’ they should hear the echo, ‘I also believe in you!’. His Mission is Our Mission.
Our partner in mission is not God alone, but also the saints. Not only the ‘giant’ saints like the Apostles or Ss Francis and Clare of Assisi or St Thomas More, all of whom have lived in distant lands, but also those around us like Mary MacKillop, Suzanne Aubert, and the martyr Francis Douglas who once trod this land. Also, the many holy people who once lived next door, the grandparents and parents who passed on the joy of believing and the practice of the faith to us.
This partnership is tangibly present here and now as the experience and wisdom of the older generation meet the freshness and enthusiasm of the young. World Mission Sunday is a celebration of these partnerships, and the hope our God makes us more determined in increasing and keeping them.
Last year I facilitated a weekend of prayer and reflection at a campsite in Northland. There were 12 couples and eight young teens. I was asked to join the young people in the afternoon. I acknowledged our generation gap – they were in their teens and me in my sixties – and I began by asking them questions such as their names and how they came together. They were all school mates. Quickly, I sensed the leader among them and soon encouraged him to take the lead. It was great to see how young people who speak with the same language and mind have hearts that can communicate the joy of the Gospel. The new leader only needed the opportunity and support. It was a wonderful partnership!
WMS 2018 celebrates the reality and the outstanding hope that ‘With the Youth We Proclaim the Gospel to ‘all’! They are the ‘now’ of the Church.
Fr Bernard Espiritu svd is National Director Missionz, based in Wainuiomata, Lower Hutt.
Bringing the Gospel to all
Young teachers-in-training who are part of the Pyinya Sanyae Institute of Education programme. Photo: Supplied
This year the Pontifical Mission Societies (MISSIO) will help in profiling the Church work with communities in Myanmar – rebuilding the fragile nation by empowering teachers and healing through the gift of education, positively impacting children, parents and whole communities.
With public investment in Myanmar among the lowest in the world, the Catholic Church is aiming to train teachers, develop infrastructures, and establish a nationwide alternative school system.
This year, as we highlight the need to work with the youth in proclaiming the Gospel, the Pontifical Mission Societies hope to work with the Church in Myanmar in building a strong educational system. A key aspect is the training of teachers in holistic teaching practices. Thousands of poor and vulnerable children are being supported through their education by the Church – providing the framework for young people to become future leaders for their community and country.
Supporting missionaries to spread the Good News
On World Mission Sunday the global Church comes together in support of mission. All donations from Masses go to support churches, hospitals, schools and vocations in countries around the world where the Church is serving among the vulnerable. Missionz is part of the world-wide network of the Pontifical Mission Societies. You can donate to Missionz at Masses on World Mission Sunday on 21 October 2018 in the envelopes provided or contact: Missionz, PO Box 43226 Wainuiomata, Lower Hutt 5048; email info@misso.nz, website missio.nz, or phone (04) 472-2210.