2024 WMS: Pope Francis Charges Christians to be missionaries
From Daniel Mtindiga
His Holiness, Pope Francis has called on all Christians to be missionaries.
He made the call in his message to the world through the universal church (Catholic) at the celebration of the 98th World Mission Sunday.
The Holy Father who themed the 2024 World Mission Sunday, “Go and invite everyone to the banquet”, stressed the need for all Christians to be involved in the evangelization of the gospel of Christ for the growth of God’s kingdom.
The Chaplain of St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Chaplaincy, Taraba State University Jalingo, Very Rev. Fr. Dr. Williams P. Awoshiri while dwelling/preaching on the theme, noted that the 2024 World Mission Sunday has marked the 98th celebration of the global event in the history of the Catholic church, adding that the day was initiated by Pope Pius de 11th in the year, 1926 and that every October since then, the church organizes prayers, Eucharistic celebrations and collections to aid missionaries and Dioceses for religious, educational and healthcare initiatives.
Fr. Awoshiri emphasized that the event underscores the church’s mission to spread the gospel and also, reminds Catholics of their sacred responsibilities despite different cultural contexts to continue Christ’s mission.
“On this year’s World Mission Sunday, Pope Francis has enlisted for our reflection and action those instructive words of the Lord Himself, ‘Go and invite everyone to the banquet’, this words, the Lord said to introduce the mission to us and it is presumed that we all know and we belong to this mission,” he said.
He stated that if we faithfully carry out the instruction by inviting everyone without exception, we will invariably arrest the assumption, pointing that in those areas that we have not fully belong or committed to the mission, we could be invited to the same mission by others.
“It therefore means my brothers and sisters that as i go out inviting others, i will equally be invited by others. At last, we now see that these instructive words, ‘Go and invite everyone to the banquet does not presume that everyone already with us in the mission worked enough, it particularly demands from us openness to the invitation of others,” he cautions.
He charged Christians not to allow fear or discouragement to prevent them from taking the right position because they are called to be messengers of hope.
However, he noted that St Paul emphasized that the church’s mission is for the world to understand God’s truth as contained in 1st Timothy chapter 2:4.
He however, maintained that evangelization is every Christians duty and not just the Clergy or dedicated missionaries.
”Every Christian dares to preach through their love and unity. To fulfill this mission, love, compassion and forgiveness are essential. A Christian’s life should actually draw others to Christ through love,” he stated.
