Source: RV / ab | Date of publication: 15/05/2016
Francis called for courageous follow on all the periphery need the light of the Gospel. The Vatican published Pope’s message for World Mission Day. It bears the title: “The Church missionary witness of mercy.”
Polish text message:
Church missionary witness of charity
Dear Brothers and Sisters!
We are experiencing the Church Extraordinary Jubilee Charity casts a special light on the World Mission Day 2016, invites us to look at the mission ad gentes as a great, great work of mercy, both in spirit and in body. In fact, in this World Mission Day, we are all invited to “exit” as disciples-missionaries, each giving to the service of your talents, your creativity, your wisdom and experience to bring the message of God’s tenderness and compassion the whole human family. By order of the missionary Church is concerned about those who do not know the Gospel, he wants all men to be saved and come to experience the love of the Lord. “The Church’s mission is to proclaim the mercy of God, the beating heart of the Gospel” (Bull Misericordiae vultus, 12) and the preaching of it in every corner of the earth to reach to every woman, man, elderly person, a young man and a child.
Mercy awakens in the heart of the Father’s profound joy when he meets every human being. From the very beginning he asks also warmly to the weakest because of his size and power manifested precisely in the ability to identify with the little ones, rejected, oppressed (cf. Deut. 4.31; Ps 86.15; 103.8; 111.4 ). He is the God of gentle, sensitive, faithful. It becomes close to the people who need to be close to all, especially the poor. With tender care involved in human reality, as if it did his father and mother in the lives of their children (cf. Jer 31.20). The term used in the Bible to describe mercy refers to the mother’s womb: and therefore to the mother’s love of children, those children who will be loved always, in all circumstances, regardless of what happens, because they are the fruit of her womb. It is also an important aspect of love that God feeds to all its children, and especially to the members of the people who was born and who wants to feed and nurture: in the face of their weakness and unfaithfulness of his bowels are moved and tremble with compassion (cf. Oz 11 8). But he is merciful to all His love is for all people, and His tender care includes all creation (cf. Ps. 144,8-9).
Mercy finds its most sublime and most complete expression in the Word made flesh. He reveals the face of the Father rich in mercy, “he says about it and explain it through comparisons and parables, but above all it himself embodies and personifies” (John Paul II, Enc. Dives in Misericordia, 2). Adopting and imitating Jesus through the Gospel and the sacraments, together with the Holy Spirit can we become merciful as our heavenly Father, learning to love as He loves us and making our lives a sincere gift, a sign of his goodness (cf.. Bull Misericordiae Vultus, 3). The church was the first among mankind is a community that lives by the mercy of Christ, always feel secure and chosen by him with a merciful love, and this love draws on the style of his mission, he lives it and shows it to the nations in marked respectful dialogue with all cultures and religious beliefs.
About the love of charity shows, as in the early times of ecclesial experience, many men and women of every age and social condition. A telling sign of maternal love of God is a significant and growing presence of women as well, next to men in the world missionary. Women, lay people and consecrated today as well as quite a few families realize their missionary vocation in various forms: from the direct proclamation of the Gospel to the service of charity. In addition to the work of evangelization and sacramental missionaries, women, and families often understand more adequately the problems of people and are able to face them in an appropriate manner, and sometimes a whole new concern for life, paying more attention to people than structures and engaging with all human and spiritual in building harmony, relationships, peace, solidarity, dialogue, cooperation and brotherhood, both in interpersonal relations and wider – social and cultural life, and especially care for the poor.
In many places of evangelization originates in educational activities, which missionary work devotes time and effort, as evangelical gracious host vineyard (cf. Lk 13,7-9; Jn 15.1), patiently waiting for the fruit between the slow formation; thus born people capable of evangelization as well as to render the Gospel arrived there, where no one would expect its implementation. The church can be defined as the “mother”, also by those who could be used in the future to get to faith in Christ. I wish, therefore, to the holy people of God held the maternal ministry of charity, which helps a lot in meeting the love of the Lord and also to those peoples who do not yet know. Faith is in essence a gift of God and not the result of proselytism; It develops, however, thanks to the faith and charity of people carrying the Gospel, which are the witnesses of Christ. From Jesus’ ways of reaching the world it requires this love, which is not metered, but rather strives to be all to this measure, which is the Lord; We preach the most beautiful and greatest gift which He has given us His life and His love.
All the peoples and cultures have the right to receive the message of salvation which is the gift of God to all. This is all the more necessary when we consider how much injustice, wars, humanitarian crises are expected today for a solution. Missionaries know from experience that the Gospel of forgiveness and mercy can bring joy and reconciliation, justice and peace. The evangelical command: “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you “(Mt 28,19-20) does not run out. What’s more commits us all, in the current situation and challenges, we feel called to re-missionary “output” as pointed out also in the Apostolic Exhortation Evangelii gaudium: “Every Christian and every community must discern which path they should follow in line with the call of the Lord, however, we are all invited to accept this call: out of their own comfort and gain the courage to reach for all the periphery need the light of the Gospel “(20).
It was in this jubilee year, the 90th anniversary of World Mission Day, promoted by the Pontifical Society for the Propagation of the Faith and approved by Pope Pius XI in 1926. I therefore consider it appropriate reminder wise indications of my predecessors who have decided to favor the works were meant any sacrifice which every diocese, parish, religious community, associations and ecclesial movements from around the world, able to gather to help needy Christian communities and strengthen the preaching Gospel to the ends of the earth. Even today do not shy away from this gesture of missionary ecclesial communion. Do not close our hearts in our particular concerns, but it broadens the prospects of all mankind.
May the Virgin Mary, a great icon of redeemed humanity, the model missionary for the Church, will teach all men, women and families of procreation and safeguarding everywhere lively and mysterious presence of the Risen Lord, who renews and fills joyful mercy relationships between individuals , cultures and nations.
The Vatican, May 15, 2016 on the feast of Pentecost
FRANCISCUS
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