WORLD MISSION SUNDAY!

World Mission Sunday!
Last Monday, Bishop James Powers inaugurated the process of preparing for the Synod 2023 in our Diocese. At the Inaugural Mass, Bishop Powers stated how wonderful it is that the whole Church    participates in the Synodal process. Pope Francis emphasizes three key words for the Synod: communion, participation and mission. “Communion and mission are theological terms describing the mystery of the Church, which we do well to keep in mind.”  Pope says, “Participation is a requirement of the faith received in baptism... Baptism, the source of our life, gives rise to the equal dignity of the children of God, albeit in the diversity of ministries and charisms. Consequently, all the baptized are called to take part in the Church’s life and mission.”

Pope Francis asked us to pray for the ‘missionary disciples’ during this month. This weekend we are celebrating World Mission Sunday.  All of these celebrations echo the same message. The Church is a  missionary Church and each one of us are missionary disciples. Mission Sunday invites us to reflect beyond our local church and see the mission of the universal church. Some give to the missions by    going. Some go to the missions by giving. Mission Sunday is the day to reach out beyond the needs of the local Parish and  Diocese to assist missionaries as they go and tell in the young churches. The theme for the Extraordinary Missionary Month is: “Here am I, send me” (Isaiah 6:8). Pope Francis in his message for World Mission Sunday invites us to respond to our baptismal call to mission by      saying, “Here I Am, Send Me.” Mission  Sunday brings us together to celebrate our faith and support by our prayer and financially Pope Francis’      mission.

This year, Pope Francis' message on World Mission Sunday reflects on the theme of “We cannot but speak about what we have seen and heard” Acts 4:20. He reminds us that “As Christians, we cannot keep the Lord to ourselves.” On World Mission Sunday, we join with Pope Francis to pray for        missions and financial support.

This weekends readings talk about restoration of life: in the Book of Jeremiah, liberating the Israelites from Babylonian exile and in the Gospel restoring the sight of a man who was blind. In the first     reading Jeremiah promises the return of  the Israelites to the Promised Land. Their God is the one who walks with them, leads them through smooth roads, so no one will stumble including people who are blind, lame, mother’s with their child. “God said, Ephraim is my first-born” (Jeremiah 31:9). In the book of Exodus 4:22 it says, “So you will say to Pharaoh, Thus says the LORD: Israel is my son, my firstborn.” God calls Israel ‘my son’ two or three times in the Bible, but “Son of God” always refers to Jesus Christ.

The first reading prepares us to listen to the Gospel, the healing of the man who was blind, Bartimaeus. The Gospel passage is about the restoration of sight at the same time, it is a marvelous instruction on prayer. Bartimaeus not only cried out to Christ with a strong faith, but he was persistent in his prayer. It was with total confidence. Israelites knew when the Messiah comes, he will come from the house of King David and the rightful heir to his throne (Isaiah 9:7 and Ezekiel 34:23-24). Maybe they hoped he would possess the power to heal the sickness and exercise demons (Matthew 15:22).

The second reading in the letter to Hebrews it tells us Jesus, the high Priest, came to establish the New Covenant. He lived among us, restored life and offered on the Cross to give us life. He continues to walk with us, and restore our life.
 
At the Inaugural Mass, Bishop Powers stated how wonderful it is that the whole Church    participates in the Synodal process. Pope Francis emphasizes three key words for the Synod: communion, participation and mission. “Communion and mission are theological terms describing the mystery of the Church, which we do well to keep in mind.”  Pope says, “Participation is a requirement of the faith received in baptism... Baptism, the source of our life, gives rise to the equal dignity of the children of God, albeit in the diversity of ministries and charisms. Consequently, all the baptized are called to take part in the Church’s life and mission.”

Pope Francis asked us to pray for the ‘missionary disciples’ during this month. This weekend we are celebrating World Mission Sunday.  All of these celebrations echo the same message. The Church is a  missionary Church and each one of us are missionary disciples. Mission Sunday invites us to reflect beyond our local church and see the mission of the universal church. Some give to the missions by    going. Some go to the missions by giving. Mission Sunday is the day to reach out beyond the needs of the local Parish and  Diocese to assist missionaries as they go and tell in the young churches. The theme for the Extraordinary Missionary Month is: “Here am I, send me” (Isaiah 6:8). Pope Francis in his message for World Mission Sunday invites us to respond to our baptismal call to mission by      saying, “Here I Am, Send Me.” Mission  Sunday brings us together to celebrate our faith and support by our prayer and financially Pope Francis’      mission.

This year, Pope Francis' message on World Mission Sunday reflects on the theme of “We cannot but speak about what we have seen and heard” Acts 4:20. He reminds us that “As Christians, we cannot keep the Lord to ourselves.” On World Mission Sunday, we join with Pope Francis to pray for        missions and financial support.

This weekends readings talk about restoration of life: in the Book of Jeremiah, liberating the Israelites from Babylonian exile and in the Gospel restoring the sight of a man who was blind. In the first     reading Jeremiah promises the return of  the Israelites to the Promised Land. Their God is the one who walks with them, leads them through smooth roads, so no one will stumble including people who are blind, lame, mother’s with their child. “God said, Ephraim is my first-born” (Jeremiah 31:9). In the book of Exodus 4:22 it says, “So you will say to Pharaoh, Thus says the LORD: Israel is my son, my firstborn.” God calls Israel ‘my son’ two or three times in the Bible, but “Son of God” always refers to Jesus Christ.

The first reading prepares us to listen to the Gospel, the healing of the man who was blind, Bartimaeus. The Gospel passage is about the restoration of sight at the same time, it is a marvelous instruction on prayer. Bartimaeus not only cried out to Christ with a strong faith, but he was persistent in his prayer. It was with total confidence. Israelites knew when the Messiah comes, he will come from the house of King David and the rightful heir to his throne (Isaiah 9:7 and Ezekiel 34:23-24). Maybe they hoped he would possess the power to heal the sickness and exercise demons (Matthew 15:22).

The second reading in the letter to Hebrews it tells us Jesus, the high Priest, came to establish the New Covenant. He lived among us, restored life and offered on the Cross to give us life. He continues to walk with us, and restore our life.