Mission Sunday challenges us to bring HOPE to the people
Mission Sunday has gained importance over the years to
highlight the significance of mission and missionaries. Particularly, this occasion is
emphasizing that all Christians have a mission, and all are missionaries. The message of
Pope Francis for the World Mission Sunday 2020 revolves around the response “Here am I,
sent me” (Is 6:8). This is in the context of the pandemic. What is the significance of
this message to our confreres as well as to our lay partners
especially in this time of pandemic? Still, many countries are struggling under the
weight of pandemic. Currently, a few countries have come out of the stress and strain to
some extent but no country is totally free. Some are crying out aloud “we are
perishing”, some act in a manner that “we have to live with it”. Some don’t know what
the future will be because of losing a job, and having no earnings, no savings and no
support system.
Pope Francis says, “Mission is a free and conscious response to God’s call.” The
conscious response comes when we are inserted into the context. Allowing the context to
speak, listening to the context and responding to the context are formative values.
Jesus gave his life in obedience and this comes from his love for the Father. Our
obedience to respond to the context comes from love of the people with faith. Thus,
our faith becomes a dynamic and creative faith. Our conscious response to the pandemic
situation is our mission and this is seen in all our PRMs. The confreres have responded
with creative and sublime faith. The mission offices in Germany, Austria and
Switzerland, and USA had mobilized a good amount of donations to reach out to various
PRMs to care for the poor and needy during this pandemic.
Our lay partners listened to the Spirit and acted. The SVD Lay Partners Newsletter, no.13
(August, 2020) has a lot of stories of various groups who were imbued by the Spirit. IDJ
lay partners noted, “We have distributed basic food to needy communities, take-away meal
packets to scavengers and migrant workers, and masks to the communities around us. We
have raised funds….” Thus, lay partners have tried to share our charism in the given
situation by responding, “Here we are Lord.”
In our mission, “You move because the Holy Spirit pushes you, and carries you” (Pope
Francis). This happens when we listen to the Spirit and allow the Spirit to push us. Our
initiatives of online Masses, novenas and other spiritual activities have brought a
certain solace and comfort to the people. But mission is beyond this and calls for an
answer to the cry of “perishing”. We have responded in many different ways in spiritual
and social spheres. One notable thing is that some of the countries experience mindless
corruption during
this pandemic. This crime has multiplied without any human consideration. This has
caused excruciating pain. Some Government officials, hospitals, health workers and
misguided groups inflicted more pain with corrupt practices manipulating this context.
Our prophetic voice needs to be loud and clear and this prophetic mission is an urgent
call. In this context, am I willing to take risk to speak the truth and stop the unjust
practices? Can I say “Here am I, send me” as a prophet or as a warrior again
coronavirus. In our
involvement, we can find what is evil and how to eliminate it while promoting the truth.
“Integrity is telling myself the truth. And honesty is telling the truth to other
people.” Take courage to tell the truth and eliminate the evil.
Mission is complex, yet there is only one mission − God’s mission. Mission is preaching
the Good News! Mission is prayer and hearing the voice of Holy Spirit! Mission is bread!
Mission is about involvement! Mission is about organizing! Mission is about acting
compassionately! Mission is about being united with Jesus and doing what he prompts us
to do in the local context. This Mission Sunday challenges us to bring HOPE to the
people. God never fails, never
inflicts pain, God is always Love. Sharing this love and giving hope to the people
through our interactions, stepping out of our “safety zone”, searching for the “lost” in
the pandemic, interacting with them and counselling them would be some of the ways of
saying, “Here I am Lord”.
May all of us celebrate a meaningful Mission Sunday!
Fr. Stanislaus T. Lazar, SVD
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