Pastor’s Corner for the 30th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year C, by Rev. Fr. Nobert Munekani SJ

Mission Sunday

In 1926 Pope Pius XI instituted Mission Sunday for the whole Church with the first worldwide Mission Sunday collection taking place in October 1927. World Mission Sunday, organized by the Propagation of the Faith, is a day set aside for Catholics worldwide to recommit themselves to the Church’s missionary activity through prayer and sacrifice. As described by Pope John Paul II, World Mission Sunday is “an important day in the life of the Church because it teaches how to give: as an offering made to God, in the Eucharistic celebration and for all the missions of the world” Redemptoris Missio 81).

“Every Christian is called to be a missionary and witness to Christ. And the Church, the community of Christ’s disciples, has no other mission than that of bringing the Gospel to the entire world by bearing witness to Christ. To evangelize is the very identity of the Church.” – Pope Francis.

40% of the Church in the whole world is Missionary, meaning Parishes who are unable to support themselves, due to factors such as age or economic status. This Sunday the 23rd of October, we celebrate World Mission Sunday, a day where every person, in every parish, in every country where the Church is present, comes together to support mission in our world. The message behind World Mission Day is to stand in solidarity with each other and plant seeds of faith to continue to build a worldwide Church. Pope Francis announced the message for this year’s World Mission Day is “You Shall Be My Witnesses”. This refers to the last conversation Jesus had with his Disciples before ascending into Heaven. (‘But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the Earth.’ – Acts 1:8).                   

Pope Francis says, “The celebration of World Mission Day is also an occasion for reaffirming how prayer, reflection and the material help of your offerings are so many opportunities to participate actively in the mission of Jesus in the Church. The charity expressed in the collections that take place during the liturgical celebrations on the third Sunday of October is aimed at supporting the missionary work carried out in my name… to meet the spiritual and material needs of peoples and Churches throughout the world, for the salvation of all.”                                                                                                                              Let us take part in this year’s World Mission Sunday and donate towards this cause. May God bless and Keep you safe.                                                                                         

For the Sick: Let remember to pray for the sick especially Elizabeth Mooi.

Fr. Nobert Munekani SJ