This Weekend we celebrate the international missionary effort of the Church throughout the world. Here in Ireland for many centuries there have been so many great Irishmen and women who have gone to foreign lands to bring the faith of our fathers to those who might not have got the faith otherwise. The same faith that was brought to us in our turn by the missionary efforts of Saint Patrick many years ago. This Sunday celebrates the great missionary spirit that has brought the faith to all corners of the world over so many years. we remember all those who have gone into the mission fields from all the countries of the world, members of the religious orders such as the Columbans, Mill Hill Fathers, St. Patrick’s Kilteegan Fathers the Medical Missionaries of Mary and all the other religious orders who along with the Lay Missionary movements such as Viatores Christi have brought Christ and the light of his message to the far corners of the world.
Mission was understood as going abroad, to countries where the Church was not yet strong or to places where people suffered from poverty or conflict. This is indeed still necessary and valid today and we pray people will continue to give their lives to mission in this way. Mission was also seen as the task primarily of priests and religious, with a few lay missionaries, and their work was and is still supported by the generosity of the people especially those at home. Mission is essentially faith in action, and to this we as baptised are all called to be missionaries at home where we are. There are many ways in which people live mission today, both at home and overseas. These include being involved in action to prevent trafficking, various kinds of social and community work with the poor and marginalised, reaching out to refugees and migrants and action to care for the earth. Some of those people who are engaged in these activities may not profess a formal Christian faith, but it is evident that their activities are inspired by Gospel values and they are promoting the reign of God.
Mission Sunday gives us an opportunity to ask ourselves what is our mission perhaps we should be asking ourselves what are we doing to promote the kingdom of god where we are and do we support those engaged in mission activity by our prayers and other help. Mission Sunday gives us the opportunity to thank god for the faith that we have as well as acknowledging and thanking god for all those faithful missionary men and women who left everything in order to bring the faith and the light of Christ to the far corners of the world. We pray that the Lord of the harvest will continue to inspire many people to join the missionary effort both at home and abroad as we go forward with faith .
Fullerton T 