Sunday, 18 October 2015, is Mission Sunday when we are invited to pray for and show solidarity with all missionaries, our representatives throughout the world. Ireland has a proud tradition of sending missionaries to the four corners of the earth – as brothers, sisters and priests. And in more recent times as the number of such missionaries has declined our young people are taking up the challenge and going as development workers to some of the most dangerous parts of our world. It may not be their faith which inspires them but their recognition of our common humanity has seen them respond to the needs of others beyond our shores.
As Christians we share a common baptism. Pope Francis in his Letter for Mission Sunday writes: “Every baptised person is called to bear witness to the Lord Jesus by proclaiming the faith received as a gift. Since Christ’s entire existence had a missionary character, so too, all who follow him closely must possess this missionary quality. As Vatican II stated: ‘The laity should cooperate in the Church’s missionary work of evangelisation, as witnesses and at the same time as living instruments, they share in her saving mission.”
Mission Sunday 2015 homily.
Charlie Bird presents an excellent video on ‘the missions’ – view it here.
Read the complete World Mission Sunday Message of Pope Francis.