Some Give to the Mission by Going
Some Go to the mission by Giving
Today
is celebrated the world over as the World Mission Sunday. This day was
instituted by Pope Pius Xl in 1926, for the whole Church to participate in the
work of the Church, to bring Christ to the ends of the earth. Pope Francis set
the month of October as Missionary Month with the title: Baptized and Sent: The
Church of Christ on Mission in the world. He said, inter alia, “Celebrating
this month will help us first to rediscover the missionary dimension of our
faith in Jesus Christ, a faith graciously bestowed on us in baptism. Our filial
relationship with God is not something simply private, but always in relation
to the Church.” 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. That day is celebrated in
all the local Churches as the feast of Catholicity and universal Solidarity, so
Christian the world over, will recognize their common responsibility, with
regard to the evangelization of the world.
I
am a member of the Missionary Society of St. Paul of Nigeria. My Society was
founded by the late Dominic Cardinal Ekandem, in consultation with the
Episcopal Conference of Nigeria, in 1977, for missions (42 years ago). This was
in answer 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. Jesus Christ calls on us to “Go into the whole world and proclaim the
Gospel to all creatures.” (Mk. 16:15). Since the Nigerian Church were
beneficiaries of the faith brought to our lands by European missionaries, it is
only fitting that we too, should share in this mandate, to bring the Gospel of
Christ to the Americas, Europeans and indeed to the ends of the world.
Today, the Missionaries of St. Paul have also answered the call, to bring the
Gospel of Christ to God’s people 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,
Libera and Nigeria.
This
year we commemorate the centenary of the Apostolic Letter Maximum Illud of
Pope Benedict XV published on November 30, 1919. This, indeed is a must read
for all missionaries and Catholics. The holy father stressed the need for all
Catholics to take interest in missionary work. Pope Francis said this of the
Apostolic letter of his predecessor 100 years ago, “Its farsighted and
prophetic vision of the apostolate has made me realize once again the
importance of renewing the Church’s missionary commitment and giving fresh
evangelical impulse to her work of preaching and bringing to the world the
salvation of Jesus Christ, who died and rose again.”
We
must all see ourselves as missionaries. In fact, we only exist as Church
because we are a missionary Church, sent on 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 mission as missionaries, but then others must also go on
mission by giving to support the mission. Pope Benedict XV, in his Apostolic
letter, Maximum
Illud, said, “There are three general ways in which a Catholic can assist
the missionary effort, and missionaries themselves constantly remind us of
them. This is within everyone’s capacity.”
·
Prayer
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 mission.
I
want to express my gratitude to all who have supported work of the mission. May
God bless and reward you abundantly.
Rev. Augustine Etemma Inwang, MSP
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